Exploring the Caithness Coast
Written by Graeme Johncock
The far northeast corner of Scotland rarely gets the recognition it deserves. Caithness might not have soaring mountains or vast lochs, but there’s more than enough beauty and history to keep me coming back again and again. If you’re travelling the North Coast 500, this could turn out to be the most packed part of the route!
Ousdale Broch
Starting in the south of Caithness, take the path towards Ousdale Broch, dotted with information boards about local geology and historic tales. Eventually, you’ll reach the remains of the broch itself, a roughly 2000- year-old drystone tower. The views are great, but I can’t imagine life was too easy here on this windswept hillside!
Badbea Clearance Village
Not far away, the ruins of Badbea tell a tragic tale of life in much more recent times. This was a clearance village, formed in the 18th century by families who had been forced to leave more fertile areas around Caithness and Sutherland. Growing crops in this poorer soil wasn’t easy, so herring fishing made up the difference until even that declined so far, they were forced to move on once again.
Lybster Harbour
The Caithness Coast is pitted with tiny harbours and you could take your pick of dozens to visit, but picturesque Lybster is one of my favourites. It’s a quiet spot, with creels lining the pier and boats bobbing in the water – hard to believe that this was once the third busiest fishing port in Scotland!
Whaligoe Steps
Now it’s time to see a very different kind of harbour, crammed into a seemingly impossible space! Built into the cliffside, there are 330 Whaligoe Steps twisting down to an impossibly small natural harbour. If you’re brave enough to make it down to the bottom, the sight and sound of crashing waves can be extraordinary. As you hike back up to the car park, spare a thought for the fisher women who once carried heavy baskets of salted fish to the top before walking miles into town to sell them!
Lunch at Puldagon Farm Shop
As if the food from this welcoming café wasn’t good enough, they’re also very dog friendly and you’ll have the chance to meet some hairy Highland Cows as well!
Wick Heritage Centre
I love a good local museum and the main Caithness town of Wick has one of the best. It might look small from the outside, but step through the door and prepare to get lost amongst the displays as they tumble from one building into another. The Wick Heritage Centre takes you right back to the days when the town was at the very centre of the herring trade. 1100 ships crammed into the harbour, hundreds of coopers were employed making barrels for fish and over 800 gallons of whisky was sold weekly to keep the industry well lubricated!
Castle Sinclair Girnigoe
There are plenty of castles along the Caithness coast, but none are as impressive as Castle Sinclair Girnigoe. This was once the main seat of the Sinclair Earls of Caithness, sprawling along a cliffside and seemingly growing right from the rock itself. Battered by the wind and rain for centuries, it’s looking a little worse for wear but it’s still easy to imagine how lavish it once was. Keep your ears open for the resident ghost while exploring the ruins. You might not see the spirit of John Sinclair, but you might hear his rasping groans after his father had him locked away in the dungeon, given no water and fed only salted beef until he died of thirst!
Duncansby Stacks
In the very northeast tip of Caithness, a short walk along a very exposed clifftop leads to a spectacular sight. The Duncansby Stacks jut out of the sea like giant, discarded dragon’s teeth, pounded by the ferocious North Sea waves. It’s not a long walk to where they can be seen, but if you want to get up closer then prepare for more of a trek that isn’t always easy when the winds pick up!
John O’ Groats
John O’ Groats might be one of the most famous wee villages in Scotland, but contrary to popular belief, it isn’t the furthest north point. This is, however, the end of a famous long-distance walk and getting a quick picture next to the signpost is a bucket list activity for many. Orkney can be seen in the near distance and the village is actually named after Jan de Groot who is said to have made a fortune running the ferry service from here in the 15th century!
Dunnet Head Lighthouse
There’s no better place to end the day than the true northernmost point on the Scottish mainland – Dunnet Head. At certain times of the year, you’ll see hundreds of seabirds nesting around the cliffs and I often have the entire place to myself. Soak in the sea air and be thankful you spent the time to appreciate Caithness properly!
Sign in with Google
Sign in with Email