Badbea Clearance Village.
Families evicted from the Langwell Strath reluctantly occupied this
deserted settlement precariously perched on the cliff edge. It is
said that children had to be tethered to prevent them falling over
the cliff! Some of the families eventually emigrated to New Zealand.
The remains of one of the houses have been used to build a memorial
cairn to the inhabitants
A lay-by north
of the Ord of Caithness is
the start of a footpath to the ruined crofts on the cliff tops.
Signposted from the A9
Caithness
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Bettyhill & Farr: Farr Beach is wonderful.
Bettyhill museum tells
the story of Clan Mackay and the 19th century Clearances.
The Strathnaver Museum is
situated in what was the Parish Church of St. Columba, Farr. It is
steeped in local history and was built about 1700.
Caithness
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Borgie Forest
Cycling.
Forestry Commission
Caithness
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Clan Gunn Heritage Centre.
Latherton on A9, south of Wick
Open June-Sept daily. July & Aug Sun 2-4pm
Tel: 01593 741700
Caithness
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Dounreay Visitor Centre.
All about nuclear decommissioning.
Guides will be happy to show you round the centre, answer any
questions you may have and provide you with leaflets and brochures
about the activities carried out at Dounreay.
Children of all ages are most welcome and can enjoy our variety of
books and competitions.
From Thurso on the A836
Open Easter - November
Tel: 01847 806086
Caithnes
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Dunbeath & Latherton:
Dunbeath, apart from a harbour and some lovely walks, has a literary
claim to fame. Neil M Gunn (1891-1973), whose reputation as one of Scotland's most
important twentieth century authors was established in books such as
The Silver Darlings and Morning Tide, was born and
grew up in Dunbeath. He went to school in the very building in which
the
Heritage Centre is now based.
'of The Strath of Dunbeath .."a wealth
of wild flower and small bird life, the soaring hawk, the unexpected
roe, the ancient graveyard, thoughts of the folk who once lived far
inland in straths and hollows, the past and the present held in a
moment of day-dream".—Neil M Gunn, 'My
Bit of Britain', 1941'
The Heritage Centre is signposted off the main road. If approaching
from the south, turn right off the A9 before crossing the fly-over
over the strath. There is plenty of car parking space.
Web
The
Clan Gunn Heritage Centre is in Latherton
Caithness
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Duncansby Head
& Duncansby Stacks.
'Duncansby Head is well
known locally for the lighthouse, the stacs just near the cliffs and
the teaming birdlife especially in the nesting season
where you'll find kittiwakes, fulmars,
razorbills and puffins, at
the right time..'. Take a walk on the cliffs but be very careful.
Birds at Duncansby.
Two miles east of John O'Groats
Open access
Tel: 01955 611448
Caithness
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Dunnet Head & Dunnet Bay: The most northerly point on the
British mainland (the annular eclipse in 2003 was watched here by
Patrick Moore). Local Ranger service give guided walks to the
headland and the nature reserve behind the sands of Dunnet Bay.
The old windmill at Castlehill makes
an interesting start to the
Flagstone Trail
Caithness
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Dunrobin Castle & Gardens. Home
of Clan Sutherland. Formal gardens. Falconry displays.
On A9 ten miles north of Dornoch.
Open April - mid-Oct
Tel: 01408 633177
www.highlandescape.com
Caithness
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Fishing
Halladale. ( also shooting and stalking).
'The
Halladale is a well known salmon fly fishing river with a season
running from 12th January through to 30th September. Along its 15
mile length there are 6 beats and some 50 named pools...'
Web
Caithness
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Forsinard & Flow
Country. Forsinard.
The Flow Country of Caithness and Sutherland is probably the
largest remaining expanse of blanket bog in the world, making it
important on an international scale. Set in a
prehistoric landscape of bog pools and wildlife, superb bird life
and nature trails. Live hen harrier cctv nest watch between late May
and July and weekly guided walks in summer.
01641 571225
Visit the
RSPB Flow Country Visitor Centre. Wildlife
Displays, and the Dubh Lochan trail.
On the A897 24 miles
from Helmsdale. Grid reference: NC885453
Caithness
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Grey Cairns of Camster. Well preserved Neolithic chambered cairns.'
The Camster cairns are probably the best
known of all the Neolithic sites in Caithness. Camster Round was
initially explored in the 1850’s and 1860’s, and its chamber was
found to be virtually intact (Davidson & Henshall 1989).'
Web
Map Ref:
ND260437 Landranger
Caithness
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Helmsdale Golf
Club. Open all year. 9 hole course with panoramic views, small
testing greens and a challenge for all levels..
01431 821063
Caithness
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Helmsdale:
Pretty harbour with excellent visitor centre telling the story of
the area and the Clearances.
Caithness
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| Hill O' Many
Stanes: The best preserved example
of the Bronze Age stone rows, totalling over 200 stones, approx
4,000 years old. These stones are unique to Caithness.
'Also known rather matter-of-factly as Mid Clyth
Stone Rows, this unique arrangement of tiny stones (all less than
1m) is fascinating to see, if not as impressive as some of the
megaliths in Orkney just across the sea to the north. Originally
there were 250 uprights arranged in 22 rows aligned approximately
north-south...'
Web
Caithness
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John O'Groats.
Not sure what people expect to find but there isn't a lot really so
don't go home disappointed! Its claim to fame is it is the
furthest point from Land's End on the British mainland and a great
many people walk, run, cycle the distance, mainly for charity - it's
all uphill so be generous.
Caithness
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Loch Watten
Fishing:
Caithness & Sutherland Trout Angling Group
Caithness
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Lybster:
Fishing village and harbour. Third most important herring port in
Scotland in the 19th century. Masses of birdlife in area. Home to
important archaeological remains.
Caithness
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Lybster Golf
Club. Open all year. 9 hole course. 1,929 yards. Par 62.
Caithness
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Melvich & Portskerra. Excellent beach and beyond Portskerra are huge
cliffs bubbling over with seabirds.
Caithness
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Mey
Castle. Was one of the favourite residences of Her Majesty,
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother since 1952.
It stands on rising ground about 400 yards from
the seashore, overlooking the Pentland Firth and the Orkney Islands.
See web site for opening times.
The
Castle of Mey is situated on the north coast of Caithness, in the
parish of Canisbay, about 15 miles east of Thurso and 6 miles west
of John O'Groats.
Caithness
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Northcoast Marine Adventures. Scarfskerry, Thurso.
Marine/wildlife/scenic/white-water adventures by Jetdrive rigid
inflatable boat from John o' Groats harbour. Visit seals at close
quarters in caves.
Tel: 01955 611797 or..
07867666273
Caithness
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Northland Viking Centre. Museum
of Viking settlers.
Two miles north of Wick on A99, Auckengill
Open June - Sept
Tel: 01847 805518/ 01955 607776
Caithness
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Reay Golf Club
'Reay's truly remarkable feature is that
from every hole you can see the sea, the Pentland Firth. Nestling in
Sandside Bay there are excellent views to 'Beinn Ratha' and rolling
hillsides. The geographical location means the course is very rarely
closed even throughout a highland winter...'
Phone
01847 811288 - Club
Phone 01847 894189 - Secretary
Caithness
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Rossal pre-clearance township. Gives one an idea of how life was in
the crofting community before the Strathnaver Clearances of 1814-18
16 miles south of Bettyhill on B871.
Caithness
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Scrabster. Scrabster is still
a fishing port and the main port for
sea
angling and the main ferry to Orkney.
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Ferries: Orkneys & Shetlands:
Northlink Ferries and
Pentland Ferries operate car and passenger services from Scrabster
(near Thurso) and Gills Bay respectively to Orkney.
Travelling to Orkeney's Inner & Outer islands try
Orkney Ferries Ltd.
Web
John o' Groats
Ferries offer passenger-only services to Orkney,
also giving bus timetables.
Caithness
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Strathy
'Towering cliffs and beautiful
beach.
In the 19th
century most of Sutherland was owned by mainly the same clan chiefs
whose families had been there for centuries. The land had been
divided into estates and when economic circumstances became harder
the owners began to see sheep a s way of obtaining more wealth. The
income to be derived from this source then was many times higher
than provided by tenants...'
Caithness
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| Thurso River. An excellent place to
fish.
Web
Caithness
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Thurso Golf
Club: Open all year. Parkland with fine views of Pentland Firth most
northerly parkland course on British mainland. Can be windy.
Visitors welcome
01847 893807
Caithness
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Timespan
Heritage Centre. 'Experience Helmsdale's highland
heritage, fashioned over centuries. From Picts and Vikings, through
murders at Helmsdale Castle, the last burning of a witch, the
harrowing highland clearances, the tranquil church, the 19 century
sporting scene, the Kildonan Gold Rush History of the Highlands from Pics to the
Clearances...'
Helmsdale off the A9
Tel: 01431 821327
Caithness
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Yarrow's Archaeological Trail. Archaeological trail visits chambered
cairns, standing stones and a ruined broch.
'This trail offers an opportunity to discover a landscape which has
been used by over three hundred generations of people. Sites to be
seen include a well preserved Neolithic Long Cairn (c 3000 BC) and
an Iron Age Broch (c. 200 BC to AD200), with evidence of later use
in the Pictish period (c. 300 to 800)...'
Ask at the TIC locally, they may have a leaflet.
Web
Follow signs from the A9 at Thrumster
Caithness
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Caithness
Geography: http://www.caithness.org/geography/
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