Caithness

Caithness is in the furthest north east corner of the British mainland, separated from the Orkney islands by a few miles of sea across the Pentland Firth. Whilst part of the Highland region administratively, it has a different character to the rest of the Highlands – being largely lowland! In the west of the county blanket bog and peatlands abound and form the eastern part of the UNESCO World Heritage site nominated Flow Country that extends west into Sutherland. In the east there is less peat and more farming. The land is rolling and populated and the people warm and friendly. The coastline is a major scenic feature of Caithness. Dunnet Beach is a beautiful three kilometre stretch of sand; Dunnet Head is the British mainland’s most northerly point, with a scenic lighthouse and impressive cliffs – which are populated by puffins and other many other birds in the summer months. To the east are John o’Groats and Duncansby. The Duncansby stacks are a spectacular sight. On the east (North Sea) coast there are gems such as Bucholly Castle, Castle Sinclair Girnigoe and the Whaligoe Steps to be discovered.

You can search for accommodation in Thurso or Wick, the two historic towns of Caithness, or in John o’Groats at the far north eastern tip of the British mainland. All are good bases to explore the far north or just stop over on the way round the North Coast 500.

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Discover and explore Caithness through the articles and links below.

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The North Coast at Sunset from Dunnet Head, Caithness
Caithness select photo gallery
A select gallery of only my finest or favourite Caithness photos. From sunset and crashing waves at Dounreay and Dunnet ...
Scarfskerry Harbour Sunset, Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is in the furthest north east corner of the British mainland, separated from the Orkney islands by a few ...
The Forth Bridges - Northern Ends - 2, Edinburgh & The Lothians
Scotland Landscapes – select photo gallery – my favourites
A select gallery of only my favourite and best shots from around Scotland. From puffins at Herma Ness on Unst ...
Partial Eclipse 10th June 2021 - A Glimpse Through The Clouds -1, Caithness
Partial Eclipse 10th June 2021 – A Glimpse & Crazy Time for a Baby Deer
The morning of the partial eclipse of 10th June 2021 was bright but with extensive cloud cover over Caithness in the north of Scotland - but I was lucky to get a single glimpse and single decent shot as a small break passed in front of the sun and moon ...
Bucholly Castle from the South, Skirza Head beyond, Caithness
Bucholly Castle
Bucholly Castle is a fascinating ruin set in a stunning, remote location on the east coast of Caithness between John o' Groats and Wick, just south of Freswick. It is perched above the North Sea on a rocky peninsula joined to the mainland by a narrow neck of land with ...
Saturday Afternoon - Choppy Pentland Firth - 2, Caithness
Saturday Afternoon – Choppy Pentland Firth
A grey Saturday afternoon in Caithness, just a fleeting hint of brightness from the west and a choppy Pentland Firth with Dunnet Head, the most northerly point of the British Mainland, in the distance. Shot during a brief stop on our lockdown cycle and foreshore walk during the Covid-19 shutdown ...
Clouds ablaze as the sun rises and rain falls
Welcome Home to Caithness
After two weeks away Caithness welcomed us home with a beautiful dawn and sunrise. Happy 2020! As the light developed showers closed in from the north and the clouds were ablaze as the rain fell. Behind, to the north, a complementary rainbow to go with the sunrise; typical Caithness conditions! ...
Sunset from Peedie Beach, Caithness
Sunset from Dwarwick Head & Peedie Beach
It’s been a dark, damp and sometimes windy week in the north; so here are photos from a more serene Sunday afternoon a couple of weeks ago. At the west end of the village of Dunnet in Caithness a small road winds down the hill to Dwarwick Harbour where there ...
Summer Evening Storm - Pentland Firth, Caithness
Caithness Summer Evenings
By September in the north of Scotland, it's really noticeable how much earlier darkness is gathering. The sun is already down several hours earlier than in late June when, although the sun does go down behind the horizon, it doesn't get completely dark. Time to re-visit some of the long ...
Photo of a Puffin surveying the geo around Wester Clett, "Puffin Island"
Puffin Colony – Wester Clett, Sutherland
Just on the Sutherland side of the Sutherland/Caithness border, on the coast at Drumhollistan Moss, is a complex series of deep geos, or coastal inlets, with a steep sided island called Wester Clett in the middle. Wester Clett has been popularly named "Puffin Island" and the surrounding geos as "Puffin ...
Stormy Sea, Ushat Head, Crosskirk, Caithness
Stormy Seas, Caithness
With the first strong northerly winds of the autumn, the weekend of 28-29th October was fairly stormy for the North coast of Scotland. With a strong northerly, the swell in the North Atlantic builds quickly and pounds the coast. A few miles west of Thurso lies the headland of Brims ...
Northern Marsh Orchids (Dactylorhiza purpurella) and Buttercups
Flowers In The Grass, Caithness
A few pictures of flowers in the verge and lawn. Many Northern Marsh Orchids appear every year at the end of May or start of June in the lawn pictured. Primroses grow in the verges and at first I thought the Common Bugle pictured was a different type of orchid ...

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