Highest camping spot ever

Today we hiked up the Munro Ben Hope. Starting at 42 meters above sealevel, is was a quite a climb to the top at 927 meters high. Especially with al the camping gear in our backpacks.

Starting point to Ben Hope - Full of energy 

But I work much like a 2CV going uphill, very slowly but I will get there in the end. It took us 4,5 hours to walk the 4 km uphill, a steady 23% climb.

I must admitt that I wasn’t to happy after about 3 hours. Each time it looked like we reached the summit, there was another one behind it. Very frustrating, but we made it, even though I did get some help from Tanguy with my backpack.

Tos is still visible

Steeper as we got higher

The views got better and better as we got higher


Very steep towards the top

But the rewards was this magnificent view at the top.

We made it to the top of Ben Hope 

The north side goes straight down 500m




View from our tent

And a beautiful but bit chilly (5 degrees C) place to put our little camp up for the night. Luckilly we have our thermo underware with us, and some rescue blankets, so we will be nicely warm.

Our camp site right next to the top

Coffee with single malt after our noodles

View from inside our tent

And on top of it all we were blessed with a beautiful sunset to close the day.

Sunset from Ben Hope


Good night

Smoo cave and a tiny road

Last night after diner we went to the local pub for a beer and to play some pool. It was a close call, but in the end Tanguy turned out to be the better player.

Yellow to side pocket

This morning we had a slow start after an ichy night. The midges found out that I had not put repellent on my thighs and buttocks, so they had a little party. Therefore I couldn’t get to sleep because of al the ichy bites. Nevertheless I did get some sleep. 

After a chocolate croissant from Cocoa Mountain for breakfast we left the campsite around 12.30. First stop was the supermarket and after that we drove the whole mile to Smoo Caves.

Exploring around the Smoo Caves

Entrance into the Smoo Caves


Main entrance to Smoo Caves

We did a small tour with a very funny guide trough the cave. This cave is special because it has two chambers above each other. The upper one is made by the river, the one below bij the sea. There have been living people in this caves some 7000 years ago. They found the remains of their meals inside the caves. We found some stonified bones as well. 

There are also a lot of stray boulders which were pushed by the ice during the Ice Age when the area was a huge glacier. The ice was 1,6 km high and these boulders were on the bottom of the ice pushed forward when the glacier moved. In that time Scotland was still part of the large continent consisting of what would become Africa, New Zealand, Australia an America. 

Of course I had to touch one of these boulders, the olthest thing I will ever touch, 3 billion years old 😳.

3 Billion year old boulders

Then we took the tour inside the cave by foot and by boat. They are still exploring new parts of it.

Peddling through the cave


Dripping stone


Natural bridge halfway the cave

These little plants were captured inside the caves’s stone for 5500 years. When the cave was discovered and lights were installed, they started to grow. 

After visiting the cave we did a litle hike up the cliff. The cave is at the end of a sea arm caved out of the rocks.

The shore line is split open towards the entrance of Smee Caves

We left the Smoo caves behind us to follow the Single trach road further east. The road went around Loch Eriboll and gave us beautiful views of the surroundings.

Many sheep aling and on the road

Just after the litle town of Hope (3 houses I think) we turned right, off the main road onto an even smaller road wich goes through Straight More valley and past Ben Hope, the highest Munro up north. We give it a try tomorrow, see if we can climb it. 

Ben Hope 927m

Beautifull little road

But first we stopped by this old Broch called Dun Dornaigil, a ruin of a round house build 2300 years ago in the iron age. Back then it must have been impressive, about five floors high. Now it is still 6,7 meters high, you can just see the upper stone of what used to be the entrance.

2300 year old Dun Dornaigil

After this litle sightseeing we turned back and found a really nice spot for a wild campsite tonight.

We settled down for some drinks and dinner before going to sleep. Hopefully we see some deer passing by. 

Our camp site