Wilderness, old men in empty places, the power of tea in a stranger's kitchen, and the sea of the north

I have reached the north coast!! This is a huge milestone and provoked a loud cheer from me half way through mile 22 today when the sea came into view. I have now officially walked from the south coast of the UK to the north coast. We are in a place called Bettyhill (was she the sister of Benny?) after a route rethink due to bad weather and midges and supplies ... Still four days to John O'Groats. But only four days!
The first photo is sunset over Loch Shin at Lairg, two nights ago. The following day began grey and cold and got colder as we walked further and further into the vast empty moor of Sutherland. It really is unimaginably empty, surrounded by distant strangely shaped mountains. We reached the famous Crask Inn by 1.30 (2nd photo) and had homemade soup, local beer, tea and biscuits, whilst chatting to various old chaps who seemed to all be helping out ... perhaps had come in from the cold and never gone out again. One, a retired science teacher, delighted in picking blackcurrants from the oasis of their surprisingly thriving garden. On we went after this hospitable and unique experience out into the darkening moor, the massive Ben Klibreck looming out of the cloud to our right. We reached Alltnaharra by 5.30 (21 miles done) and after a time in the bar of the strange hotel, watching the sheets of rain come through, chanced our luck with camping on the tiny field of the tiny school. No one moved us on. It was a foul night. My tent flooded for the first time. Not a pleasant experience. We awoke to drizzle and low cloud and cold wind and were walking by 7.15 this morning. The first two hours along Loch Naver were stunning but gloomy. When we stopped for a break at about 10 though a little gap of blue sky appeared and within ten minutes we were in sunshine. We intended to wild camp again in Strath Naver tonight as it's 23 miles from Alltnaharra to the coast. As we were walking, looking for patches of comfortable grass this afternoon, a lady appeared at the doorway of a small croft house just above the Strathnaver road. She called over that we must be tired and wouldn't we like some tea. So into her small kitchen we went where she brewed us tea and gave us shortbread. Her son was there too. And we talked about walking and life in Strathnaver and multi-millionaire landowners, and were re-energised enough to complete the 23 miles to the coast. There are some truly and genuinely generous and wonderful people in the world.
So the 3rd photo is of the first view of the sea, and the 4th of this evening's sunset. It was a real moment seeing the sea. It brought to mind beginning in May back in Cornwall, in high winds and when the nights were longer and the days colder, and the journey in between.
But, there are still four days to go so no time to be too reflective yet! I'm very glad we came this way. And I'm very glad I've had company the last few days too.
Here's hoping the sea breeze will keep the midges away ....