Day 81 – Dingwall to Alness – 9 miles

Cromarty Firth

I had expected another day of dreary road walking, but was pleasantly surprised. The minor road out of Dingwall climbed to a ridge that paralleled the Cromarty Firth, so most of the morning I had nice views of the firth. Overhead, a buzzard serenaded me with its characteristic screech for almost 45 minutes. Both the bird and its call remind me of the golden eagles I’ve seen over Yosemite’s Illilouette Canyon. With its noble appearance and call, the bird deserves a better name than a buzzard.

Flowers in Evanton

After the village of Evanton, the view of the firth temporarily disappeared, but a footpath that paralleled the road wound through a nice wooded area for approximately two miles. Although the footpath was never more than 50 feet from the road, the road had virtually no traffic, so the sights and sounds of the woods made for a pleasant walk.

Beyond the wooded area, the road and footpath passed through farm country. Wheatfields, which had been dark green in June, have turned golden brown, and ripple in even the slightest breeze.

As I approached Alness, huge oil platforms came into view. Alness is an oil town. It used to be regarded as a “tough” town, but has revitalized itself into a very pleasant place to live. It’s not a tourist town by any means, but now has a beautiful town commercial center. The pub which once counted more fights than beers, now caters to families with children. At lunch I sat next to two elderly ladies who had come in for a bowl of soup. Alness is a real success story. I’m glad I stopped here.

Highland steer

© 2011 Ken Klug