Dolphins And A Mermaid!

Autumn Adventure - Day 9 (NC500 - Day 1)

Well, I’m finally on my way, heading north along the east coast of the Highlands. It was mostly sunny, but VERY windy.

My first stop was Chanonry Point on the Black Isle (not really an island, but a peninsula). Chanonry Point is a spit of sand protruding out into the bay known as Moray Firth. The channel is narrow and deep here and there are converging currents which was amazing to see, especially on such a stormy day. These two strong currents bring fish to the shore which feed a resident population of 200 bottle-nosed dolphins. It is one of only 3 places that support dolphins in U.K. waters, and is the most northerly breeding ground in Europe. Sadly, I didn’t actually see any dolphins today. There were plenty of other people there gazing out into the water, but I didn’t hear about any sightings. I wish I could share videos here on Blipfoto. I took several here - the still photos don’t really do it justice!

The Chanonry Point lighthouse, standing just 13 metres (43 feet) high, was designed and built by Alan Stevenson, and was first lit in 1846. For over 150 years, most of Scotland’s lighthouses were designed by Robert Stevenson and his descendants. Robert Stevenson’s grandson was the writer Robert Louis Stevenson. It is thought that visits with his father and grandfather to remote lighthouses inspired his books Kidnapped and Treasure Island.

After almost getting blown away, I drove on to nearby Rosemarkie Bay, where it was much calmer. I stopped for some lunch overlooking the bay and also bought some coffee and cake from a cafe on the beach. Amazingly, I pulled in to park next to a twin of Alfie the Campervan! My Toyota Alphard is quite rare in the U.K. as it was imported from Japan as a used vehicle and converted to a campervan here in the U.K. When Alphard owners see another Alphard we get quite excited as most of us feel like we’re in a very special ‘club’ or family. The lady who owned this other Alphard soon walked up and she was as surprised as I was to see one of her vehicle’s twins! We had a nice visit for awhile and enjoyed looking at each other’s campers - they’re all a bit different inside. We also discovered that we’re on some of the same Alphard Facebook groups.

After a late lunch I headed further north to the Fearn peninsula and stopped in the fishing village of Balintore. This village, along with Hilton and Sandwick, are collectively known as the Seaboard Villages. The Seaboard Sculpture Park includes the very beautiful ‘Mermaid of the North’, which is what I came to see!

The original 10-foot (3m) mermaid was created in 2007 by a local artist. She was made of bronzed wood but was not strong enough to avoid destruction in a severe storm in 2012. She was replaced by a bronze-cast model in 2014.

The Seaboard Centre’s website says:

“The Mermaid’s origins are deep-rooted in Easter Ross folklore; legend tells that once a fisherman stole a beautiful mermaid away to be his wife and hid her tail. Years later, after bearing his children, she found her tail and escaped back to sea, returning regularly to the shore to bring fish to her hungry children.”

When the tide is in, all you can see is the mermaid sitting on her black rock, but when the tide is out you can get much closer. As I was taking pictures quite close to her, I realised that some of the rocks I’d walked on were now wet, so I made a hasty retreat!!
Check out the Extra photo for a few more shots.

Tonight was the only night that didn’t stay in an actual campsite on the NC500. Since my van is small with no proper toilet or shower, I’m usually dependant on staying on sites, unlike the larger motorhomes who have their own facilities. However, I discovered that the Seaboard villages have warmly embraced the campervan/motorhome tourists, and in their new community centre they have provided a 24/7 toilet, shower, washer and dryer, fresh drinking water, and an Elsan point (waste point for motohomes with on-board toilets). The shower and laundry facilities were coin-operated, but everything else was free, though a donation was encouraged. All donations go towards supporting the community. I realised that this was a place I could actually stay. I wish I hadn’t arrived just after the cafe closed, otherwise I would have given them some business as well as my donation. It was lovely to have my late afternoon cup of tea while overlooking the water, listening to the laps of the waves. I knew we were going to get a LOT of rain and strong wind that night, but I hoped I would be OK! I felt safe, and there were two other campervans who also stayed the night there. I hope that other communities follow their example as I think it’s a win-win for both tourists and the local economy.

Interestingly, I met another couple there that afternoon who pulled up in their motorhome to visit the Mermaid. They didn’t stay, but we got to talking and discovered that we both lived in the Reading area! In fact, the wife and I had gone to the same secondary school but were a year apart, and the husband had a cousin who had been in my class in primary school! Small world! We kept in touch as we both did the NC500 (at different speeds!) over the next couple of weeks, often visiting different things.


I am, of course, (nothing new) terribly behind with my blips!! It’s now November and I am back home. My month-long trip around Scotland was action-packed, so I was way too tired in the evenings to think of blipping! Now that I’m home (and off work with a yucky cold), I’m determined to catch up!!
Feel free to scroll back if you want to see earlier days.