Whaligoe steps

[caroline]

Think there would be many people welcome a cuppa after climbing these steps. There is always room for improvement and good thinking on the people with the idea they will soon know when the tourism starts if it is going to work or not. Also once people get to know it is there they will probably get a lot of passing trade. Good Luck in your new venture

[johno]

They're Not Trying To Get a Cinema In Thrumster as Well Are They?

dunno about that but there used to be some great dances in thrumster hall.

[George Brims]

Good luck Whaligoe with the cafe venture. Many years ago (the 1980s) when the house was renovated and put on the market my wife and I thought we would like to buy it and do B&B there, and maybe have a restaurant. Fortunately we didn't have the money to buy it! I don't think we would have done very well. I suppose the idea of having it there, where my great-grandfather used to be a fisherman, was a lot of the appeal.

[dozerboy]

Hi,

I just logged on and found an absolute load of rubbish being posted about what is going on here at Whaligoe, and I'd like to put a few things straight.

1 - At no point have we ever tried to claim that the car park at the top of the steps is on our land - it is owned by the council.

2 - At no point have we ever tried to limit or cease access to the steps - the access to the steps is indeed over our land, but as we are all aware, there is a right of way, and we have never tried to stop anyone from using it.

3 - In fact, as we anticipate that much of our business for the cafe will come from visitors to the steps, the opposite is true, we would welcome any visitors that choose to come to Whaligoe.

4 - We have applied for, and received, planning permission to open a cafe in part of our house at the top of the steps - this will be something that people can choose to use or not - there is no way (and no desire) to force people to use it!

5 - We're not english, Rod is Scots, and grew up here in Caithness, and I'm Welsh / Maltese - so not a drop of english blood between us!

I don't understand how such rubbish can have been published on a public site without any attempt to check the truth of what was being said - it is very upsetting.

Whaligoe is our home, and the home of our family, and we are trying to get in place a small business which can sustain us and help us to remain in the area that we love.

K Davies & R Mann

I am so glad you read this thread and added the truth. I was just about to post a post, saying why don't all those concerned, go and find the truth instead of typing a load of speculation and rubbish!! I wish you well with the Cafe venture, and maybe if Billy Connelly visits the steps again, he might pop in to see you instead of going back to Ackergill Tower for some food!!

All the best Whaligoe!!

[elamanya]

yes good luck with your venture hope it goes well for you both ...

[badger]

Just shows how one ill-informed post can start a whole range of inaccurate and unpleasant rumours varying from racist (they're English - which we now know they're not) to luddite (we've never needed it before so why do we want it now). Just as well the majority of orgers are not like that or I'd have been gone long since. Full marks to the current owners of the house for showing a bit of initiative which I'm sure will be very welcome to all visiting the steps. I'm sure they'll be kept busy through the summer with those brave souls who make it down and back up again with their tongues hanging out.

The only place in Caithness that I've encountered racism is on this forum. Obviously only from a small minority but, as an English incomer, it does emphasise that I'm still an outsider and always will be.

[Bobbyian]

Read the post above yours and you will see that they are not in fact English so your comment is inapropriate.

Thanks Whaligoe for clearing the matter up, look forward to visiting the steps when the weather is better Wish you all the best with the cafe

I accept and apologise for offering my opinion to the apearence of the thread at the time of writing. I`m grateful that `Whaligoe' could clear it up. and I thank you for pointing out my misdeamer

[the charlatans]

The only place in Caithness that I've encountered racism is on this forum. Obviously only from a small minority but, as an English incomer, it does emphasise that I'm still an outsider and always will be.[/quote]

lucky you Badger. i'm afraid its out there much more than you've encountered. Its something that i hear alot although in an indirect manner to myself. my mother and my in laws are from sooth of the border and although they've all lived up here longer than i've been alive its a fact they are English. I'm Caithness born and bred and people asume its okay to spout off about 'The English' just because i've got a Scottish accent i will join in. It used to annoy me terribly as my mum is one of the kindest souls i've ever met. But now i just enjoy asking if they've met every single English person out there and were they all so bad. Its ignorant. Ignorance isn't bliss sometimes when i get on my high horse!

the forum can be skewed to state rather strong views due to the fact people are on here under a log in name and its easy to spew out strong views when you don't have to be face to face with your subject.

i'll now get down from this high horse. its giving me a nose bleed being so high up.

i think the community should support a new venture and since Whaligoes response they seem to be. I hope they do good scones and i'll be by to test them out. All e best.

[emb123]

Whaligoe - thank you for your posting and best of luck with your venture. I'll certainly pop in for a scone (you'll do scones?!) and a coffee when you're up and running!

I'm a little dismayed to find the English so 'dissed' folks - although maybe you have a unfair allocation of English twits who turn up out of nowhere and starting 'owning the place' and causing problems so perhaps there is cause. Mind you, an numpty is a numpty whatever race he comes from. As someone who was brought up in England I neither like nor loathe the English, my own background does include English blood although my family stems from Europe, France mainly.

I'm commenting because things seemed to fly off the handle blaming typical English arrogance when the facts were miles off.

I go with the line from the Depeche Mode song, "People are People". I hold certain views about people from many races but everyone is unique and should be judged accordingly. (as far as it goes, I'm a chatterbox boffin )

I pleased that the rumours turned out to be baseless, and look forward to the Cafe - best of luck getting planning permission goes through - sounds like a nice idea.

[emb123]

the charlatans, you were obviously typing at the same time I was, it struck me as well that there was a definite slant to the thread.

Interesting that you're after scones too!

[the charlatans]

ye canny beat a good scone. a nice fluffy tall scone, with butter and jam thank you. yum

Whaligoe, take note here please. you'll have .orgers running through the doors if you do nice fluffy tall scones with butter and jam and a nice cup o tea.

drool

[daviddd]

Good luck with the cafe Whaligoe - great idea. I think a few red-faced people on here should apologise for some of the accusations above, thank God that attitude is pretty uncommon on this forum!

[connieb19]

To be fair, the person who started the thread is banned which would make it rather difficult for them to apologise.

[changilass]

lol Connie, good point

[JAWS]

Without going right back to the beginning and checking right through the thread, I seem to recall there was more than one poster intent on adding fuel to the inferno for whatever reason.

It certainly looked like there was a lot of mischief making going on, not one scrap of which would appear to be anywhere near the truth of the matter.

It would be interesting to know what the mischief was intended to do and what advantage was hoped to be gained by those helping create it.

[fred]

Without going right back to the beginning and checking right through the thread, I seem to recall there was more than one poster intent on adding fuel to the inferno for whatever reason.

That's what happens when a thread is started by someone's sock.

[embow]

In the news today as part of an article in The Herald Magazine (including photo) as it's in conjunction with a photography competition about the coast. Also a picture of one Mr John Sutherland posing with guitar outside house up at Dunnet Head. Perhaps an increase in visitors to the Caithness coast this year?

[Tugmistress]

With a view like this possible at the bottom of the steps, i wish you every success with your cafe

[sassylass]

Good luck to you whaligoe and thanks for the clarifications. I must admit to having reservations when I first heard about a cafe there. Visions of overdevelopment flooded my mind's eye, it would be terrible to lose the tranquility and solitude of that special place.

It's good to know that you welcome visitors. I was always a bit nervous crossing your land, but I'll no longer feel like a trespasser.

p.s. strawberry jam is my favourite on scones.