The north and northwest Highlands - The Rough Guide to Scotland - page 463

Kinlochbervie
North of Scourie, the road sweeps through the Highlands at its starkest - rocks piled
on rocks, bog and water, and a bare, stony coastline that looks increasingly
inhospitable. he largest settlement here, reached on a side road, is KINLOCHBERVIE , an
important fishing port serviced by trucks from all over Europe. Otherwise it's a scruffy,
utilitarian place, usually visited only as a launch pad for Sandwood Bay.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE KINLOCHBERVIE

By bus Kinlochbervie is on the summer-only Inverness-
Durness service of D&E Coaches ( T 01463 222444) via
Ullapool and Lochinver.

Destinations Scourie (late May-Sept 1 daily Mon-Sat,
plus Sun 1 daily in July & Aug; 40min); Ullapool (same
times; 3hr).

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Old School Restaurant and Rooms Inshegra, 1 mile
before Kinlochbervie on B801 T 01971 521383,
W oldschoolklb.co.uk. By far the most comfortable
accommodation option in the area, with a handful of rather
smart rooms, including a cute separate en-suite single.

Guests are treated to good-value evening meals of home
cooking: expect haddock chowder then braised lamb
shank, venison casserol e or veggie lasagne (£12-16).
Closed early Sept to April. £60

Sandwood Bay
A single-track road continues northwest of Kinlochbervie through OLDSHOREMORE , an
isolated crofters' village above a stunning white-sand beach (a magic spot to wild
camp), then on to BLAIRMORE , start of the four-mile walk to Sandwood Bay . he
shell-white beach beyond the peat moors is one of the most beautiful in Scotland,
flanked by rolling dunes and lashed by gales for much of the year. Vikings beached
their longships here over a millennium ago - the name is a corruption of “sand” and
“vatn”, meaning sand and water. A later bearded mariner who perished on this
dangerous coast (undercurrents are too treacherous for swimming) is said to haunt the
beach - two crofters in the early 1940s said he tramped across the sand in a buttoned
tunic and bellowed at them that the beach was his - and Britain's most recent sighting
of a mermaid was recorded here in 1900; apparently she had red hair, green-blue eyes
and a 7ft yellow body. Good luck with them both if you decide to wild camp here.
It's possible to trek overland from Sandwood Bay north to Cape Wrath, the
northwestern tip of mainland Britain, a full day's walk away. If you're planning to
meet the Cape Wrath minibus to Durness contact them first since it won't run if the
weather turns bad.

12

The north coast
A stream of sponsored walkers, cyclists and tour groups makes it to John O'Groats , yet
few visitors travel the length of the wild north coast . hose who do rarely return
disappointed. Scotland's rugged northern shore is backed by superb mountains in the
west and by lochs and open rolling grasslands in the east. Between them is mile upon
mile of crumbling cliffs, sheer rocky headlands and perfect white beaches that are nearly
always deserted except for intrepid surfers who come for the best waves in Scotland.
Visit in January and there's a chance you might witness the Northern Lights, too.
Only a small place, Durness is a good jumping-off point for Cape Wrath , the
windswept promontory at Scotland's tip which has retained an end-of-the-world
mystique lost long ago by John O'Groats. Continue east, Tongue and you'll reach
enjoys an attractive setting and a Munro to climb nearby, which while Thurso , the
largest town on the north coast, is acclaimed by surfers. For everyone else it's a gateway
to seabird colonies around Dunnet Head and Duncansby Head .