Above and Beyond Tours

10/06/2024

❤️

📣 The Flow Country Partnership is officially a registered charity!

Our new status will help us continue our collaborative effort to achieve inscription of the Flow Country as a Site.

🍾 We’ve been celebrating this milestone together with the community at Strathy Hall today and discussing our collective vision for a vibrant, resilient community and landscape.

06/06/2024

Wolfburn Whisky…
Always a great visit during our tours ❤️

06/06/2024

A wonderful day of touring with a lady who really loved our beautiful county ❤️
Special thanks to

23/05/2024

We are pleased to announce The Flow Country Partnership's (FCP) new status as a registered charity! We hope you can join us on Friday 7th June, 12noon - 2pm at Strathy Hall for a drop-in lunch with the team behind the FCP.

Come discover more about our mission to restore and sustainably manage the Flow Country peatlands, and you can also find out what’s involved in becoming a member of the FCP.

Everyone is welcome as we celebrate this milestone together and discuss what the vision for a vibrant, resilient community and landscape.

If you’d like to come, please do RSVP using this link: https://forms.office.com/e/kNiDJGnbbr

20/05/2024

On Saturday 19th August 1848, 800 boats left Wick harbour for the fishing grounds. A terrible storm struck the North East coast of Scotland and the boats became trapped outside the harbour waiting for high tide to allow them safe passage to the calmer waters. Many tried to run the bay with the incoming tide but were blown onto the rocks or collided with other vessels while their family and friends looked on from the shore in horror.

In total 37 men belonging to Wick District drowned, leaving 17 widows and 63 children. Altogether 18 boats were lost. A tragedy that became known locally as Black Saturday.

Today, has released a limited-bottling to help raise funds for the Seafarers Memorial Group in Wick.

Limited release bottling available to buy now for £79.99
https://wolfburn.com/products/wick-harbour-trust-46-vol-70cl

30/04/2024

❤️ Our visitors love Mary Ann's Cottage ❤️

26/04/2024

We highly recommend a visit to Nucleus: The Nuclear and Caithness Archive! A brilliant information centre and the staff are so knowledgeable, helpful and friendly ❤️

Day 26 of and it has been fascinating so far. Today we are talking about .

Top tips for a successful archive visit!

It’s perfectly normal to be a little apprehensive of the unknown and this is how we may feel about our first archive visit. To keep records secure archives have rules and when we are faced with a list we can become paranoid about breaking one; or is that just me?

Basic Principles

The basic principle is that archives do not want us to damage or steal their original records. It’s the very nature of the original records which means accessing them has to be different from visiting a library or family history centre. Most of the records in an archive are unique and irreplaceable.

This means you can’t take a bag into an archive that’s large enough to hide something in. Archives vary on the dimensions permitted but it’s usually very small if one is permitted at all. They may provide a clear reusable plastic bag that you can pop your pencil, phone and notepad in so if you are struggling to juggle everything ask about a clear bag you can borrow.

No pens

You may have noticed I said, ‘pencil’ that’s because archives don’t permit pens. It’s too easy to damage an original record if we have a pen in our hand. This means that if you visit the National Records of Scotland, pens are permitted in the ScotlandsPeople Centre, where we are using a PC only, but not in the Historical Search Room where we consult original records. We also can’t take sweets, chewing gum or water into a room with original records; these must all be left in our locker.

Lockers for coats and bags

Lockers provided by archives vary. Most are small and there is no room for a case or large rucksack. Some are operated by a coin, usually a pound coin so it’s handy to have one with you.

Reader’s Ticket

Most archives require you to fill out a form or register for a reader’s ticket before you can view their records. In the National Records of Scotland, this requires photographic ID and proof of address. Before you visit an archive look on their website to see what requirements they have.

Good planning

Good planning before you visit can help the day go more smoothly. After all, most of us have a limited time in an archive and there is nothing worse than travelling many miles to get home and realising you have missed something.

First of all, make good use of the archive’s online catalogue if they have one. If they don’t, email the archivist before your visit and they can check paper catalogues for you.

Double-check the reference as if you are one digit out you will be shown a completely irrelevant record! Also, make sure the items will be available to consult on the day you visit. Most archives in Scotland need at least three days' notice to have everything available for us as some items could be stored in a separate building.

Have a system

I use a spreadsheet, it’s not the only option but here's how I do it. I have the reference first which links to the online catalogue entry. I then have a brief description of what the item is followed by my search criteria. You could also link to your Ancestry tree etc. This means that I can quickly see why I am consulting a record and what I am looking for.

Ask about the photography policy. Most archives allow self-service photography but ask before you go which items can be photographed and which cannot be. It will save you time on the day. If the archive does allow you to take photographs, record the reference along with the item being photographed. You don’t want to get home with a random photograph of a document and have no idea what the reference is. If the archive provides a slip with the reference, I use this as my first image. You could also simply write it (in pencil) on a separate piece of paper. Another option is to take a photo of the reference on the document if there is one.

Once you have seen a document take note of that. Even if you didn’t find anything useful, that will save you time in the long run. I do this on my spreadsheet. I can also make notes of what I have found in the spreadsheet.

Bring the right information

I have mentioned using a spreadsheet and/or online tree. For this to work you need to think ahead about access to your data. Option 1 is to make sure you have a device with your data available offline. Some archives provide free WiFi and that can be helpful but it can be patchy and slow. Also, some are in locations with limited mobile data coverage. You could ask before you visit but I always make sure I have the basics on my device or even printed on a piece of paper.

If you are permitted to take photos you will need your charger too. The National Records of Scotland have plenty of charging sockets as do many other archives these days.

Plan your archive visit

Start planning now for the archives you want to visit. The Scottish Council on Archives has a handy map of Scottish archives: https://www.scottisharchives.org.uk/explore/scottish-archives-map/. They have links to National Collections, Local Authority, University, Health Archives, Community Archives and Business Collections. All of these contain unique irreplaceable documents and they are a joy to access. Hopefully, these tips will help you access them.

25/04/2024

🥃 Happy to be your driver 🍸

24/04/2024

A big thank-you to Castlehill Heritage Centre for allowing Isobel and I to tell our story tonight. It was an interesting evening and we at Above and Beyond Tours hope you find a young person to manage your digital marketing - a perfect opportunity for a student wanting experience.

24/04/2024

Where are we today?

22/04/2024

WE'RE NEARLY THERE --- 3 DAYS LEFT!

We're at 54% funded for our Loth Burn Bridge - we just need another £1,152 to reach our target. Can you help get us over the finishing line?

The Association of Northern Trail Scotland want to build a long-lasting and robust bridge at Loth Burn, to help improve health and safety on the John o' Groats Trail.

We've raised £2,696 so far - so please donate if you can to help us build the bridge!

https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a056900002SEVXLAA5

Photo Credit: Highland Drone Media

14/04/2024

11/04/2024

31/03/2024

Our visitors on our tours love Wolfburn Whisky ❤️🥃❤️

The doors flew open today as we welcomed Ashley and her husband, Reay and Hans on our first Saturday tour. Thanks to them for travelling from Switzerland and Larkhall and we hope you enjoyed your trip. ❤️🐺🥃

26/03/2024

We are open again!!! Thank you to Jim Smith, from Yell, Shetland for visiting the museum. Jim was our first official visitor of our 2024 season, and for that honour he was granted free admission. Hope you enjoyed your visit Jim. Here he is pictured in front of our Gansey display with one of our friendly volunteers, Janis. A warm welcome awaits everyone, though you will have to pay.

26/03/2024

We love taking visitors to Mary Ann's Cottage a unique piece of our heritage 👌

Hi everyone. Who's ready for the cottage opening its doors this season!! We can hardly believe that it's only about 5 weeks now...Wednesday 1st May is the date. We've been busy over the winter - we've had some maintenance work done, new doors on the cart shed, some essential electrical work, the chimney swept and today we had Peter up from Fife rethatching the pig's house. This is him hard at work, cold, but a nice day for it. We'll be in touch with all our volunteers shortly. And, as usual, we are always looking for new ones. Do get in touch if you would like to know more about volunteering at Mary Ann's.

18/03/2024

❤️

28/01/2024

❤️ One of our tour stops ❤️

Breathtaking views await around every bend on the , but the real magic unfolds when you step out of the car and immerse yourself in exploration.😍

📍Duncansby Stacks
📸https://ow.ly/eN3M50QuSvP

❗Please be responsible as you explore - remember to plan ahead, be flexible, and follow the Scottish Outdoor Access code. For some this is an adventure, for others it's home. Please respect the land and the local communities. ❗

23/01/2024

Well deserved Wolfburn Whisky

Morv and Janis Barclay of Petrolia, Ontario, celebrating Burns Night (early!) in serious style. owes a huge debt of gratitude to Morv for his extraordinary efforts in getting our whiskies listed by the LCBO. Sláinte Morv and Janis!

18/01/2024

Starting the year as we mean to go on - making wee improvements to the John o' Groats Trail!

Here's our latest stile which went up just last week at Ulbster in .

Stiles like these open up the Trail to more people - think about your pals or family who love to go a good walk, but, say, can't hop a fence or leap over a burn. Walking the Trail only requires a good level of fitness (and maybe a decent pair of shoes) but mobility also matters - and by adding stiles and bridges are we make wee but welcome ways which really help make the Trail possible for more people!

And that's the whole premise of the Trail: opening our beautiful coastal walking spaces to as many folk as we can, in a low-impact way, which also serves to benefit these localities with a wee economic bump of 'slow tourism'. Everyone wins!

14/01/2024

It’s the weather that calls for a Hot Toddy or Whisky Coffee today! Which would you pick?
Made with freshly squeezed lemon juice I can’t resist our Hot Toddy 🍋🍯🥃
Open 10-4:30 today with our coffee, cake and cosy fire on too!

12/01/2024

Looking for a new adventure in the New Year? There's beautiful views around every corner and geo along the John o' Groats Trail. Soft, sandy beaches turn into dramatic clifftops, buzzing with the sound of a thousand seabirds who swoop and dive into the tempestuous North Sea. Quaint villages, historic harbours and white-washed churches, cottages and lighthouses dot the coast, beacons to lead you further on.

This fabulous photo by Sandy Sutherland, originally of Caithness but now in Canada, shows one such church - which now serves as the Clan Gunn Museum (check out Clan Gunn - Highland Clan, Heritage Centre and Society for more!), with phenomenal views of the Caithness coast serving as a resplendent Highland backdrop.

Just another day along the John o' Groats Trail, really!

Follow Highland Exposure Photography for more beautiful photos.

14/12/2023

Happy, healthy wishes from all at ❤️❤️

11/12/2023

Looking forward to a session with Susan, a new, fresh start to 2024🤞

01/12/2023

❤️❤️

Discover unique Caithness-themed gift ideas that celebrate local artists and makers, perfect for the holiday season.

30/11/2023

28/11/2023

Some of you may have noticed... works to bring the Mill back into use have officially started!! ⛏️

Delighted to announce that O'Brien Construction have been appointed and will be on site for the next year.

This feels like the perfect time to say a massive thanks to you, our community who have commented, supported, attended, donated and been huge champions for the Mill. This would not be possible without you! 💛

AGM
7th Dec
7:30pm
John O'Groats Hall

15/11/2023

15/11/2023

Congratulations 👏

🏆🏆Exciting news on this We are proud to announce that two of our core whiskies have won two prestigious awards at the Las Vegas Global Wine & Spirit Awards. 🏆🏆

Langskip scored 94 out of 100 and received a Gold award in the Single Malt 12 Years & Under category. Our Aurora expression went one better and received the highest award: a Platinum medal, with a score of 97 out of 100 in the No Age Statement category. Both whiskies went through a rigorous double-blind judging process and beat some tough competition. If you haven’t tried them recently, now’s your chance!

To celebrate our achievement, we are offering a 10% discount with 𝗩𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘀𝟭𝟬 on either Aurora or Langskip, and a 20% discount with 𝗩𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘀𝟮𝟬 if you purchase both. Offer ends 11:59pm 16th November

https://www.forbes.com/sites/joemicallef/2023/11/04/the-top-scotch-whiskies-from-the-las-vegas-global-spirit-awards/?sh=34f99f098db4

Las Vegas Global Wine Awards

15/11/2023