Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Castle Arms Hotel
Mey
T
01847 851244,
W
castlearmshotel.co.uk.
A simple but comfortable
stay almost opposite the castle entrance; all rooms are
en suite, family-size suites are good value. The restaurant
prepares good pub-grub such as local steak and fish and
chips (£
9) p
lus daily specials.
Daily noon-2pm &
6-9pm.
£90
Dunnet Bay Carvan Club
Dunnet Bay
T
01847
721319,
W
caravanclub.co.uk.
On the plus side are the
position behind the dunes - a surfer's paradise when
waves are firing - and immaculate facilities. The bad news
is it's geared to motorhomes and is expensive due to a
surcharge f
or n
on-Caravan Club members. Closed Oct to
late March.
£27
/pitch
John O'Groats and around
Don't expect a magical meeting of land and water at
JOHN O'GROATS
- this is an
uninspiring tourist trap. While the views to Orkney are fine, the village is effectively a
car park ringed by pebbledashed souvenir shops. Who knows what Jan de Groot, the
Dutchman who operated a ferry to Orkney from 1496, would think. Come to tick a
box or embark on a wildlife cruise, but that's all.
Duncansby Head
Far more appealing than John O'Groats,
Duncansby Head
, a couple of miles east, has
the lonely lighthouse and spectacular cliffs everyone wants from a mainland tip. What
it lacks is commercialism. he birdlife here is prolific and south of the headland lie
spectacular 200ft-high cliffs, cut by sheer-sided clefts known locally as
geos
, as well as
several impressive sea stacks.
12
ARRIVAL AND TOURS
JOHN O'GROATS AND AROUND
By bus
Thanks to its fame, John O' Groats has regular bus
services from
Thurso (Mon-Fri 6-10 daily, Sat 5 daily; 1hr)
and Wick (Mon-Fri 6 daily, Sat 5 daily; 50min).
By ferry
The John O'Groats passenger ferry (
T
01955 611353,
W
jogferry.co.uk) sails to Burwick, Orkney (May-Sept 2-3
daily; 40min). It also offers afternoon cruises around the sea-
bird colonies and stacks of Duncansby Head or the seal colonies
of Stroma (mid-June to Aug daily 2.30pm; 1hr 30min; £17).
INFORMATION
Tourist o
ce
Beside the main car park (March-Oct daily 9am-5pm;
T
01847 89237,
W
visitjohnogroats.com).
The Black Isle and around
he
east coast
of the Highlands is nowhere near as spectacular as the west, and feels
more lowland than highland. Heading north from Inverness, you're soon into the
Black Isle
- not an island at all, but a peninsula whose rolling hills, prosperous farms
and deciduous woodland make it more reminiscent of Dorset or Sussex than the
Highlands. It probably gained its name because of its mild climate: there's rarely
frost, which leaves the fields “black” all winter. Another explanation is that the
name derives from the Gaelic word for black,
dubh
- a possible corruption of St
Duthus (see p.476).
he Black Isle is littered with
prehistoric sites
, but the main incentive to detour
east off the A9 is
Cromarty
, a picturesque fishermen's town that is arguably the
highlight of the entire Highlands' east coast. If you're heading this way with your
own transport, a string of villages along the south coast are worth a stop en route
for a modest cultural fix, while
Chanonry Point
is among the best
dolphin-spotting
sites in Europe. In a lay-by just across the Kessock Bridge from Inverness, the
small
Dolphin and Seal Centre
(June-Sept daily 9.30am-12.30pm & 1-4.30pm;
free;
T
01343 820339,
W
wdcs.org) provides the chance to observe (and listen to)
the creatures.
