I love Balnakeil Craft Village!
After a quick escape from the midgie sat our roadside stop this morning we headed straight to Durness to secure a spot at a campsite for the night. We had a very disappointing bacon sandwich at White Heather Tea Room (the only lace open) and then checked into our campsite at Sango Sands. Our view for the next two days is above. We got settled in, then popped to the shop to buy the requisite items for our own, much more satisfying, Full Scottish (lunch). They had run out of black pudding and Chris accidentally bought thebizarre product ‘vegan black pudding’ - the mind boggles! However, the black bean and oatmeal and barley concoction was really quite tasty.
Anyway, back to my original point. This afternoon we headed on a circular walk to Balnakiel along the road and back along the coast. The craft village grew in the 60s. An old Cold War early warning station that was never commissioned was bought by theme Council. They wanted to let out the buildings to businesses and advertised accordingly. The responses that came in were nearly all from artists and craftspeople attracted by the wilderness and light of Scotland’s most north-westerly corner. They moved in, paying low rent, and the craft village was born. Later, the council gave them the opportunity to buy their premises and there’s a mix of shops, workshops and homes. We looked in some lovely galleries, I bought a fabulous knitted headband and we enjoyed the best hot chocolate on planet Earth at Cocoa Miuntain. (That’s my claim, not theirs.). I think the idea of living and working in a place like that, surrounded by like-minded people, is very appealing. I could happily spend a long time there.
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