Pink Castle Walk 'n' Talk...A lovely day in Dornoch
 
Dornoch to Embo Walk 18th September 2011
 
By Alice Brown
 
Despite the heavy overnight rain, 5 intrepid walkers gathered outside “the Jail” in Dornoch to begin this walk along the old railway to Embo and returning to Dornoch by way of the beach.  As most of the walkers on this were of a railway disposition al lot of the early natter was about the possible return of the railway to Dornoch and the implications for the loop round via Lairg.
 
As I was leading the walk, and the chat was so good, we initially missed the first turn off but thankfully found a short cut back on to the path which took us on the Historic links walk around Dornoch.  We walked past the cholera grave, the Earl's Cross before joining the old track bed to Embo.  The rather imposing Embo House hove into view. A very fine example of Regency architecture planted in the middle of the rolling landscape.
 
It was then we headed towards the beach at Embo, where we had a spot of lunch, while a small shower past over head, not really mounting to much.  It was then a pleasant stroll along the beach, before heading up to the path which runs alongside the Royal Dornoch Golf Course.  At the end of this path a collective decision was made to continue the walk along the beach to the Lifeboat station in Dornoch.  As we walked up the path to the lifeboat station, I noticed a small lizard scurrying about in the grass covering the dunes, and Rosemary spotted another, but couldn't manage to take a photo.  Shame really as you don't see that many of the gecko's around  this part of the world so late in the year.
 
It was at this point the sun broke through and forced us to take the jackets off for the final part of the walk via the golf clubhouse back to the centre of Dornoch, where the walk concluded.  We all piled into our cars and came back to my house where my partner had made, by her own fair hand, an apple pie and lemon cheesecake.  These were enthusiastically received and devoured, because as we arrived at my house, the heavens had opened and the rain hosed it down and we all got quite a bit wet running to the house!
 
In summary a lovely flat and easy walk, with good friends and amusing chat the whole day.  Fantastic is the only word that covers this.
 
Here's to the next one.

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