We spent Sunday on the Orkneys starting at John O’Groats which has a sign 12,800 miles to Bluff. The ferry landed in thick fog at Burwick on South Ronaldsay and we passed through the island of Burray over what they call Churchill barriers before getting to the mainland of Orkney. The barriers were erected during WWII to seal off the eastern entry to Scapa Flow after a U-boat had sunk a battleship with great loss off life early in the war. Once on Orkney itself we visited the famous chapel built from Nissen huts by Italian prisoners of war during World War II.From there we travelled on around the island, passing the Standing Stones of Stenness and visiting the Ring of Brodgar, a sort of mini Stonehenge.  It was then on to visit Skara Brae, the 5000 year old stone age village which was uncovered by a winter storm in the 19th century. We then drove on to Kirkwall, the capital of the Orkneys. Where I ticked off another pub from the GBG Helgi’s Bar, Kirkwall. But the only beer I that was a Scapa Special from Orkney Breweries a hoppy pale ale that was CAMRA champion beer of Scotland in 2008.  Next day we travelled along the north coast of  Caithness was rather bleak moorland with lots of deserted and falling down crofts but as you head further south through the Western Highlands the country gets more mountainous. While these mountains are not as high as in New Zealand they are still very impressive.  Ullapool is a very attractive little town in the Seaforth Hotel I managed to score an An Teallach Ale to have with the greatest haddock and chips Ihave ever tasted. 1 Highland McNsabs. Over the  the bridge to Portree and you realise how big and mountainous Skye is. Portree is a very pretty town and packed with tourists even this early in the year. I did a quick reckie of the town, identified six handpumps, with only one of them actually serving real ale.  It was  McNab’s bar at the Royal Hotel which was in the GBG. I had one beer and then left the service was appalling, they were understaffed and not the slightest bit interested in serving a large group of tourist. The beer was an Isle of Skye McNabs a good Scottish ale. There was a pub called Mc Nabs on this site in 1746 where Flora McDonald and Bonnie Prince Charlie parted. But as I suggested going to this pub I had to leave with the group.