At long last, I’ve found a window of spare time to present the final bit of my 365 day trek challenge which saw me tackle a trip down and around Whaligoe Steps for the duration of a year! Each and every day since May 1st, 2023, I ventured around this local hotspot and captured my sightings with my trusty camera.
There’s also some sad tidings within this blog entry as I address a car accident which took place on June 1st, 2024.
To recap quickly, here are some links regarding my trek challenge if you’re in the mood for contemporary fauna and flora of the coastline along the northern Scottish Highlands…
Recap for Whaligoe Steps 365… (Parts 1 to 14) – Whaligoe Eye
Recap Magic for a Second Time! – Whaligoe Eye
April Full of Primrose Promise and So Much More! – Whaligoe Eye
Sunshine Blossoms with Petals of Beautiful Cloud – Whaligoe Eye
From April 29th, 2024 up to and including May 1st, 2024… Thank you for your support and kindness on social media during this whole exercise, it’s meant a lot. To my knowledge, I’m the only person to have ever taken on such an experience. It was such a joy to complete, and to share the sightings with you too.
April 29th, 2024: Cute baby rabbit enjoys some early morning sunshine, plus the winding nature of the fifth flight of Whaligoe Steps.
April 30th, 2024: The sixth and final flight of Whaligoe Steps takes you down onto the Bink (grassy platform), and a radiant glare from an optimistic morning sun.
May 1st, 2024: Slight haze in the air during this trek. Below are a couple of fine examples of the birdlife which is settling in at Whaligoe Steps. Shag (Gulosus aristotelis) on the left, and a razorbill (Alca torda) on the right.
Due to the larger numbers of visitors to this area since the North Coast 500 enterprise, an overflowing residential car park being utilised for campervans, motorbikes and cars, plus the fact there’s only one access lane have seen congestion, property damage and other accidents.
On August 20th, 2021, shortly after I began to sort this blogging website for public consumption, a car accident took place at the end of this lane near the phone box. Traffic leaving and entering via this route have to negotiate a few challenges when times are very busy.
On June 30th, 2019, the amazing local coastguard were called in as a visitor had issues down Whaligoe Steps.
On July 12th, 2022, another car incident unfolded within the confines of the residential car park here in Ulbster.
Sadly, as we await the Highland Council’s implementation for their Government-approved £90,000 for extending and improving the immediate infrastructure, another car accident occurred on June 1st, 2024.
Personally, I’ve not witnessed so many police vehicles in attendance, and can only hope that those involved are finding some sort of positivity in the aftermath.
On March 4th, 2021, the Highland Council announced they’d received a substantial tourism investment from the Government, and were reviewing their spending plans.
August 25th, 2022, the local newspaper tipped me off about their announcement to spend £90,000 on the car parking facilities here. The idea was that the Council had five years in which to tackle this project.
Fingers remained firmly crossed folks.
Regarding the tourist-themed conversation here in Caithness, a fabulous author called Gail Anthea Brown has impressed on many occasions with her intelligent and sensitive narrative on all things North Coast 500, and the general impact on this beautiful location. More About Me & Contact · Gail Anthea Brown
I highly recommend subscribing to her email newsletters. The latest example of this articulate expression arrived in my inbox on May 31st, titled “The Golden Goose – tourism and tension in the north”
So success found in tackling three hundred and sixty five consecutive days of treks down and around Whaligoe Steps, but also the shadow of sorrow for those who have experienced accidents in recent years.
Traffic has been steady and at times overwhelming here in recent weeks, so please be careful and aware of the hazards.
It is a modest residential car park, with one small access point leading off the main road. This infrastructure was NEVER designed for the volume of vehicles negotiating it.
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