Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TRACKS
Scotland has some unusual hostels and
Sleeperzzz.com
(
01408-641343;
www.sleeperzzz.com
; dm £15;
Mar-Sep; )
is one of them. Set in three caringly converted railway carriages, an old bus and a beautiful
wooden caravan parked up in a siding by
Rogart
station, it has cute two-person bedrooms, kitchenettes and tiny
lounges. The owners make an effort to run the hostel on sustainable lines, and there's a local pub that does food,
as well as beautifully lonely Highland scenery in the vicinity. It's on the A839, 10 miles east of Lairg, but is also
easily reached by train on the Inverness-Wick line (10% discount if you arrive this way or by bike).
Dornoch
POP 1200
On the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, about 2 miles from the A9, this attractive old
market town is one of the most pleasant settlements on the east coast. Dornoch is best
known for its championship
golf course
, but there are some fine old buildings, including
Dornoch Cathedral. Among other historical oddities, the last witch to be executed in Scot-
land was boiled alive in hot tar in Dornoch in 1722.
Sights & Activities
If you've struck Dornoch on a sunny day, make sure you have a walk along its golden-
sand
beach
, which stretches for miles. South of Dornoch,
seals
are often visible on the
sandbars of Dornoch Firth.
CHURCH
Dornoch Cathedral
(
www.dornoch-cathedral.com
;
St Gilbert St; 9am-7pm or later)
Consecrated in the
13th century, Dornoch Cathedral is an elegant Gothic edifice with an interior softly illu-
minated through modern stained-glass windows. It was restored in the late 1830s thanks
to the generosity of Elizabeth, Duchess-Countess of Sutherland, whose husband - the con-
troversional first Duke of Sutherland - lies in a sealed burial vault beneath the chancel. By
the western door is the sarcophagus of Sir Richard de Moravia, who died fighting the
Danes at the battle of Embo in the 1260s. Until he met his maker, the battle had been go-
ing rather well for him; he'd managed to slay the Danish commander with the unattached
leg of a horse that was to hand.
