Thurso

This is the first part of my trip to the Orkney Islands in northern Scotland. For the English, the North is Scotland - to the Scots, the North begins at Thurso and extends to Orkney first and then to the Shetland Islands. The journey to Thurso passes through the capital of the Highlands, Inverness, and continues nearly 200 miles farther north, in fact, Thurso is one of the most northerly towns in Great Britain. It is small, quiet and is ideal for an overnight stay (either on the way there or back). Once there take the ferry to Orkney from Scrabster village 3 miles away. Next to the beach, and crossed by a small river, there are numerous parks for a quiet stroll after a dinner of good fish.