Not what I expected. (Wick in General)

Member Name: daseaford

Product:	Wick in General
Date:	01/03/01 (23 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Wonderful harbour town.

Disadvantages: A long way from anywhere.

When we planned our holiday to the far north of Scotland I really thought that we were going to travel into tiny villages and isolated towns.

I now look back and I am really embarrassed at how wrong my pre-conception of what the town of Wick would be like. I had thought there may be a few small shops, that would be very expensive, no bank of course, perhaps newspapers arriving a day late and an old run down petrol station. Oh dear, it makes me cringe to think about it now.

When we arrived at Wick one of the first shops we saw was the Safeway supermarket, later we also found a Co-Op supermarket. Of course there were many banks, newsagents, petrol stations and everything else that you would expect in a normal British town. Why had we taken tins of baked beans over 500 miles?

Once we accepted the fact that normal life does exist in the far north of Scotland we started to explore the town. Wick is a wonderful town. As a shopping centre there is a great variety of shops and the prices are not expensive. You must explore all the little narrow roads and lanes to find all the really interesting shops. The town does has a relaxed feel about it, but that have been more our state of mind as we were on holiday. We did struggle a bit to find many places for meals and those we did find did seem a little expensive, but very nice.

Although I would not say that we were welcomed with open arms, the people of Wick are friendly enough and always very helpful. We were certainly not shunned because we were so obviously not from the area.

The tidal River Wick passes through the middle of the town and although it looks a bit messy at low tide, when the tide is in there is a lovely walk along the banks of this river. Wick has an enormous harbour. Around the town there are many pictures of when the fishing industry was at its height and when you walk around the harbour you can imagine what a magnificent sight it must have been with hundreds of fis
hing boats working out of this one town. There still is a fishing fleet at Wick, but now it only small and a lot of the harbour stands empty, but not derelict. You get the feeling that it is all being kept in good order in the hope that one day the big fleets will return. For some really excellent fish and chips find the chip shop at the side of the harbour, they are superb.

If you drive up the hill next to the harbour the view overlooking the harbour and town is spectacular. If it is a fine day then take a picnic with you and just watch the boats coming in and out of the harbour and just soak up the beautiful atmosphere.

Close to the harbour is a modern swimming pool and leisure complex. Although we didn?t visit this it does look very good and inviting from outside. For fishermen I understand that the river is renown for its Salmon and Trout fishing.

From Wick there is just so much to do in the surrounding area of Caithness that makes this town an ideal centre for any holiday in this part of the country.

The biggest problem is of course reaching the town. It is a very long drive from almost anywhere, but if you have a few pounds to spare then why not fly there? Wick has a small airdrome and I am sure this must be a great way to travel there. If like most of us it is going to be a drive, then don?t think of it so much as a journey, but more an experience of passing through some of the most beautiful areas of Scotland. Also stop now and then and take in some fresh air and just listen to the peace and quiet.

On our return journey we had to leave in the early hours of the morning and on the trip, just as dawn was breaking, we had to suddenly brake hard as a huge dear was stood in the middle of the road. We had to wait until the dear decided to move off (it was much bigger than me, so I was not going to get out of the car) and then we could continue our journey home. Seeing this magnificent animal wandering free was a beautif
ul way to finish our holiday.

Wick is a great place to visit and I am sure it must be a great place to live. Next time I go to Wick (and I definitely will be returning) will be in the Winter as I would love to see the difference in the town and the surrounding area when the snow is on the ground.

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