Wick, from the Harbour to the Trinkie and beyond.

We went this way often when I was young in Wick, and how we loved it,
skipping and running here and there, gathering the Horses Gollens and little pink rock flowers, whose name I never knew.
Off we set, clutching our baggie o’ sandwiches and an old rug to sit on,
down past the Pilot’s House where we waved to the mannies, along to the steppies by the
mens’ toilets, sometimes we’d slide on the roof, and then over to Shaltigoe. Here we
would stop for a while and throw stonies into the water, running backwards
as the waves came in to touch our toes. We knew Shaltigoe well as we played down there all the time during the school holidays.
We had to keep going though so we climbed onto the Parapet Wall and strolled along towards the Lifeboat Shed. This has always been a special place with such wonderful stories and tales of bravery and tragedy. We went up the steps to the big door and tried to peep inside to see what was going on, there was often an old fisherman there who would stop to chat to us for a little while. But we had to keep going there was a long way to go yet.
William T Lyall has covered this walk so beautifully in his poem ‘Shaltigoe till ai Ould Man’ and it’s my plan to go this way once again when I am north.

William begins with the verse …

‘ Ma favourite walk I’d lek till boast
Is start at Shaltigoe and go roond ai coast
On ai Parapet Wall, if ye come wi’ me
Thurs pleices o’ interest I’d lek ye till see.’

William ends his Poem with the verse …

‘Times in plenty I’ve come ‘iss way,
I feel I could walk here everyday,
Ai tireless wind an’ ai restless sea
These simple things are priceless yet free.’

What do you remember of this particular walk, how many of the places can you still name? Do share your story and maybe one day we can all meet up and walk together from the Harbour to the Trinkie and beyond.