Travel Guide to the Northern Highlands - Remote and Unspoiled Scotland
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If you relish true remoteness, if you’re passionate about unpeopled landscapes or encountering only the wind on your walking, cycling or kayaking trip, then this is where to come wandering.
It might be the Southern Highlands that hogs the headlines for having Britain’s highest point but for any other sort of extreme, the Northern Highlands is the place – not just on a Scotland-wide but on a UK-wide scale.
Now famous for round-the-region odyssey the North Coast 500, the UK’s most epic road trip, this area baits hardcore adventurers for whom the chocolate box scenery and well-frequented hiking trails of the Southern Highlands are not quite rugged enough.
Three of the UK’s extreme compass points – Cape Wrath (northwesterly), Dunnet Head (northerly) and Duncansby Head (northeasterly) – are here as is some of the loneliest, furthest-from-civilisation scenery in Europe.
The ancient twisted rock formations of the Northwest Highlands Geopark, the world’s vastest expanse of peat bog, Flow Country, the UK’s remotest beach, most isolated village, toughest multi-day hike and finest mountain road all await as well.
Table of Contents
What are the Northern Highlands?
Where are they?
Why visit
Best time to visit
How long to spend
Where to stay - best bases
Things to see and do
Best trails and hikes
Local help with your planning
If you’re planning a visit to the Highlands, or Scotland more broadly, and could use some help coming up with a great plan, consider scheduling a Scotland travel consultation with Chris, our Local Expert in the United Kingdom.
These are one-hour Zoom calls where you get to chat with Chris, a local guide and tour leader throughout Scotland and the United Kingdom, about the trip you’re planning and get his expert tips and advice, answers to your travel questions, and help you perfect your itinerary.
What are the Northern Highlands?
The Northern Highlands is the northern portion of the Scottish Highlands, a mountainous region extending north and west from Inverness and encompassing the entire northern part of the Scottish mainland.
This region is a series of rugged, loch-riven, bog-spattered sectors of wilderness, spanning from the splendid mountainscape of Wester Ross and the surreal rocky topography of Assynt in the west, across to the huge expanse of blanket bog that is Flow Country in the northeast.
The area’s only settlements are small, and exist only around the coast of the region. Yet the history and heritage importance of this region is huge. Some of Europe’s most ancient rock – Lewisian Gneiss – forms Assynt, which has been designated one of the UK’s Unesco Geoparks as a result.
It was here, too, that most of the Highland Clearances, in which 19th-century Scots were evicted from their homes and forced to begin new lives in the Americas, took place.
Where are they?
The Northern Highlands are essentially the section running from Inverness down to the Firth of Lorn. Photo: Jrockley, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The northernmost chunk of land on the UK mainland, the Northern Highlands are a sub-region of the wider Scottish Highlands. They sit north of the other half of the Highlands, the Southern Highlands.
The area is usually defined as being anything to the north and west of the Great Glen – that almost divides the Scottish Highlands in two on its run from Inverness southwest to Fort William – and north of the ‘Road to the Isles’ from Fort William to Mallaig.
The main point of access for the region is Inverness, with Fort William and Mallaig also important transport links. Inverness is 156 miles north of Edinburgh, 168 miles north of Glasgow, 103 miles northwest of Aberdeen and 560 miles northwest of London in England.
Many of Scotland’s most fascinating island groups lie off the coast of the Northern Highlands too: Skye (to the region’s southwest), accessed from Mallaig or Kyle of Lochalsh, the Outer Hebrides (to the region’s west), accessed from Ullapool, and the Orkney and Shetland Islands, situated off the region’s north coast.
Why visit
One word sums up all the reasons to visit this stark and spectacular region: adventure. This is home to the remotest of everything on the UK mainland: remotest village, remotest hike, remotest beach.
While the Southern Highlands tends to see visitors jammed together in key tourist traps, any crowds that do come to the Northern Highlands are completely dispersed because there are no star-studded attractions here.
Rather, everything is beautiful: rugged, untouristy beauty. Roads are long and single-track and settlements few and far between. Going is slow and city life seems a very far-removed thing: this is somewhere where you can be at one with some of the UK’s wildest and most pristine terrain.
A surfeit of dramatic road trips, train trips and boat trips ensure that this region can be enjoyed not just by hardy outdoorsy types but by families and those of more limited ability too.
Finally, the Northern Highlands is in itself a gateway: to other isolated regions of Scotland such as the archipelagos of the Outer Hebrides and the Orkney Islands.
Connect with Scotland travel expert Chris for help perfecting your itinerary, answers to all your travel questions, and fabulous local tips for a better visit!
Best time to visit
The beach at Durness
The Northern Highlands has three key seasons: peak season in July and August, shoulder season, running from April to June and September, and Low Season, stretching from October to April.
Crowds here are so dispersed that even in peak season the region will seldom feel busy, so you never really need to worry about being surrounded by fellow travelers.
Peak season: July and August
This is the busiest time of year. Temperatures for the year hit average highs of 60°F in July, but rain is still commonplace and can occur at any time.
Highland gatherings (celebrations with bagpipe music and highland games) take place in communities like Durness during this time
Shoulder Season: April to June and September
This is probably the best time for hiking in the Northern Highlands, being free from the high season crowds and with ground reasonably dry underfoot.
September is perhaps the best time for a sea dip once the water has had the whole summer to warm up.
Low Season: October-April
Many attractions close in the Northern Highlands in this season, so be careful when traveling at this time that somewhere on your itinerary has not shut up for the year! Inverness (see separate guide) remains a lively city in winter.
However, bitter weather and lots of rain means that much of the region remains either off-limits or extremely soggy for walking and cold for wild swimming.
How long to spend
Whether you have five days to stay in the region or ten days, the best template for your trip is to try and travel the full circuit of the North Coast 500, which traverses the following route:
It runs from Inverness along the A832 and A890 to Applecross, then north along the west coast to Ullapool, Lochinver, Kinlochbervie, and Durness. The route then continues along the north coast via Tongue to Thurso and John o’ Groats, before turning south along the east coast via Wick and Helmsdale until you return to inverness.
Basically, the more time you have, the more stops you can make and the more rewarding of an experience it will be.
5 Days in the Northern Highlands
5 days is a fairly rapid tour of the Northern Highlands, meaning that you’ll need to cut some very nice stops off your itinerary, but even so, its totally doable.
Day 1: Inverness-Ullapool
Head west to Applecross, taking on the infamous Bealach na Bà pass by car or bike. Drive north around the coast to Torridon village for lunch in the shelter of the mighty Torridon Range.
In the afternoon, continue on around Loch Ewe to Inverewe Gardens. Head on north to Ullapool to overnight, checking out the renowned live music scene.
Day 2: Ullapool-Kinlochbervie
Continue from Ullapool into the heart of the Northwest Highlands Geopark. Have a climb up the region’s most iconic peak, Stac Pollaidh and stop at Knockan Crag to learn about the area’s ancient rocks.
With an early start you’ll have time to get to Kylesku for an afternoon boat tour along the loch to clock a sight of the UK’s highest waterfall, Eas a Chual Aluinn.
From Kylesku, it’s a 45-minute drive to the fishing harbour of Kinlochbervie, where you’ll overnight.
Day 3: Kinlochbervie-Durness
Begin this morning early with the 8-mile out-and-back walk from nearby Blairmore to Sandwood Bay, perhaps Scotland’s loveliest sandy beach.
In the afternoon, continue to Durness, where you’ll stay tonight.
Consider a walk along the gorgeous surrounding sandy beaches and an exploration of spectacular Smoo Cave in the afternoon.
Day 4: Durness-Helmsdale
Today, you’ll drive along the dazzling north coast of Scotland. You will have to limit your stop-offs though, as you have a long way to drive:
The road traces the lovely Kyle of Tongue, and passes near Dunnet Head (mainland Scotland’s most northerly point) and Duncansby Head (the mainland’s most northeasterly point) before you drop south via Wick along the coast to Helmsdale on the east coast.
There are several interesting prehistoric sites between Wick and Helmsdale such as Hill o’ Many Stanes, a formidable 22 rows of prehistoric stones.
The drive from Durness to Helmsdale is 4-hours without stops, but if you stop even somewhat frequently for some of the spectacular sights along the way,you should expect the drive to take the whole day. Overnight in Helmsdale.
Day 5: Helmsdale-Inverness
Continue down the east coast to Cromarty for a two-hour Moray Firth bottlenose dolphin-watching boat trip. After the boat ride, head back toward Inverness, stopping for a quick look around the two close-together settlements of Fortrose and Rosemarkie.
Then, move along to what I think is the real highlight here: one of Scotland’s prettiest woodland walks to the Fairy Glen. Overnight in Inverness.
7-10 Days
Now we’re talking! A week to a week and a half is the perfect amount of time for a leisurely exploration of the Northern Highlands. Here’s what I’d suggest:
Days 1-3: Inverness-Ullapool
In addition to the above Inverness-Ullapool itinerary, you’ll have time for a climb of one of the prettiest Torridon peaks, like Beinn Alligin, and maybe Beinn Eighe, the UK’s first National Nature Reserve.
You could also explore south of the Applecross Peninsula, visiting Attadale Gardens and the picturesque village of Plockton.
Days 3-5: Ullapool-Kinlochbervie
Linger longer in Ullapool and spend more time seeing the sights of the Northwest Highlands Geopark: there is also the Bone Cave, where the remains of ancient creatures were once found, and the rough but rewarding climb up the highest mountain in the Northern Highlands, Ben More Assynt.
Consider the walk around to Eas a Chual Aluinn waterfall from Kylesku, staying over in the Glencoul or Glendhu bothies to make a memorable overnight adventure in the wilderness.
And the next day, prepare to spend a night in a little seaside backwater like Lochinver to break up the trip to Kinlochbervie.
Days 5-7: Kinlochbervie to Durness
Make your Sandwood Bay trip into an overnight adventure and, while in Durness, do the half-day trip by boat and minibus out to Cape Wrath, home to mainland Scotland’s tallest cliffs.
Days 7-10: Durness to Inverness via Helmsdale
Extra stop-offs to consider with this amount of time include: Dun Dornaigil Broch, inland from Tongue and one of the best-preserved brochs (stone defensive towers) in the region, visits to more of the east coast’s ancient attractions such as Achavanich Standing Stones, and gold-panning on the Suisgill Estate near Helmsdale.
Where to stay - best bases
The Northern Highlands are a big, remote area, and you will not be able to see all of it from any one base. Rather, you should plan to stay in several different towns, beginning at your likely arrival point Inverness, which is the gateway to the Northern and Southern Highlands.
From there, once you leave Inverness behind, I’ve recommended below the best west coast, north coast, and east coast bases, but you will also likely need to stay in a few other places in between these areas to break up some of the longer travel days.
So, in the west, Ullapool is the best base. In the north, I’d suggest Durness. And to the east, Helmsdale would be my pick.
As for intermediate bases to stay when breaking up your journeys, between Ullapool and Durness, Lochinver and Kinlochbervie are handy options. Between Durness and Helmsdale, Tongue and Wick are good bases. And between Helmsdale and Inverness, Dornoch is best for a journey-breaker.
And should you decide to head inland at any point, Lairg is really the only town worth mentioning.
Ullapool
1.25 hours’ drive northwest of Inverness, this is the most likeable town to base yourself in the Northern Highlands. With its slew of colorful houses, its good selection of restaurants, and its standout live music scene, it’s also the gateway to the Outer Herbides, with regular sailings to Stornoway on Lewis.
A number of regional highlights, like the Bealach na Bà road, are within a day trip.
Durness
John Lennon once holidayed near Durness and wrote a song (In my Life) about it, and the chances are you’ll love Scotland’s most northwesterly village – 68 miles north of Ullapool – too.
There is plenty to do nearby: sandy beaches, caves and, the biggest adventure of all, the trip across to the remote Cape Wrath headland.
Helmsdale
On the east coast of the Northern Highlands, brightly-hued Helmsdale, lying 35 miles southwest of Wick, is the most appealing base. It has excellent places to stay and eat.
Nearby you can indulge in one of the region’s quirkier activities: gold-panning.
What to see & do in the Northern Highlands
1. Tap into Ullapool’s live music scene
Ullapool, 1.25 hours’ drive northwest of Inverness, has long been an important live music destination in this remote region.
Venues like The Ceildh Place and The Arch Inn have hosted and continue to host some major names in the Scottish and international folk and rock scene, and every week throughout the tourist season (April-September), you’ll encounter several good live acts on at these and other venues around town.
2. Bike over the Bealach na Bà, Britain’s most exciting mountain road
The lonely Bealach na Bà that snakes for 11 miles over a majestic mountain pass from Tornapress to Applecross is only Scotland’s third-highest mountain road, but it’s easily Britain’s most dramatic one.
It’s one of the only UK roads that would compare with an Alpine Category Two climb in the Tour de France. Pedaling this one is a real challenge with over 5.5 miles of sustained ascent from Tornapress to the top, during which you’ll gain 2000 feet in elevation, beginning at sea level. It’s hard enough to drive the road: cycling it is a true test of the mettle.
It’s a good half days’ adventure but factoring in sightseeing and a meal at the Applecross Inn, you might want to allow more time.
Photo: Stefan Krause, Germany, FAL, via Wikimedia Commons
3. Appreciate the tropical beauty of Attadale or Inverewe Gardens and Plockton
After getting a feel for the rocky, moor-blanketed remoteness of the Northern Highlands on a journey from Ullapool, you then encounter these lush landscaped gardens that impress almost as much for thwarting the harsh climate and surviving here as unlikely oases of green.
Attadale Gardens is just southwest of Strathcarron, and further south again is pretty Plockton, where palm trees grow on the main street. Meanwhile Inverewe Gardens is northeast of Poolewe.
Thanks to the warming currents of the Gulf Stream, exotic plants can flourish in these locations despite the countryside close by being able to support little besides rock and bog.
Allow two hours’ visit for each garden, and two or three more to enjoy Plockton.
Inverewe Gardens. Photo: Alexandre Dulaunoy from Les Bulles, Chiny, Belgium, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
4. Visit Inverie, the UK’s only mainland village cut off from the national road system
A few whitewashed cottages along a track at the end of the Knoydart Peninsula, the thriving village of Inverie has a pub and places to stay – but no road linking it to anywhere else.
The only way in is via a boat trip from Mallaig or a 15-mile walk from Kinloch Hourn. Inverie is then a jump-off point for more fabulously remote hikes.
Photo: Subarite, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
5. Kayak on Loch Maree
Paddlers are not short of spectacular places to take to the water in the Northern Highlands, but Loch Maree holds a special allure. It is the largest freshwater loch in the region, and Scotland’s fourth-largest overall, yet unlike Loch Ness or Loch Lomond, it has almost no infrastructure or settlement.
Heading out to one of the islands in the loch by kayak is a magical thing to do. One of these, Eilean Sùbhainn, stands in as Scotland’s second-largest freshwater island and contains a loch that itself contains an island: the UK’s only island-within-an-island-within-a-lake.
There are no official guided kayak trips: it’s somewhere where you’ll have to bring your vessel and explore for yourself, if you have sufficient kayaking experience, which adds to the adventure. Go for the whole day.
6. Hike or voyage to the UK’s highest waterfall, Eas a Chuall Aluinn
The tiny hamlet of Kylesku on Loch Gleann Dubh is the starting point of either a dramatic boat trip or epic trek to the UK’s highest waterfall.
Boat trips, lasting approximately 1.25 hours, run from here to the southern end of Loch Beag, from where you will glimpse the remote cascade of Eas a Chuall Aluinn, which is three times higher than Niagra Falls when in spate. The hike is even more drama-charged: a 20-mile trek that runs around the edges of several lochs.
You can stay in a bothy (wilderness shelter) in Glencoul or wild camp to save the need to head back to Kylesku the same day.
Loch Beag, from where you can see the falls. Photo: Leslie Barrie / Loch Beag / CC BY-SA 2.0
7. Explore the Northwest Highlands Geopark
This Geopark, one of only a few across the UK, features some of the oldest and oddest-looking rocks in the whole of Europe. Stac Pollaidh near Badnagyle is the most distinctive pinnacle-shaped peak to climb and Knockan Crag near Elphin has a visitor center where the remarkable geology hereabouts is explained.
However, the region’s highest mountain is Ben More Assynt which along with the Bone Cave, where bones from a number of Ice Age-era beasts were discovered, is accessible off the road between Ledmore and Inchnadamph.
You could easily spend an entire day exploring all these sites.
Stac Pollaidh. Photo: Mehmet Karatay, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
8. Hillwalk through Britain’s prettiest mountains in Glen Torridon
Most seasoned British hillwalkers agree that the finest tract of mountain scenery anywhere in Scotland is the Torridon Range above Glen Torridon. Accessed from the seaside village of Torridon, this set of Munro mountains (peaks over 3000 feet high) rises to its height direct from the seashore in some cases.
The area is a bastion for nature too, with red deer, otters, and mountain hares. Beinn Alligin, Liathach and Beinn Eighe - also site of the UK’s first National Nature Reserve - are the main peaks and the views from the top of the endless loch-splashed rocky uplands are sublime.
Photo: Ibn Musa / Beinn Eighe from Abhainn Bruachaig / CC BY-SA 2.0
9. Spend the night at Sandwood Bay
Sandwood Bay has everything you would need in a remote beach escape – except civilisation. This is the UK’s remotest mainland beach of any size, over a mile-long curve of sand. It is backed by dunes and lapped from behind by a freshwater loch, while one of mightiest sea stacks in Britain, Am Buachaille, looms offshore.
It’s just made for a memorable night’s wild camping, and is a four-mile one-way hike in from Blairmore. The bay is also generally the end of the penultimate leg of the Cape Wrath Trail, the nation’s toughest long-distance trek.
From here, hikers can continue out across lonely moorland and clifftop scenery to Cape Wrath, the UK mainland’s most northwesterly point.
Sandwood bay, looking north. Photo: Manico at English Wikipedia, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
10. Visit Cape Wrath
Britain’s northwesternmost mainland point Cape Wrath is an awe-inspiring place. Here a lighthouse built by author Robert Louis Stevenson’s grandfather stands atop of the UK’s tallest cliffs.
Incredibly in this cut-off place, accessible only by the last 12-mile section of the long-distance Cape Wrath Trail hike from Blairmore, or by a combination of boat and minibus from Durness, there is a café and toilets.
Make getting here more of a challenge by hiking the complete two or three-week Cape Wrath Trail from Fort William: it’s a mighty challenge on which you’ll need to carry full kit.
Cliffs at Cape Wrath. Photo: Bob Jones / Beyond the lighthouse / CC BY-SA 2.0. Cropped from original.
Connect with Scotland travel expert Chris for help perfecting your itinerary, answers to all your travel questions, and fabulous local tips for a better visit!
11. Soak up beach life and the Beatles in Durness
Mainland Britain’s most northwesterly village, Durness has been a draw since the days of John Lennon – who holidayed hereabouts – and it offers the fabulous sea cave of Smoo Cave, majestic sandy beaches, and the boat trip to Cape Wrath to keep adventurers content.
Smoo Cave in Durness. Photo: Florian Fuchs, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
12. Discover the seldom-visited highlights of the Northeast Highlands
The west coast of the Northern Highlands, with its endless riven lochs, mountains, and dreamy sandy beaches, admittedly has greater pulling power than the north and east. But the northeast has plenty to do too, and you’ll find fewer crowds here overall, which is very nice.
Dunnet has a sandy beach and his nearby the British mainland’s most northerly point, Dunnet Head, while Duncansby Head offers sight of some dramatic rock stacks and is also the mainland’s most northeasterly point.
You could even take a train through Flow Country and its remote boglands between Wick and Inverness, alighting at surely Europe’s remotest railway station, Altnabreac.
There are also some poignant prehistoric sites between Wick and Helmsdale such as the impressive Hill o’ Many Stanes, a collection of some 200 upright stones likely dating to the Bronze Age near Bruan, and the bulky 4000 year-old Achavanich Standing Stones north of Latheron.
The Duncansby sea stacks. Photo: BillC, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
13. Go bottlenose dolphin-watching on the Moray Firth
The big wildlife event on the Moray Firth is the scores of bottlenose dolphins that can be seen throughout the year: altogether the animals represent one of Europe’s largest bottlenose dolphin pods.
Boat trips to see the dolphins are available between April and October from several locations, but on right along your Northern Highland’s route is Cromarty, from where a couple of boats depart daily during the season. These trips generally last a couple of hours.
If you don’t want to go on a boat trip, you can often see the dolphins from the mainland at Chanonry Point near Rosemarkie. You could combine a trip here with a visit to Rosemarkie’s Fairy Glen, a magical woodland walk.
14. Take in the region’s dramatic ruined castles
The Northern Highlands has an impressive array of castles, just like other regions of Scotland. However, the fortresses here offer a touch of medieval colour without the crowds of their more popular Southern Highlands counterparts.
For a ruined castle, Ardvreck Castle on Loch Assynt northwest of Inchnadamph is one of the most dramatic.
For a more stately furnished fortress, visit Dunrobin Castle and Gardens near Golspie, a turreted 189-room affair with medieval origins but an 1800s makeover that has been the home of notable aristocratic family Clan Sutherland since the 19th century.
15. Stay in a bothy, Scotland’s answer to the wilderness shelter
The Northern Highlands is covered in areas of wilderness unrivalled elsewhere in the UK, and as a result is peppered in wilderness shelters known as bothies.
These are quirky pieces of history in themselves – almost all are repurposed buildings that were originally cottages, stalkers huts, schoolhouses or coastguard stations, often abandoned for good during the 19th-century Highland Clearances.
Most importantly, their locations in the middle of nowhere far from any road help make hiking, biking or kayaking adventures into overnight affairs, and they can often provide lifesaving shelter in the event of bad weather.
Think of them like wild camping with four walls and a roof: you can cook your own food in basic kitchen areas but there is no power and no running water. They are designed as stays for one night only. Staying in one is very much part of the Scottish experience.
Photo: John Allan / Coire Fionnaraich Bothy / CC BY-SA 2.0
Best trails and hikes
Ullapool & the west coast
This area has the most stunning seaboard: lonesome inlets, empty sandy beaches and immense cliffs, backed by the surreal rocky wonderland of Assynt, pockmarked by crags, caves and some of the oldest rocks in Europe.
The key hike here is the Cape Wrath Trail, snaking along or close to the dramatic coastline all the way through the Northern Highlands from Fort William to Cape Wrath. This is a very sparsely populated area with few settlements.
For longer hikes here, you will need to be prepared to wild camp or use bothies (wilderness shelters, see above) and come prepared, carrying full kit.
Cape Wrath Trail: This is the big one – it’s both the region’s and the UK’s toughest long-distance trail, running 230 miles along the western edge of the Northern Highlands from Fort William to Cape Wrath. Allow 2-3 weeks for the whole thing: you will need to carry full kit, tent included, as there is not always civilisation at the end of each day’s stage.
Stac Pollaidh Circuit: This 2.75 mile walk circles the base of Stac Pollaidh, the most talismanic mountain peak in the region at 2007 feet high.
Sandwood Bay: It’s eight miles out-and-back from Blairmore near Kinlochbervie to bedazzling Sandwood Bay, the remotest large sandy beach in the UK. The route actually follows a section of the Cape Wrath Trail: an additional inland spur visits remote Strathcailleach Bothy, where the art of the former resident still graces the walls.
Eas a Chual Alluin from Kylesku: It’s a spectacular 12-mile one-way walk from Kylesku inland around Loch Gleann Dubh and Loch Beag to see the UK’s tallest waterfall from below. There are two bothies to stay at en route: Glendhu and Glencoul.
North Coast
The North Coast is lonely too, but the hikes here generally stick close to the seaboard – featuring some gorgeous sandy bays and rugged headlands – and do not stray overly far from the nearest settlement.
Dunnet Head Circular: A quite challenging 10-mile circuit of Dunnet Head, the UK’s most northerly point, loops by the settlements of Dunnet and Brough, taking in sandy bays, looming sandstone cliffs and a nature reserve.
East Coast & Inland
The East Coast of the Northern Highlands is cosmopolitan compared to the rest of the region – with several small towns – though still rather remote by the standards of almost anywhere else in the UK.
The eastern coast is flanked by more mighty cliffs and scattered with ancient monuments just inland. Most walks following paths are short: the vast peat bog of Flow Country allows ample opportunities to go off-piste.
Whaligoe Steps and Cairn o’ Get: This walk, starting from the Cairn o’ Get car park near Whaligoe south of Wick, takes in a spectacularly preserved prehistoric chambered cairn (burial place) and one of Britain’s maddest-looking harbours, where steep steps were cut during the 19th-century Herring Boom to allow just-landed fish to be carried from the remote bay back to market.
The Cairn o’ Get section can be made into a loop via Watenan Croft: the steps are out-and-back. All told, this is a four mile walk.
Falls of Shin The most famous inland Northern Highlands walk, this is still crowd-free once you get beyond the waterfall of the Falls of Shin, a beautiful cascade where you can see salmon jumping.
The walk then circuits through woodland higher above the falls: three miles in total. The start point is at the Falls of Shin car park south of Lairg
