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A tall sea arch splits from the cliff face, dark rock stacks rising where waves break white against the stone.
Caithness

Brig o' Stack

A sea stack on the cliffs south of Wick, still joined to the land by a narrow rock bridge, a short clifftop walk on from the Castle of Old Wick.

Welcome

South of Wick, the coast is a wall of layered sandstone cliffs, cut into by narrow geos and broken into arches and stacks.

Just along from the Castle of Old Wick, one of them has not quite broken away. Brig o' Stack rises twenty-five metres from the sea, still joined to the land by a slender bridge of rock, the brig that gives it its name.

There are no road signs to it, and few people come. The walk starts at the Castle of Old Wick car park and follows the clifftop south past the castle, about three kilometres there and back. Beyond, more arches and the offshore Stack o' Brough carry on down the coast.

In early summer the ledges are busy with nesting guillemots, kittiwakes, shags and skuas. The path is uneven and the cliffs are unfenced, so keep well back from the edge, and hold on to small children.

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The Daily for 4 November, from Scotland with love. A pink sandstone castle bristling with conical turrets and a Union Jack flag rises above a gravel forecourt, autumn-tinged ivy climbing one wing beside cannon displayed on the lawn.
Before you go

Open cliffs, there at any time.

Keep well back from the edge; the path is uneven.

Park
The Castle of Old Wick car park.
Walk
3km there and back.
Height
25m from the sea.

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Did you know

A loose flock of small birds wheels across a plain grey sky.
Did you know

Seabirds on the ledges.

Guillemots, shags, skuas and kittiwakes nest on the ledges of the stack.

Layered sea cliffs curve around a rocky inlet, waves breaking white below grassy headlands.
Did you know

370 million years.

The Caithness cliffs are sandstone laid down over 370 million years ago.

What is on

What is new across Caithness, day by day.

New places, news and stories, as we find them.

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Where it is

On the cliffs south of Wick, a short walk south along the coast from the Castle of Old Wick.

Close byWick.
  1. Castle of Old WickCastle of Old WickThe castle where the walk begins.Under a mile 1 min by road
  2. Man draws whisky from a barrel marked 1991 149 into a glassOld Pulteney DistilleryThe distillery of Old Pulteney, the maritime malt, in the herring town of Wick since 1826, with tours, a bar and a shop.1 mile 6 min by road
  3. The TrinkieThe Trinkie1 mile 7 min by road
  4. Jagged sea stacks rise from the water beneath grassy coastal cliffsCaithnessCaithness runs from the Pentland Firth to the Moray Firth and together with Sutherland covers the north coast of Scotland.2 miles 7 min by road
  5. The dining room at Bord de l'Eau in Wick, yellow walls, pine chairs and green-topped tables laid for dinner.Bord de l'EauFrench dinner in Wick.2 miles 8 min by road
  6. Castle Sinclair GirnigoeCastle Sinclair GirnigoeA clifftop ruin north of Wick.6 miles 23 min by road
Directions
Fishing boats moored along a stone harbour beside terraced waterfront housesAttractionsWick1.5 miles
Wick Heritage Centre building with black door and slate roofAttractionsWick Heritage Centre1.6 miles
Sandstone corner building with tall chimney stacks against clear skyAttractionsEbenezer Place1.6 miles
Bedroom with arched window, double bed and armchairs beside a wooden dresserAttractionsMackays Hotel1.6 miles
Sandstone buildings line the harbour wall beside calm water under a wide skyRestaurantsNo 1 Bistro1.7 miles
Concrete road bridge spanning a tidal inlet lined with seaweed-covered rocksAttractionsWick Heritage Centre1.9 miles
AttractionsWick Golf Club5.2 miles
The restaurant at Puldagon Farm, wooden tables and chairs under timber beams hung with greenery.RestaurantsPuldagon Farm Shop5.3 miles
Aerial view of a long sandy beach bordered by dunes and grasslandAttractionsReiss Sands6.1 miles

Recommend to a friend

Stay nearby

Places to stay near the stack, and when each is next free.

A turreted white mansion with stepped gables and tall chimneys stands behind a low stone wall on a lawn.House of the Northern Gate
  • Sleeps 18
  • In Dunnet
  • 17 miles from Brig o' Stack
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in CaithnessAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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