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Input on itinerary and route options (esp Northeast), please

Posted by (NYC) on

I’ve already found such helpful information in this forum – thank you!

My husband and I are attending a wedding in Errol and then have 8 full days afterwards before leaving from Edinburgh. I’m working on an early June itinerary and the first half our 8 days will be in Orkney and are trying to be selective about where to stop the rest of the days. There’s too much to choose from!

About us:

  • We’re very interested in all history, but especially WWII and neolithic history.
  • We’ll have an electric car, so charging opportunities will be key. No problems driving on the left, but I’d like to avoid hair raising roads and hairpins turns.
  • We don’t drink, so breweries and distilleries are not of particular interest, but I am seafood dafty!
  • Special > Popular and Countryside > Towns. This is our first time outside of Edinburgh and Glasgow, but we don’t feel the need to hit super popular sites, except for what's in Orkney.

Itinerary so far:

  • Day 1 (Sunday) Head from Errol to Aberdeen to catch the Sunday evening ferry to Kirkwall. Maybe find some Abroath smokie or lobster along the way? What else to see?
  • Days 2-4 (Mon, Tue, Wed) Full days in Orkney Islands
  • Day 5 (Thu) Morning ferry to Scrabster, make our way to…? Possible stops along the way (some quick, some not), need to refine: Castle of Mey; Duncansby Head; John O'Groats (bucket list stop); Whaligoe Steps; Grey Cairns of Camster
  • Day 6 (Fri) Are there any special D-Day commemorations?
  • Day 7 (Sat)
  • Day 8 (Sun) Need to end day within an hour or so of Edinburgh airport for flight home next morning

TL;DR what to see and where to overnight Days 5, 6, 7, 8?

Thanks for reading and any input!

Posted by
8684 posts

If you are into your WW2 history then Caithness (rather like Orkney) had a pivotal part in the war.

There is a pretty new Caithness at War Trail. So new I haven't seen it personally- just going off information received. But I am told that there are interpretation boards at each of the listed sites- https://caithnessatwar.com/wick-trail/

At Errol one interesting war item to see is the plaque in Errol Churchyard to Russian airmen who came to the area in 1940 to ferry British planes to Moscow which were given in aid.

Note that it had been made by Covid so was installed in November 2020, not on 8 May that year as stated on the plaque. The rock the plaque is on is rare crimson Shoksha quartzite

Another wartime site of interest (but tough to get to without 4WD) is at Berriedale Water, south of Dunbeath (at NGR ND 11059 28377) where the Duke of Kent lost his life in August 1942 in a Sunderland flying boat crash. There has always been a degree of mystery over the crash as the plane was off course.

Posted by
3 posts

Thank you, isn31c.
The Caithness at War Trail looks terrific and something we'd enjoy very much! We'll need to make room for this on our Day 5 and push out the other things I had there to the next day. I'm thinking maybe spend more time in Caithness. Perhaps on Day 8 just skip anything scenic and drive from Inverness to near Edinburgh. We like exploring deeper versus wider. We'll be back to Scotland at some point, though mainly to see the west coast.

Is Berriedale Water the same as Eagle's Rock? If so, good to know about the 4WD as I had it on a list of interesting stops.

I'll look for that plaque in Errol. I always stop and look at WWII plaques. I live in NYC and the famous department store Macy's has one dedicated to employees who served. I go out of my way to walk past it whenever I shop there. :)

Posted by
8684 posts

Is Berriedale Water the same as Eagle's Rock?

Yes it is, and yes I think you could spend the time (or at least Days 5 and 6 in Caithness). Maybe set off south on Day 7 and possibly go via the Moray Coast towards Aberdeen overnighting somewhere like Fraserburgh or Peterhead.

You will have heard of the Shetland Bus in the war- well the Bus also had a mainland base at Burghead on the coast near Elgin and RAF Lossiemouth. There is a Shetland Bus memorial there at the Harbour.

Then Day 8 down to maybe Dunfermline for the pre flight overnight stay.

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