Hidden Scotland
Sign in

Beaches
in Caithness.

It’s 20:55 in Caithness.
Caithness

White sand on the north coast.

Caithness has some of the emptiest beaches you'll ever walk on. There are two miles of white sand along Dunnet Bay, backed by high dunes, and a long sweep of sand north of Wick with a ruined castle at either end. Near John o' Groats, a small sandy bay sits under grassy headlands. Surfers come for the waves, and walkers have the sand to themselves. Bring layers, as the wind off the sea is cold even in summer.

Bay of Sannick→
Dunnet Beach→
Reiss Sands→
From our guide19 hours ago

Whaligoe Steps.

Three hundred and sixty five handmade steps still form a precipitous, zigzagging route between the natural harbour of Whaligoe Haven and the clifftop above. They’ve been in use for more than 200 years, chiefly by local fishermen and fisherwomen hauling their catch up to market – herring, salmon and shellfish have all traditionally been abundant.

See the place
Free18 hours agoCaithnessReiss SandsAttractionCaithnessBay of SannickAttractionCaithnessDunnet BeachAttraction

Free to visit.

Beaches, waterfalls, viewpoints and stones: nothing to pay and nobody to ask.

See all the places to visit
Lunch17 hours agoCaithnessNo 1 Bistro3.2 milesCaithnessPuldagon Farm Shop4.3 milesCaithnessCastletown Chip Shop12.0 miles

Lunch near Reiss Sands.

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

See Reiss Sands
Did you know15 hours ago

The dunes at Dunnet Bay, in Caithness, hide a Norse settlement.

Norse structures have been recorded in the dunes. From time to time shifting sands or rough weather reveal more remains of what was an extensive settlement.

See Dunnet Beach · Caithness
From our guide14 hours ago

Noss Head Lighthouse.

‘As sweet to me as light of moon or star/ Is thy bright gleam, old trusty friend Noss Head’. So begins the poem, by James G Duncan, dedicated to this long-standing lighthouse. A fixture on the clifftop since 1849, and still very much a working beacon, it was automated in 1987. If you really want to make the most of a visit, the lighthouse keeper’s cottage is available as a self-catering property.

See the place
From our guide13 hours ago

Dunbeath Bay.

The historic remains found nearby – including monastic ruins and Iron Age brochs – hint at the strategic importance of this bay on Caithness’ southern coast. Today it remains a stirring spot, with rumpled cliffs sloping down to the waves and some fine coastal walking to enjoy.

See the place
From our guide11 hours ago

Bay of Sannick.

The great bays of the Caithness coast tend to have characteristics in common, being boundless filmic expanses of sand and salt-spray, and this wide cove near John O’Groats is no exception. It’s the kind of place where even when there are other people around, you’ll still get the sense of having the beach to yourself.

See the place
From the magazine9 hours 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.

See Keiss Castle · Caithness
From our guide5 hours ago

The Trinkie.

This natural saltwater swimming pool – one of two in the local area, remarkably – is something of a Wick institution. Carved into the coastal rocks, and cleaned and repainted as and when needed, the century-old Twinkie is where to come for a bracing but memorable dip in the blue.

See the place
From our guide4 hours ago

Strathy Bay.

This is a popular stop-off for travellers on the North Coast 500 road trip – and it’s not hard to see why. The views out across the Pentland Firth are heavenly on a sunny day, while caves, cliffs and summer wildflowers add to the overall allure. It also marks the spot where the River Strathy flows into the sea.

See the place
Did you know2 hours 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.

See Bay of Sannick · Caithness
From our guide1 hour ago

Duncansby Head.

Despite many assuming that John O’Groats takes the title of being the most northeasterly tip of the British mainland, that honour goes in fact to the more feral (and far less commercial) Duncansby Head, where the cliffs of the headland plunge into the waves and angular sea stacks rise offshore.

See the place