Strathy

The small settlement of Strathy was the last stopping point on our brief tour of Scotland's north coast. It stands about half way along that coast, at the northern end of one of the many straths - valleys - that run down from the interior. These, at one time, were home to many small communally-run settlements - clachans - which were cleared in the early 19th century to make way for what were perceived as more efficient farming methods whose stamp is now visible on the landscape. One of the unique features of the area are the ancient field boundaries built of vertical slabs of Caithness stone.

We came to enjoy the beach but turned aside at the cemetery to find the graves tended by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, one of which, in the foreground of this picture, was that of D Campbell, RNR, of HMS Victory, who died in 1916. It turns out that HMS Victory was a shore establishment in Portsmouth, and that Campbell died of natural causes - which still qualified him to be returned to and buried with honour in Scotland. 

Strathy has a wonderful, golden-sand beach. At its west end the River Strathy meets the sea, and there's a good half-mile of walking eastwards to the other end of Strathy Bay, to where....

....the beach ends against gently northwards-dipping layers of Caithness flags. We saw only two other people on our walk, and spent some of it sitting silently watching....

....gannets, some of them immature, diving again and again into a cold, mist-covered sea.