Sunday 12 January 2014

WHALIGOE STEPS

whaligoe steps (schody z whaligoe) prowadza do jednej z najtrudniej dostepnych przystani w UK. coprawda przystan nie jest juz w uzyciu, ale latwo dostrzec slady jej uzytkowania w przeszlosci. strone, zakrecone schody prowadza brzegien klifu az do ukrytego zakatka gdzie wciaz latwo poczuc potege I sile morza. na samym dole, pod pionowymi skalistymi klifami grzmot fal rozbijajacych sie o skaly robi niesamowite wrazenie.
schodow jest podobno 365, wykutych w kamieniu, miekscami bywaja sliskie, ale nie powiedzialabym ze jest niebezpiecznie czy strasznie, co wiecej schody pokonuje sie w sumie bez wysilku. warto tego doswiadczyc.

WSKAZOWKA:
whaligoe steps nie sa oznaczone, jadac A99 nie ma zadnego znaku zdradzajacego ich lokalizacje.
wiec jak je znalezc? jadac A99 na polnoc mija sie tablice ULBSTER I zaraz za nia po lewej stronie jest kierunkowskaz na CAIRN Of GET. zaraz za tym kierunkowskazem trzeba skrecic w prawo, na nieozkanowana uliczke, zakonczona po 100 metrach parkingiem. z parking kierowac sie w strone morza, minac zamknieta kafejke (na budynku jest tabliczka 'parking tylko kafejki' stad wiadomo co to w ogole jest) I po prawej stronie budynku podazac sciezka prowadzaca wprost na schody.



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whaligoe steps take you to one of the most difficult to reach harbours in UK. the harbour is not in use anymore (no wonder!) but it is very easy to spot ghosts of the past.
very steep steps lead down to the tiny harbour where all you hear and experience is the power of the sea. under those high, rocky cliffs the sound of waves storming the coast is like thunder.
apparently there are 365 stony steps, slippery in places but I don't think they are neither too dangerous nor scary... and very easy to climb back up.

HOW TO FIND IT:
whaligoe steps are not marked with a signpost. driving A99 north, pass the ULBSTER signpost, just after it there is a signpost to CAIRN OF GET (to the left) and just after the signpost there is a small road to the right. take it -it goes along the cottage and after 100yds ends with a car park. leave the car there and walk towards the cliffs. pass the closed café ('café parking' sign on the building, that's the only way to know that this actually was a café), follow a path to the right hand side of the building and after 30yrds the steps are reached.






























typical Scottish experience - what seems to be a smoke.. actually is a waterfall 'falling' UP due to high winds coming from the sea below.










maps copyright ordnance survey

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