Sand dunes @ Dunnet Beach.

[olrig]

Does anyone remember the approx. height of the Dunes @ Dunnet from circa 1960"s. I am sure they were much higher then, as opposed to now. Thanks.

[gillsbay]

I think they are much the same height, maybe you were shorter then, I know I was.

[r.rackstraw]

Yes I knew the dunes in the 1960s. I don't think they were bigger then. They were less stable than they are today. There used to be 'blow-outs' - places where the wind kept carving the sand away and blowing it over the road. That does not happen so much now.

[donnick]

They did dune reclamation back in the 80s where they replanted the tough grass in the opensand dunes to prevent the wind blowing the sand away it work very well and the public were asked to stay of the dunes a well, I do think the have shrunk a little that's expected over time .

[David Banks]

Yes I knew the dunes in the 1960s. I don't think they were bigger then. They were less stable than they are today. There used to be 'blow-outs' - places where the wind kept carving the sand away and blowing it over the road. That does not happen so much now.


Here's what I recall.

In the 50's, there was one place, halfway between Dunnet and Castletown, where there was an exposed dune visible from the road. Occasionally, my sister and I used to climb up the grass and slide down the dune. To us kids, it seemed pretty high. I don't remember seeing it in its exposed condition when I was back in Caithness in 2000.

The only place I remember sand blowing across the road was near the Castletown end, at a location we knew as Coom's Kirk (where the road bed had been excavated level - through an otherwise grassed-over dune which extended inland).

No doubt, protection of the dunes came later which included the planting of the Dunnet Forest which we watched growing very slowly from the top of the double-decker which, from '59 to '65, took me (and many others) to Thurso High.

And, at some point, "they" must also have removed the large concrete blocks used to protect beaches from tank landings. Ditto at Reiss.

[olrig]

Hi, I went to Thurso High School from 1969/1974. & have the following obs: I caught the (double decker) bus from East Mey,having ridden my bike to the main road. We then took a very long route to Thurso, via Barrock, Brough, Dunnet & C/town.. I have very vivid memories of being "snowed in" for at least one wk each winter. Also, snow drifts up to the rone pipes @ e house. I wonder if anyone remembers the cold winters?. Getting back to the point, I passed the dunes @ Dunnet every day, & am sure they were much higher(bearing in mind the view from the top deck). Would be in interested to hear from anyone who remembers any of this. I am now in Castletown, with history in Canisbay, East Mey. Tks, Mike Johnston (Rtd Strathclyde Police). ps to David Banks: some concrete barriers are still there, most nearer e Castlehill harbour.

[David Banks]

Hi, I went to Thurso High School from 1969/1974. & have the following obs: I caught the (double decker) bus from East Mey,having ridden my bike to the main road. We then took a very long route to Thurso, via Barrock, Brough, Dunnet & C/town.. I have very vivid memories of being "snowed in" for at least one wk each winter. Also, snow drifts up to the rone pipes @ e house. I wonder if anyone remembers the cold winters?. Getting back to the point, I passed the dunes @ Dunnet every day, & am sure they were much higher(bearing in mind the view from the top deck). Would be in interested to hear from anyone who remembers any of this. I am now in Castletown, with history in Canisbay, East Mey. Tks, Mike Johnston (Rtd Strathclyde Police). ps to David Banks: some concrete barriers are still there, most nearer e Castlehill harbour.

Hi olrig,

Having left THS in 1965, I cannot say for sure, but I would guess that the "very long route" started its deviation from the quickest route by going through the Mill of Mey, Scarfskerry and then up the Burn Road before going to Barrock etc. as you listed (can you tell I'm from Scarfskerry?).

Did your bus driver have to work hard at the steering wheel both turning the bus at Barrock (near the church of Scotland), and (even harder) going round the mill at Ham? No power assisted steering in those days!

I do have memories of one really significant snowstorm which took maybe a week before the ploughs got all the roads cleared. The radio told us to put big letters on the snow using ashes from our fires, "D" meaning that a doctor was needed, but I don't remember the rest of the codes. Helicopters would fly over searching for these codes and initiate assistance as needed.

I specifically remember that snowstorm because I had been off school sick for a day or two, and had told my mother, firmly, that I was going to go to school the following day. Early in the morning, she came into my bedroom saying "so you're going to school today are you?" "Yes!" Then she opened the curtains and there was a drift covering 3/4 of the window.

Also, I remember one winter when Scarfskerry loch (some people call it the loch of Mey, but that's a discussion for another day) froze over, with just the right amount of a dusting of snow to give good grip to our bike tyres. I let some of my TH school pals know. They cycled out to Scarfskerry and we had wonderful fun doing side drifting by using our back wheel brakes.