2019-10-01 Discover Britain

CAITHNESS

TOBY HOULTON/GEORGE ROBERTSON/ALAMY

The castle’s walled garden is a

further draw, offering not only

shelter from the sea breeze but an

abundance of roses (beloved by the

Queen Mother), and ample fruit and

vegetables that supply the visitor

centre tearoom, the Granary Lodge

and the castle itself. Venture further

afield to discover sublime landscapes,

dramatic rock formations and local

wildlife. The castle features on the

North Coast 500, a famous 516-mile

road circuit around the Scottish

coast. While many travellers head to

John O’Groats to capture a selfie by

the famous road sign, a more tranquil

option is to visit what is actually the

most northerly point in mainland

Britain at Dunnet Head. Here,

experience sweeping clifftop views,

an array of seabirds – from skuas

and shags to peregrines and puffins

• and a Robert Stevenson-designed
  lighthouse dating from 1831. The
  islands of Orkney are less than seven
  miles distance from this point.
  In terms of towns, Wick is close to Castle Mey and
  brimming with history. A former Viking settlement, Wick
  boasts the shortest street in the world – named Ebenezer
  Place, it’s a mere 6’9” in length. On a more historic slant,
  much of the town’s wealth came from the herring fishing.
  Stroll around the purpose-built Pultneytown, a harbour
  area designed especially by Thomas Telford to facilitate
  the pursuit of the “silver darlings”. Lower Pulteney was
  a busy working area by the harbour, and Upper Pulteney
  was primarily residential. Drop by Wick Heritage Centre
  to discover more.
  Another fishing curiosity is the Whaligoe Steps.
  This manmade stairway of more than 300 steps was
  created in the 18th century. Boats would arrive with their
  catch at the bottom of the cliffs, and fisherwomen would
  carry the heavy creels up the steps to be gutted. The steps
  can still be descended but they are precipitous and
  potentially treacherous. A modern café allows visitors to
  appreciate the sea views without watching their footfall.
  For natural beauty in Caithness, think wild and
  rugged, rather than pretty or dainty. The Stacks of
  Duncansby are jagged, sandstone needles that appear
  to have pierced their way out of the sea. Walkers often
  park at Duncansby Head Lighthouse to commence
  a clifftop walk, witnessing the numerous seabirds in
  flight before taking in the dramatic stacks, the largest
  of which towers roughly 200 feet high.
  The seas have their own story around the Pentland
  Firth; the tidal streams are so powerful where the
  Atlantic meets the North Sea that the swirling waters
  were called “hell’s mouth” in the days of sailing ships.
  The tide races are so distinctive and dangerous that
  mariners knew them intimately, giving them individual
  names such as the Swilkie, the Bore of Huna, the wells of

Tuftalie, the Duncansby Bore, and the Merry Men of May.

This dramatic coastline also saw action during the Second

World War – in 1940, just before the invasion of Norway,

the Duncansby Head lighthouse was machine-gunned by

a German bomber. In such a tranquil spot, it’s now

difficult to imagine loud bombing raids taking place.

An equally dramatic coastal walk leaves Scrabster

for Holborn Head. This clifftop hike takes in another

lighthouse, a blow hole (known locally as a ‘gloup’) and

a sea stack, as well as manmade sculptures and cairns,

with excellent views of the Orkney island of Hoy.

Orkney is repeatedly in sight when touring coastal

Caithness. In fact, the Caithness region came under

Norse rule until the Treaty of Perth in 1266. Thankfully,

visitors don’t merely have to gaze

longingly at this northern

archipelago – a day trip to Orkney

is easily achievable. Ferries sail from

Scrabster to the western town of

Stromness on mainland Orkney in

90 minutes. Or depart from Gills Bay,

only 3.5 miles from the Castle of

Mey, to arrive at St Margaret’s Hope

in South Ronaldsay an hour later.

South Ronaldsay is home to

the prehistoric Tomb of the Eagles,

a burial chamber that housed around

30 human skulls. After taking in

ancient burial rites, nip to the nearby

isle of Lamb Holm to appreciate the

splendour of the Italian Chapel, a

Catholic place of worship constructed

out of Nissen huts by Italian

Prisoners of War. The southern

Above: Dunnet

Head Lighthouse

is the most

northerly point

of the UK mainland

Below: Puns

can be seen at

Dunnet Head

³