Day 5 – Dornoch Detours and Fairy-Tale Walks

We left Barrow Campsite and set off for Wick, where we had a pitch reserved at Wick River Campsite. The journey was around 116 miles, roughly three hours of driving, but with our usual stops we knew it would take most of the day. The weather was on our side again—another stretch of blue skies.

After crossing Cromarty Firth, we made our way towards Dornoch. We’d both been looking forward to this stop: the home of the famous Chocolate Mountain, allegedly serving the best hot chocolate in the world (a bold claim!) and close to one of the best beaches on the route.

Not long into the drive we noticed a squeak… and anyone with a campervan will know exactly how maddening that can be. It seemed to be coming from my seat. Once you hear it, you can’t un-hear it! We tried shifting the passenger seat as we drove, but no luck—so we did what any sensible travellers would do: turned the radio up!

Dornoch itself was a lovely, welcoming town, complete with a traditional little DIY shop on the way in—perfect for picking up some WD40 (because we all know it fixes everything… supposedly!). But as we continued on, we realised Chocolate Mountain was closed. Gutted! Luckily, the beach more than made up for it. It was absolutely stunning—white sand, sunshine, and hardly another soul in sight. We wandered along the shore for a while, soaking it all in.

Back in town, we tried the café again but it was still closed, so we headed to the DIY shop for our trusty WD40. We sprayed every joint and spring on the seat, but the squeak continued. Finally, after swivelling the seat round, we realised it hadn’t been clicked back properly—that was the culprit! Such a relief, because that squeak would’ve driven us both mad.

Next, we took a detour to Big Burn Walk, and it was magical. The moss-covered gorge walls, the water trickling down like strings of diamonds in the sun—it felt like stepping into a fairy tale. The walk takes you over bridges, up steps, and onto a viewing platform at the waterfall. It was gentle enough for Simon too, whose knee was still healing.

We finished the day with our arrival at Wick River Campsite. What a fantastic site—spotless, modern facilities and a peaceful setting.

After a quick cuppa, we took the short journey to John O’Groats. It didn’t feel right to come all this way and not pay a visit. We had a good look around, caught our first glimpse of Orkney, and even met Paddington Bear!

While I’m away I try to keep my fabulous Pilates friends inspired and encouraged, so a quick side plank at the famous sign felt essential—much to the amusement of the tourists who clearly thought I was slightly mad!

We returned to Wick for an early night as we had an early start in the morning to catch the ferry from Scrabster to Orkney.