The North coast is Scotland's best kept secret.. Most people know the mountains of the Highlands, or the historic monuments of Orkney. But the only thing people know about Caithness is John O'Groats. Yet there is so much more to discover!
| The most northerly point on the mainland is not John
O'Groats, but Dunnet Head. You can see Dunnet Head from
the croft..
|
This is the road to Scarfskerry.
The Castle of Mey. The top picture is the view from the croft (the castle is on the right, on the other side of the lake). The bottom picture is a little closer. The Castle of Mey was the Queen Mother's favourite home.
| The north coast has lots of little coves and beaches,
and beautiful wild flowers. |
Caithness was the crossroads of the Viking world (which included Iceland, the northern Isles, Scotland and Norway). Most of the local names - such as Scarfskerry - are Viking names. A thousand years earlier, Caithness was an important part of the Pictish world, and there are more standing stones here than just about anywhere in the world. |
| The hills in the distance are the Orkney Islands, as
seen from the croft.(the croft duck pond is at the front
of the picture). |
| Another view of Orkney (seen faintly on the horizon)
seen from the coast near Dunnet. The cliffs on the left
are the start of Dunnet Head.
|
| Another tiny Scarfskerry beach, as seen from the road.
Because so few tourists know about this area, the land is
unspoilt and the beaches are usually empty. It is a very
peaceful, beautiful place to live.
|
| The croft, seen from the north. |
| A local traffic jam. I love the pace of life up here. |
The rumours are true. It is not always warm and sunny up here.
But it is usually sunnier than you might think.
