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Week 4
Day 18
Day 18 and after yesterday’s 9 miles I thought I’d take it a bit easier on myself and “only” do 5 miles after the girls were picked up.
Today’s route took me through Dalmichy, past Dalchork, and into Lairg, by Loch Shin, again all along the A836. Having four roads which meet in the village of Lairg, it used to be known as “The Crossroads of the North”.
Loch Shin, the largest in Sutherland, is 17 miles (27 kilometres) long. In the 1950s, the level of the loch was raised by over 30 feet (9 metres) by the construction of Lairg Dam as part of a hydro-electric scheme.
Further south, the falls on the River Shin form one of the major attractions of the area, complete with a spectacular salmon leap.
Route
Route Video
Below you can see a video of the route, showing Google Street View images from along the route.
Photos
Some photos from my virtual run.
Day 19
Day 19 and after what feels like forever, I’ve finally said goodbye to the A836! Really need to go and see that stretch of road properly though as it looks amazing!
So, today’s route. Just after Lairg I turned right onto the A839, taking me down the other side of the River Shin, running past the Ord Archaeological Trail.
This trail (1.3 miles long) takes you to some of the best prehistoric sites including chambered cairns dating from around 3000 BC. Cairns or stone burial tombs built by New Stone Age farmers who are believed to have settled in the Northern Highlands 5-6,000 years ago, provide the earliest evidence of habitation in Lairg.
A little further down the road and the short-lived time on the A839 was over as the route took me onto the B864, another single lane road.
When I was walking up the country it never ceased to amaze me how the countryside could change so much so quickly. Gone was the open land with views of the hills and mountains of the A836, replaced by green fields and the tree-lined road.
The day’s route ended at the Falls of Shin, mentioned in yesterday’s update. As I’m sure you already guessed, the Falls of Shin is a waterfall on the River Shin where the majestic Atlantic salmon leap up the thundering falls in a valiant attempt to get back up stream.
For much of the year Shin Falls are recognised as one of Scotland’s best places to see salmon leaping. Depending on the weather, fish can usually be seen jumping from mid May until late autumn as they make their way up river to spawn.
Route
Route Video
Below you can see a video of the route, showing Google Street View images from along the route.
Photos
Some photos from my virtual runs.
Day 20
Day 20 and back to it after a few days off due to a family funeral, taking it easy the day before – long day’s drving ahead – and to be honest, I just didn’t have the energy the day after to run, so I didn’t.
Today though I was back on it and managed to complete 5 miles without too much bother.
I followed the River Shin to Inveran, the site of the Shin Hydro-electric Power Station. There I took a left over Shin Bridge and followed the A837 back to the A836, which took me into Invershin.
At Shin Railway Viaduct I took the footbridge over the River shin and followed the path to Culrain where James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was defeated at the Battle of Carbisdale in 1650.
The Munro of Culrain family held the estate of Culrain in the 17th-century and it was apparently named after Coleraine in Ireland which the family’s progenitor, George Munro, 1st of Newmore, had been governor of during the Irish Confederate Wars.
From Culrain I followed the narrow lane down the west side of the Kyle of Sutherland – a river estuary that separates Sutherland from Ross-shire – for the rest of the day’s route.
Route
Route Video
Below you can see a video of the route, showing Google Street View images from along the route.
Photos
Some photos from my virtual runs.
