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Caithness.

Keiss Castle · Caithness
Caithness

Keiss Castle.

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Castle Sinclair Girnigoe, Caithness  8° · Mostly cloudy
Caithness

Where to go, eat and stay in Caithness.

Stand at the top of mainland Britain and the Pentland Firth runs below you, with Orkney across the water. Caithness is a land of big skies, rolling farmland and sea cliffs cut into stacks and arches, with a character all of its own.

Castles on the cliffs, steps and cairnsPlaces to visitSea stacks, white sand and a tidal poolBeaches and the outdoorsSeafood by the harbour and a French kitchenFood and drinkLighthouse cottages and rooms by the seaPlaces to stayDays we have driven, stop by stopDays out
The guide

Our guide to Caithness.

All of Caithness, part by part: what is where, how to get round, and where to eat and stay. Photographed by us.

Read the guide to Caithness
From our guideHalkirkUlbster Arms HotelWickMackays HotelNear ThursoPennyland HouseNear ThursoForss House HotelDunnet HeadDunnet Head LighthouseDunnetHouse of the Northern Gate

Where to stay in Caithness.

Lighthouse cottages and rooms by the sea

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Days outA morningKeiss Castle and Castle Sinclair GirnigoeBy carA morningA walk up Dunbeath Strath to the brochBy carA morningDunnet Bay walk: the sands and the community forestBy carA morningA walk to St John's Point and lunch at Annie's BakeryBy carA morningDunnet Head and lunch at the Northern SandsBy carA morningAn evening by the River Thurso and a dram at the Ulbster ArmsBy car

New days out in Caithness.

Ready-made days, the newest first, each with its drive times, its stops and somewhere to eat.

See every day out in Caithness
Told by Graeme JohncockWhy The Sea Is SaltyDuncansby Head10 minutes agoGraeme JohncockGraeme Johncockwriter and storyteller

Why The Sea Is Salty.

A Norse legend of greed, rebellion, and a magical mill that never stops grinding. Learn how Frodi’s false peace ended at sea—and why the salt still pours.

Read the story
From our archive26 minutes ago

Dunnet Head, Caithness.

The most northerly point of mainland Britain, a wild headland of sea cliffs and moorland in Caithness, an RSPB reserve with puffins and a lighthouse of 1831.

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In Issue 13The magazine

Roasted Grapes, Burrata and Smoked Venison Crostini

Few people think to roast grapes. Twenty minutes in a hot oven and the sugars concentrate, the skins split, and you get sweet juice running out over whatever sits underneath. Here that's burrata and a slice of smoked venison. Sweet against salt, with crisp bread to hold the lot together.

Read it in Issue 13
Nearby41 minutes agoCaithnessSurfing in CaithnessA short walkCaithnessDunnet BeachAbout 1 mile awayCaithnessCastletown Chip ShopAbout 2 miles away

Places to visit while staying at House of the Northern Gate.

A restored country house of 1894 on the Dunnet Estate in Caithness for up to 18, let to one group at a time, with its own beach a short stroll downhill. These are the closest, with how far each one is.

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Just opened57 minutes ago

Castletown Mill in Caithness, built in 1818, is a whisky distillery now, and it is open for tours.

King Charles opened Stannergill Distillery on 29 July after a £5m restoration led by Martin and Claire Murray of Dunnet Bay Distillers. Tours run from Tuesday to Sunday until October, and the Grain Store restaurant serves lunch every day.

Photograph: Daniela Schmitt on Google MapsRead about it
Did you know1 hour ago

Up to a hundred seals have been seen resting at once on the Bay of Sannick, near John o' Groats in Caithness.

The quiet beach east of John o' Groats is a haul-out for seals, and on a good day the sand can hold dozens of them, with up to a hundred counted at one time.

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Lunch1 hour agoCaithnessThe Galley, Scrabster9.0 milesCaithnessOlive9.6 milesCaithnessUlbster Arms Hotel10.7 miles

Lunch near Reay Golf Club.

The three good places closest to it: The Galley, Scrabster, Olive and Ulbster Arms Hotel.

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From the magazine1 hour agoThe printed copy of Issue 06Issue 06Spring / Summer 2023

Keiss Castle, a ruined tower house a few miles north of Wick in Caithness, stands so precariously on its clifftop that it looks like part of the rock itself.

It was once a fine coastal stronghold, built as a tower house and a favoured home of George Sinclair, the 5th Earl of Caithness. Today it stands at one end of Sinclair's Bay, a colossal strand of white sand with a second ruined fortress, Castle Sinclair Girnigoe, at the other. Known locally as Reiss Beach, the bay is cut across by a small stream, and it is known for everything from its seabirds to its surfing. Like the other great bays of the Caithness coast, it is a boundless expanse of sand and salt spray.

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Tonight1 hour agoCaithnessThe Galley, ScrabsterRestaurantCaithnessNo 1 BistroRestaurantCaithnessUlbster Arms HotelRestaurantCaithnessCastletown Chip ShopRestaurantCaithnessPuldagon Farm ShopRestaurant

A table for tonight.

Restaurants to book ahead, and the ones you can still walk into.

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Lunch2 hours agoCaithnessNo 1 Bistro0.5 milesCaithnessPuldagon Farm Shop3.0 milesCaithnessCastletown Chip Shop15.4 miles

Lunch near Old Pulteney Distillery.

The three good places closest to it: No 1 Bistro, Puldagon Farm Shop and Castletown Chip Shop.

See Old Pulteney Distillery