Tag: nc500

The first blog was posted on August the 15th, 2021. In all honesty, this website was motivated by a perceived apathy from the Highland Council regarding the overwhelming traffic visiting this wee coastal corner of the Highlands of Scotland, and their lack of concern or to a slightly more alarming degree, even their awareness of what was taking place. The sheer volume of visitors was so bad that property damage was inevitable and sure enough, cause and effect unfolded.

A photo above is a moment in time where the rear end of a campervan demolished an outer wall. The feeling of the wall crashing on to the path was felt throughout the foundations of the residential property. On reflection, it reveals how vulnerable the residents are from further accidents as the outer wall was only a path-width away from being the actual home wall.

Check out further reading as accounts of congestion and evidence of increased volumes of visitor activity created tension, frustration and elements of risk to vehicles and properties in this immediate area.

Previous blogs: “Jam…” – Jam… – Whaligoe Eye

“Deja Vu” – Deja Vu – Whaligoe Eye

“Never Judge a Book…” Never Judge a Book… – Whaligoe Eye

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To give you an insight in to what other productivity has been undertaken to this modest and still evolving online source, there have been two well-received sections showcasing natural photographs and the “Postcards” area.

Check out this link for the ever-growing ‘Nature’ gallery – Nature – Whaligoe Eye

Check here to see photographs of visitors to the Whaligoe Steps – Postcards – Whaligoe Eye

Many thanks to all of you who were happy to strike a pose in and around this beautiful location.

Other blog posts added to this site included content about stones and creativity, a sentimental connection to the Whaligoe Steps, unfolding situations in general, a trip down the coastline with Caithness Seacoast, the arrival of a litter bin to the residents’ car parking area and observations of nature around here. More on these topics as time goes on plus a wonderful rich collection of historically researched materials which I think you may find interesting

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So for now, I will bid you a fond farewell and let you know that there is plenty going on behind the scenes which will surface on this website in due course.

Take care and many thanks as always.

The stonemason working on the restoration of the Whaligoe Steps at the time of this blog entry, has been a true and authentic example of an individual learning his craft throughout the decades. Charlie Juhlenski told me that he has been working this trade for around forty three years and loves working with the stone steps here. The pride in his work is evident for all those who descend the Whaligoe Steps, as the results simply speak for themselves.

Due to the volume of visitors, the work can be hampered. I have observed the stonemason dropping by at late hours of the day and night gradually making additions and adjustments to his prior workmanship, as progress of his maintenance continues after several months.

Stone is a fascinating and essential ingredient when surveying the Whaligoe Steps region. Not only is it prominent obviously within the cliffs around this area, and makes up the material of the steps, but is found on the small pebble beaches near the Bink at the base of the Whaligoe Steps.

In a previous blog post, I stumbled across a stack of pebbles balanced and beautiful on the pebble shore I just referred to. Check out this wee reminder: A video clip I filmed at the time of the discovery.

Since that find of stacked pebbles, within about two hours the north sea had knocked it down and there was literally no sign that this ever existed. Nature does not take prisoners!

Now then, take a look at this next photograph below… What do you think?

They are not just pebbles, but pebbles which have been scribed on using sharp objects. These pebbles have then been placed on to thin shelves and grooves within the shallow cave walls and subsequently resemble what can only be described as a stone gallery.

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According to www.britannica.com, cave art dates back from 40,000 to 14,000 years ago with examples found in Russia, Indonesia to England and France. The first acknowledged piece of Paleolithic (Stone Age) cave painting was discovered in the Altamira Caves, located around the Spanish town of Santillana del Mar, Cantabria.

It would seem that Homo Sapiens have instinctively been motivated to express themselves utilising the environment as a blank canvas in which to scribe, paint or showcase letters or images.

On each visit down the Whaligoe Steps, I see signs and symbols in and around informing me that visitors from far and wide have left a symbolic signature behind. What will you find when you visit?

Thanks as always for your time, take care and be safe.

Books are fabulous! One downside though of possessing books in these recent times which I feel slightly conflicted about sharing, is how they accumulate to the point of invading precious physical space. I need more room for stuff!

The reason for mentioning this topic is on a sunny morning I put out a box of books at the top of the Whaligoe Steps for visitors to take. Giving them away for free was an interesting experience and you may have thought that I would have seen the entire batch removed. You thought wrong.

As I observed visitors which had turned out in respectable number sauntering around the area here, it became apparent that the congestion issue was still highly relevant. At the time of this blog, it may be at the halfway point of September, but visitors are still making the most of their spare time by experiencing the Whaligoe Steps.

The Highland Council at the time of this blog still say there are no plans to extend the car park.

Thanks to Kirstin Tait Kirstin Tait – Journalist – Home | Facebook of the ‘Press and Journal’ for the recent coverage – Home – Press and Journal

It has been a busy few days here for Whaligoe Eye. Time to share with you a few bits about some observations and activities. Hold tight as those waves can provide quite a rollercoaster ride!

Caithness Seacoast Caithness Seacoast – Thrilling Sea Tours around the Caithness Coastline (caithness-seacoast.co.uk) have gained a great reputation for bringing some truly great insight to a piece of the north-easterly coastline in these parts of Scotland, in conjunction with dramatic views, wildlife encounters and moments of adrenaline. The word ‘thrill’ is readily to mind when reflecting on a generous hour and a half of adventure.

Whaligoe Steps from the north sea is a unique opportunity to see them from a refreshing perspective. It is one thing to be descending and tackling the ascent afterwards on those stones underfoot, but to see them in relation to the landscape which embraces them is something else.

Not only did we witness the coastal caves which lurk beneath the Bink, or maybe a little to the side, but we witnessed the waterfalls sprinkling a delightfully fresh cascade down on to the surface of the sea.

With a narrative regarding historical facts, wildlife and significant individuals to what was witnessed regarding the trip from Wick Harbour to the Whaligoe Steps, there was no room for a break. The eyes were taking in the views, the ears were listening to trivia and all the time the brain was bombarded with stimuli.

This adventure was an experience which was very welcome, insightful and I will be doing again. The knowledge of the crew, the attention to health and safety and the overall detail provided made me feel confident in them and their abilities, and subsequently relax and enjoy the ride. Highly recommended.

This morning I decided to film my descent down the main set of six flights of steps which make up the Whaligoe Steps.

Fairly spontaneous thing to do I guess, but my gosh was it a good cardio workout! Sporadically, I have done this wee jaunt down the steps for over thirty years now and felt relatively empowered to tackle the challenge. Please do not try this, especially as on this fine morning the steps were slightly wet underfoot.

During this rather overzealous undertaking, I became aware of some cobwebs which held droplets of rain and moisture. They looked so elegant reminding me of thin but robust threads containing small natural crystals.

It was a simple nudge for my brain to process as I began thinking about all of those little things we take for granted. It’s the little things on various levels that I often miss. So on this slightly misty morn’, I began to rummage amongst the grassy banks of the Whaligoe Steps to find those little things.

Many thanks for your time as always, it means a lot and remember those little things.

I was reflecting over the many individuals who have scribed their initials in to bits of the Whaligoe Steps. There are quite a few and they all tell their own story.

The “W Y T” you see in my photograph happens to belong to someone who lived close to the Whaligoe Steps for essentially his entire life. Sadly he is no longer with us and I personally miss him a lot. Prepare yourself for a wee blog swimming in sentimentality.

In the photograph where he’s sporting his woolly hat and dark blue overalls, he is keeping busy in his shed working on his woodwork. He made chairs, a cupboard and all sorts of items.

Back in the day when I was very fortunate enough to know William “Wull” Taylor, he was a busy and gentle man. If “Wull” was not making something with his carpentry skills, he was reading, fishing, building a miniature model railway or going for a walk in to the wilderness.

He was a prolific fisherman utilising different flies on the end of his fishing rod and calculating which one was going to be the flavour of the season. Visiting a local loch, he would be calm and patient whilst observing all around him.

Many evenings saw the two of us or maybe more tackling old computer games when cassettes were the format of choice. Patiently waiting for games to load before we could get stuck in to them, our conversations would cover subjects like books, magazines, films, plans for the future and life as we observed it. “Wull” enjoyed science fiction pop-culture in the form of Terry Pratchett books, the ‘Red Dwarf’ television programme and I recall when ‘The X-Files’ started out, how we would both be buzzing with enthusiasm about it.

Due to his gentle nature, “Wull” was very much loved in the community. For me personally, it is a delight to think that visitors to the Whaligoe Steps may notice his initials carved in to one of the steps as they either descend or ascend. His memory lives on in a way which only time has shown me.

I have my photographs of him, and my memories of the adventures and experiences we shared. There are signs of him all around me even today which brings me a sense of comfort. People say that when you lose someone dear to you, that you never get over it but learn to live with it. I feel that is a true reflection.

Thanks as always for dropping by. Take care and be safe.

Words failed me this morning when I took a wee stroll down the Whaligoe Steps. I saw what looked like a shiny, wet smooth boulder peaking through the surface of the water within the inlet of this immediate coastline. But something in the back of my mind was telling me that no such smooth item existed in that specific bit of sea.

On closer inspection this smooth object was something else and to my utter glee, my internal self reacted by leaping around with ecstatic abandonment and the endorphins were having a party! I was looking at a member of the sea world which was not an oystercatcher, herring gull or a cormorant, but was in fact a seal.

The clip shows the seal having a tired yawn and being quite at peace with the environment. I stood as still as I could on what is known as the bink (the flat base at the bottom of the Whaligoe Steps). The whole experience was special and highly cathartic.

On occasion we talk about the ‘wild’ life, and what it was like walking amongst the ‘wild’ and that sort of thing. When in reality during times like this one, it was anything but ‘wild’ – It was a calm and serene, gradual awakening to a brand new day.

Thanks as always for dropping by and sharing your time watching this seal with me. According to the experts, in this region of the United Kingdom the common seal sightings are of grey seals, but their counterpart is known as the harbour seal – They are rare. I am no expert, but I think this is a grey seal.

Take care and be safe.

Yesterday morning at around 08:50, the Highland Council kindly provided the Whaligoe Steps car park with a litter bin.

This is very welcome as with so many individuals visiting this area these days/nights, I am seeing more and more food wrappers, masks and tissues, etc. appearing not only on the Whaligoe Steps but in the car parking area too.

Now that this area has a litter bin, when you are visiting and have that little extra bit of litter lurking in your hand or pocket please feel free to use this new addition. It helps the environment and also adds something positive to the experience for other visitors here.

This morning when I went for a stroll hoping to catch sight of some natural wonders, I took some photographs of litter I found. It gives you and I an idea about how positive this litter bin will prove to be once individuals realise there is one that is close at hand.

There is a lot going on regarding this blogging website in the background. Ideas are brewing and motions in directions relating to an updated article on the Whaligoe Steps, other features to the site and strides to get some other facilities and safer infrastructure to this location at the Whaligoe Steps. More to follow.

Thank you so much for the thousands of hits on this website that are being counted; the many, many visitors from around the world and for those who have reached out with some good questions. Apologies for any delays in getting back to you, but I try my best to be as prompt as I can. It is encouraging to know that you care and have some interest in what is being created here.

Take care as always and be safe.

The amenities/facilities here around the Whaligoe Steps. Exhibit A.

Either right at the very end of 2017 or the turning of 2018, this salt grit bin made an appearance. When the ground gets too icy and dangerous the contents can be used to make conditions a lot safer.

As I meandered back up from the Whaligoe Steps this morning, I walked over to the grit salt bin which is the only (at the time of this blog post) sign of Highland Council presence within their residential car parking area regarding amenities/facilities.

But I digress. I wanted to share with you the continued traffic situation here when it gets busy.

With the car park full, a car on the left is waiting patiently for some sensible and safe way to park. As they wait a resident tries to leave their lane (the silver car). Meanwhile a campervan hesitates in the only access point to the residential car parking facility due to an oncoming Jeep squeezing by.

In a recent local newspaper article, residents or visitors were recommended by the Highland Council to call 101 – I quote “Obstruction is a police matter. Residents experiencing obstruction or damage to their property/vehicles should contact the police on 101.”

“The council has no immediate plans to extend the car park at Ulbster but is willing to work with communities where need is identified and funding can be found.”

The article can be found here: Ulbster resident talks of ‘nightmare’ parking problems at Whaligoe Steps on NC500 route (johnogroat-journal.co.uk)

Naturally, with the volume of visitors increasing and the residential car park being full, individuals seek out other parking locations.

Take care, and as always thanks for your time. Be safe.

I will admit that over the last eleven years especially, each and every day I find myself on a steep learning curve. Whether this is applicable to food, health, people or animals and plants.

For some reason it had sneaked in to my subconscious that a ‘Shag’ was some sort of nickname for a Cormorant. So after hanging out this morning with what I thought was a ‘Shag’ watching the overcast grey skies and feeling the gentle tingle of light drizzle on my face, I filmed it for posterity capturing this special moment.

Once I was back in the dry, I reached out for my trusty British bird handbook and flicked over the pages to find that a Cormorant is a separately recognised bird. They both possess different latin names for example: Cormorant – phalacrocorax carbo, Shag – phalacrocorax Aristotelis.

I think the fellow that was happy to sit on the ledge to my left was indeed a Cormorant. I shared a tweet on Twitter which said it was a Shag, but now I am thinking I was wrong. Do you recognise this bird?

Before I go, this morning reminded me how slippery underfoot the Whaligoe Steps can get. Two photographs below show how slippery and wet it can get – Please tread carefully if you visit here during or after rainfall.

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