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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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