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A wide sandy beach curves beneath a grassy headland dotted with houses, dune grass filling the foreground and waves rolling in under a stormy sky.
Caithness

Dunnet Beach

Two miles of white sand along Dunnet Bay on the north coast of Caithness, backed by some of the longest dunes in Scotland, with surf, a visitor centre and a forest nearby.

Welcome

East of Thurso, the north coast road runs beside one of the great beaches of Caithness.

Dunnet beach sweeps for nearly two miles around Dunnet Bay, pale sand backed by high dunes of marram grass, some of the longest in Scotland, with the headland of Dunnet Head rising at the far end.

Walkers, horse-riders and beachcombers share it, and when the waves are up the surfers arrive: this is a fine bay for beginners, and a favourite with kite surfers too. Paths and a boardwalk wind through the dunes, where the shifting sand has sometimes uncovered traces of a Norse settlement.

At the Dunnet end, the Seadrift Centre looks out over the bay, with telescopes for the birds and displays on the dunes and the seabird cliffs. Dunnet Forest, Mary Ann's Cottage and the most northerly point of mainland Britain are all close by.

Before you go

Open beach, there at any time.

Park at Castlehill, in the middle of the bay, or by the Seadrift Centre at the Dunnet end.

Where
Dunnet Bay, between Castletown and Dunnet.
Length
Nearly two miles.
Also
Surfing, the Seadrift Centre.

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Did you know

Wind-blown dune grass sweeps across a hillside above a hazy sandy beach.
Did you know

Norse in the dunes.

Remains of a Norse settlement have been recorded in the dunes, sometimes uncovered by shifting sand.

Two people walk along a wide sandy beach beneath a dramatic storm cloud, wooden steps descending through dune grass in the foreground.
Did you know

Surf for beginners.

Dunnet is a good bay for learning to surf, and a favourite with kite surfers.

Ben Lerwill

From our guide to Caithness

There are beaches, and there are beaches. This two-mile arc of pale, dune-backed sands is as wild and wonderful as it gets, with vast empty views and, even in high summer, few crowds. Dogs are welcome – and there’s surely no greater treat for a pooch than an hour spent scampering along the sands.

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Where it is

Along Dunnet Bay on the A836 between Castletown and Dunnet, east of Thurso.

Close byDunnet.
  1. Castletown Chip ShopCastletown Chip Shop2 miles 4 min by road
  2. A surf lesson on Dunnet beach seen from the air, learners on boards in the white water along the long sands.Surfing in Caithness2 miles 6 min by road
  3. Dunnet HeadDunnet HeadThe most northerly point, at the end of the headland.6 miles 9 min by road
  4. White lighthouse tower with black lantern room rising behind a stone wallDunnet Head Lighthouse6 miles 10 min by road
  5. Castle & Gardens of MeyCastle & Gardens of MeyThe Queen Mother's castle along the coast.7 miles 13 min by road
  6. Forss House from the air, a white house among woods on a loop of the River Forss, fields and the sea beyond.Forss House HotelA country house hotel west of Thurso.13 miles 24 min by road
Directions
A turreted white mansion with stepped gables and tall chimneys stands behind a low stone wall on a lawn.DunnetHouse of the Northern GateSleeps 18 · 1.9 miles
Olive café frontage with dark timber cladding and a street lamp beside itCafeOlive7.2 miles
AttractionsThurso Golf Club7.5 miles
A sea-view room at The View in Thurso, a bed with a mustard headboard facing tall windows over the bay.AttractionsThe View, Thurso7.7 miles
Bedroom with oak furniture, purple throws and a cast-iron fireplaceAttractionsPennyland House7.9 miles
Couple stand outside The Captain's Galley Seafood Restaurant beneath a hillsideRestaurantsThe Galley, Scrabster9.3 miles
Sandstone facade of the Ulbster Arms Hotel with white bay windows and chimneysRestaurantsUlbster Arms Hotel14 miles

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The Daily for 22 October, from Scotland with love. An aerial view of the Kylesku Bridge curving across a sea loch at sunset, Sutherland

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near the beach, 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
  • A mile from Dunnet beach
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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Read on

What we have written about it, the collections it is in and more in Caithness.

ArticleA Day Ashore in Scrabster, for Thurso and CaithnessCollectionScotland's Best Beaches
More in Caithness
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For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .