The north and northwest Highlands - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 253

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE DUNNET AND AROUND

By bus Bus #80 between Thurso (stops at train station and
Olrig St) and John O'Groats passes through Dunnet and

Mey (Mon-Fri 8 daily, Sat 5 daily).

ACCOMMODAT ION AND EATING
Castle Arms Hotel Mey T 01847 851244, W castle
armshotel.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 chip s (£ 9) plus 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
surc harge for non-Caravan Club members. April-Sept.
£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. The birdlife here is prolific and south of the headland lie
spectacular 200ft-high cliffs, cut by sheer-sided clefts known locally as geos , and several
impressive sea stacks.

4

ARRIVAL AND INFORMAT ION JOHN O'GROAT S A ND 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 seabird colonies and stacks of Duncansby
Head or the seal colonies of Stroma (mid-June to Aug daily
2.30pm; 1hr 30min; £17).
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.259).
The Black Isle is littered with prehistoric sites , but the main incentive to detour east
of 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.