Untitled - Beeldbibliotheek

CHAPTER IXTO JOHNo' GROAT'S: nWE had now circumvented Inverness. I hadalways thought of Inverness as being somewhereat the top of Scotland, but in the next few weeks, aswe pushed on and the trail lengthened out behindus, we were able to look back on it as dwindlingin the distance to the South. In the meantimewe had some welcome days of easy travel,through the fat and level lands of Easter Ross,a noble country of heavy pastures and splendidroads. On the Monday we touched the coast atmany points and camped a mile or two inland,not far from Tain, and the next day our courselay along the Dornoch Firth to Bonar Bridge.There we entered Sutherland a land bare ofsupplies, with few and meagre roads and, accordingto our brief experience,Arctic climate.with an almostI know very well that it was anexceptional summer, but I shall always think ofSutherland in June as providing a penetrating67