We drove through the peat bog moorland of the Flow country to the old Viking town of Thurso, named after Thor the god of war. There we were greeted by a rainbow rising (Blackmore/Dio style) from the sea, and beyond a view of the Orkney archipelago. We went down to Thurso east, a famous surfing beach, where the waves were fierce and the cold north wind blew right through us. Then we headed east to Dunnet bay, set below Dunnet head, the most northerly point of the mainland UK.
