the road to scourie

The road to Scourie. We left Inverness about 0900. the bus driver told us to sit in the two front seats because that had the best view, and we were off. Mostly on the bus were german backpackers heading up to Durness (Scotland's most northern point) for the week. Chris, the bus driver, was ecstatic to hear we planned to live up here for 3 weeks. "Before you leave you'll be driving the post cart" was the exact quote. The bus lumbered up these back mountain roads for 4 hours, stopping every hour for 15 mins to get out and have Chris tell us why he loved stopping here. "Alright gang this is a unscheduled stop so technically it never happened but... this bridge was built in 1980 and before that it was a free ferry to cross. But the ferry captain only took you across if you bought him a dram". The bus goes through six or so little towns with names like Aviemore and Ullapool. All with 300 residents or less. Scourie is the last stop before Durness. We pull up to "the store", and all of the towns residents are out to see who is getting off the bus. Not because they're expecting the queen, but this is how the day is gauged here. "Well the bus will be by in an hour, wanna go look?" After making sure I am holding all my worldy possessions, I decided to look up, and see the most scenic view I've ever seen. The only thing I can compare it to would be the Bahamas. White sand beaches, rolling rocky hills, covered in grass and heather. Water, shades of blue and green I have never seen outside of windows backgrounds. Just breathtaking. Yes indeed, I. Am. Home.