Day 4: Stromness - Clashnessie

5am start for one of the best days of the trip; filled with incredible landscapes. Our early-morning ferry left Stromness amid amazing light, whales and a trip past the Old Man of Hoy. Orkney definitely knows how to say goodbye. We also saw a huge pod of dolphins on the trip back to the mainland. Other than a bit of sea-nausea it couldn't have been much better! The top of Scotland is absolutely beautiful, with inspiring landscape and beautiful beaches around every corner. The reason for our early morning ferry was to make the trek to the 'best beach in the UK' and often voted in the world's top ten- Sandwood Beach. We stocked up on a picnic and tightened our laces for the 4.5 mile walk to the beach. The path meanders over heathland, with stepping stones and breath-taking views. The beach remains hidden until the last corner, and then it appears in all it's white sanded glory! We spent ages climbing over rocks and paddling in crystal clear waters. It's certainly worth the walk, and we felt so jealous of everyone we passed with camping gear planning to spend the night watching the meteor showers. The walk back seemed to go much quicker than the journey to the beach, and we set off to find our Air B&B. The drive through the north-western Highlands Assynt area is just awe-inspiring; the landscape is Californian in it's wide open spaces and craggy mountains- the best few miles of the trip for me, it was so incredibly beautiful. The only downside was the ridiculous road to find our home for the night; blind bends, low sun and sheer drops made for a tense end to the day. We arrived safely and holed up for the night.