Scotland Tourist Guide
How to find Whaligoe Steps
Whaligoe steps are notoriously hard to find so follow the directions below and you will be fine!
Whaligoe is a small natural harbour in use at the peak of the herring fishing era. When the boats arrived with the herring, local women would go and carry the herring back up the steps in baskets balanced on their heads.
There are supposed to be 365 steps, one for each day of the year.
Halkirk’s village hall – the Ross Institute Halkirk
The Ross Institute was the first public building in Scotland to have an electric clock. It is the village hall where dances, playgroups and indoor bowling are held on a regular basis.
Dirlot Castle, Halkirk - Caithness
Keep going past Westerdale Mill, follow the road to the old sand quarry and turn off into it, go on through the quarry - do not stop in the quarry as there are dangerous pools and disused buildings here! When you reach the farm at the end, find a good place to park and walk toward the cemetery.
Halkirk Highland Games
These games are famous and are one of the biggest Highland Games in Scotland. Athletes from all over Scotland come to Halkirk to compete in these games. This year the weather was again excellent and the day was enjoyed by all.
Braehour Forest and Westerdale Mill
This is a working mill that Provides Dale House with its electricity. To the south of Halkirk, astride the Thurso River, is the hamlet of Westerdale. An old mill sits beside a bridge across the fast-flowing stream. Nearby is the site of a broch, defensive towers built around the time of the birth of Christ. No doubt fresh Thurso salmon were a welcome adjunct to their daily bread.
Braal Castle (Brawl Castle)
The new Castle in Halkirk was builtin the late 19th century. The picture (bottom of the article) is of the new Castle in Halkirk which was built in the late 19th century. The original castle is now in ruins and lies to the right of the new one (as you are looking at it now).
Halkirk area, Caithness
The name Halkirk comes from the Norse for "High Church" and was originally Ha-kirk-ja. This village is the first planned village in the highlands, the plans being drawn up in 1803 on a grid-iron basis. This is revealed when you look at a map of Halkirk and the street layout.
The Castle of Mey Caithness, Scotland
The Castle of Mey is open to the public. The Castle of Mey in Scotland's most northerly coast of Caithness, in the parish of Canisbay, about 15 miles east of Thurso and six miles west of John O'Groats. It stands on rising ground about 400 yards from the seashore, overlooking the Pentland Firth and the Orkney Islands. It is thought that a fortified granary occupied the site originally.
Peedie Sands
Over the hill from Dwarick Pier you will find a small sandy beach. This is a lovely sheltered beach and a nice walk. Beware of the cliffs though. DO NOT GO NEAR THE EDGE! The cliffs could crumble and it is always dangerous to go too near the edge.
The Harbour at Castletown, Castlehill
A lovely working harbour built in the 1820's by James Bremner of Keiss for James Traill of Rattar after he purchased Castlehill House and established the flagstone industry at Castlehill Quarry.
The Harbour was built to ship the flagstone produced by the quarry. The ships used to take the flagstone would return with loads of coal, oil cake and other feed stuff.
Mary-Ann's Cottage or Croft
Take the A863 to Dunnet, turn toward Brough and Dunnet Head, keep straight on at the first junction (toward Dwarick Pier).
Horse riding routes in the Dunnet area
Dunnet Forest
No horse riding is currently allowed in Dunnet Forest, but there are a couple of other places to ride without going on the busy A836.
Dunnet Beach
There are 3 miles of golden sands at Dunnet Beach - a great place to ride, and plenty of parking at the Visitor Centre.
Around Dunnet
The Castletown Flagstone Walk, Castlehill
A signposted and detailed walk taking you round the various parts of the Castlehill flagstone trail. There are plenty of details informing the visitor of the local traditional flag-stone industry in past times. If you look at the field walls in Caithness you will see two main types.
Dunnet Forest and Beach at Dunnet Bay to Dunnet Head
The Dunnet area is well known for recreational access with two of the best known recreational areas in Caithness – Dunnet beach and Dunnet forest. The area around Dunnet Bay and Dunnet Head is of particular interest to Ornithologists. Dunnet Forest is close by and there are numerous fishing Lochs within a mile. Dunnet Head, the most Northerly point on the British Mainland is just 3 miles away.
