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 Flow Country (UNESCO World Heritage site nominated) 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.

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.

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 – 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. Mey on the Pentland Firth coast, south of Orkney, is known for its Castle of Mey, the former Queen Mother’s northern holiday home that now remains a popular attraction.

On the east (North Sea) coast there are gems such as Bucholly Castle, Castle Sinclair Girnigoe and the Whaligoe Steps to be discovered. Thurso and Wick are the two historic towns of Caithness and a certain rivalry exists between the two. Wick is the administrative centre and has an interesting harbour area at the mouth of the River Wick. Thurso lies at the northern end of Scotland’s longest road, the A9, and the ferry for Orkney runs from the nearby Scrabster Harbour. Caithness has benefitted economically since 1955 by the presence of the Dounreay nuclear site – with its iconic Dounreay Fast Reactor (DFR) dome – which remains a long term decommissioning and restoration project with a significant work force. Both Thurso and Wick are served by rail via the Far North Line and there are scheduled flights to Wick John O’Groats Airport.

Discover and explore Caithness through the articles and links below.

Caithness select photo gallery

A select gallery of only my finest or favourite Caithness photos. From sunset and crashing waves at Dounreay and Dunnet ...

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Caithness

Caithness is in the furthest north east corner of the British mainland, separated from the Orkney islands by a few ...

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Cairngorm, Monadhliath and Strathspey

The Cairngorms are a nationally and internationally renowned area of sub-arctic granitic mountains with high plateau areas and four of ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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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! ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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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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