So many of our guests say “I wish we’d stayed longer” because they didn’t know how much there is here. So here is an itinerary of great things do on on the NC500 to help you discover Caithness. A week is not enough! But this will give you plenty of ideas. This assumes you are travelling anti-clockwise, but of course you can mix and match the days.
Some attractions close over winter. Check opening dates and times. Booking is advised for tours. See the map at the bottom of the page for locations.
Day 1 – On the way – Castles and Cottages
Get the most of driving north to come here; this day trip starts in Sutherland and takes you to Wick.
Dunrobin Castle, Sutherland
Falconry display at Dunrobin Castle
The Library at Dunrobin Castle
Morning
- Spend the morning in Dunrobin Castle, home of the Duchess of Sutherland who instigated the Sutherland Clearances. Be sure to see the bird displays.
- Explore the castle gardens, or take children or dogs on the Big Burn Walk.
Lunch
Afternoon
- Stop at the ruins of Badbea Clearance Village to see how the people lived after the clearances. Spectacular views, but a brutal place to make your home.
- Whaligoe amazes visitors with stunning views, not to mention the stories of fish-wives and fishermen who climbed the steps with baskets of fish.
- Have a cuppa and a snack at Laidhay Croft Museum or Waterlines in Lybster Harbour and find out more about how crofters and fisher-folk lived.
Other options
Day 2 – Put the ‘North’ in ‘North Coast 500’!
John o’Groats and Dunnet Head
You know you want a photo of the sign to prove you made it this far!
Duncansby Stacks, near John o’Groats
John o’Groats Brewery
The Signpost at John o’Groats
Morning
- Drive towards John o’Groats, and stop off at Puffin Croft just before you get there. It’s a great wee petting farm for kids with a small shop with local produce and gifts.
- At John o’Groats, explore the shops and maybe do a Distillery Tour. The Audio Tour in the Brewery is great for children too. If you skipped breakfast, there are plenty of places to eat.
- Walk to Duncansby Stacks, you can take the longer coastal walk from John o’Groats itself, or drive past Puffin Croft to the car park for Duncansby Head, and walk over the cliffs from there.
Lunch
- If it’s the end of the week, pop into Annie’s Bakery at Canisbay for lunch, or catch lunch at John o’Groats while you are there.
Afternoon
- Drive up to Dunnet Head – the actual most northerly point on the Scottish mainland – and see the lighthouses there. Take in the 360 panoramic views and in the summer see the puffins.
- If you like wooden lamps and rustic furnishings, pop into Keith Parkes Rustic Interiors on the way back.
- If your tipple is gin, then take a tour at Dunnet Bay Distillers – not for the under 18s alas.
- If you have children or dogs with you, let them run off steam at Dunnet Beach, or search for the sculptures in Dunnet Forest – a great place to go if it’s a windy day.
Other Options
Day 3 – The Flow Country
Britain’s newest World Heritage Site
So many people drive straight past the Flow Country – but it is a World Heritage Site. Find out more about this unique habitat!
The RSPB bird watching tower at Forsinard
Alpacas at Geise Farm
Exploring the Flow Country
Morning
Lunch
Afternoon
- Drive down the Strath to Helmsdale, explore the harbour, and visit Timespan museum and art gallery.
- Coming back up the coast, take an Alpaca for a walk at Ulbster Alpacas – be sure to book your Trek.
Other options
Day 4 – Orkney
Well! Why not? You can take a day trip as foot passengers, or by car.
Ring of Brodgar, Orkney
Kirkwall, Orkney
Scara Brae – prehistoric village in Orkney
This is just a taster for Orkney. Be sure to see the WW2 Italian Chapel, the pre-historic Ring of Brodgar, and the stone age village at Skara Brae. The museums and craft shops in Stromness and Kirkwall are great for souvenirs and gifts.
You can go by car or as foot passengers on Pentland Ferries or Northlink Ferries. If you take your car, you will need to book ahead. If you go as a foot passenger, you needn’t miss out. This year, Maynes did a bus tour for foot passengers on the Pentland ferry. Or you can join a scheduled Orkney tour, or book your own tour guide – some of whom will meet your ferry with a car.
Consider going out on the Pentland Ferry and back on the Northlink Ferry to see more without doubling back.
Day 5 – Discovering Wick
Wickers are proud of their maritime heritage, and the excellent museum, numerous trails, and moving sea-farers’ memorial are the work of dedicated volunteers.
The Seafarers Memorial Wick
A sign for the Telford Trail in Wick
The Castle of Old Wick
Morning
Lunch
- When you’ve worked up an appetite, head back to the harbour and have lunch at Wickers World or the Harbour Chip Shop
Afternoon
- Pick up the Telford Trial (look out for the signs), and stop off part way round to visit Old Pulteney Distillery for a tour (best to book ahead). If the weather is good, take the coastal walk to the Castle of Old Wick.
Other Options
- Have brunch or lunch in the shortest street in the world, at No 1 Bistro at MacKays Hotel.
- Get to know Wick better by following the Caithness at War trail through the town.
- Caithness Seacoast offer family- and disability-friendly boat trips in the summer, the route depends on the weather and tides, see their website for details.
Day 6 – Fossils and Brochs
So many sites are unique to Caithness. You can hunt for fossilised fish. Visit the mysterious and wind-swept “Hill o’ Many Stanes”, or the Iron Age brochs, which are “recent” history – being only 2,500 years old!
Look for fossilised fish at Achanarras Quarry
Fairy Glen – Latheron
Information boards at Achanarras Quarry – Caithness
Morning
- Don’t wait for Christmas! Book an experience with the UK’s most Northerly Reindeer at Lichen Caithness.
- Walk back in time to Achanarras Quarry and look for fossilised fish. If you follow the rules, you can even take your finds home with you
- No visit to the ancient past is complete without a stone circle – stop off at Achavanich Standing Stones on your way to the coast.
Lunch
Afternoon
Other Options
Day 7 – Thurso and Mey
Thurso is mainland Britain’s most northerly town. There is plenty to explore nearby, including King Charles’s ‘other’ Scottish castle – the Castle of Mey.
The nuclear control room
The Castle of Mey, near Thurso
Morning
- Start the day with a visit to the Castle of Mey – book a tour and hear stories of the late Queen Mother from those who knew her.
- Caithness quarries export more stone than any others in Scotland. Drop into Castletown Heritage Centre, and find out about the origins of Caithness stone.
- Explore some of Thurso’s shops. J A MacKays sells local food and drink – great for gifts and souvenirs, and Lindsay Gallagher and The Coo’s Tail Gallery showcase local artists.
Lunch
- There are plenty of places to have lunch in Thurso, two suggestions are Olive or YNot.
Afternoon
Other Options
Day 8 – On the way West on the NC500
If you are touring the North Coast 500 anti-clockwise, this last day will take you on your way to the West Coast.
The Unknown statue
Dounreay Nuclear Power Station
The wildlife change as the landscape changes
Morning
- Spend the morning trying bodyboarding, surfing or going out in the rib at North Coast Watersports – be sure to book ahead.
Lunch
- If you’ve built up an appetite, Scrabster has a great choice of places to eat your lunch
Afternoon
- Be sure to drop into Strathnaver Museum and find out more about the people of the Clearances.
- Have a cake and coffee there, or drop into The Store at Bettyhill.
Other Options
- You can’t visit the nuclear power station at Dounreay, but there is a viewing area and it’s worth looking out for it as you drive past.
- There are many beaches to stop at on the North Coast – a favourite of ours is Melvich Beach.
- Blow away any cobwebs, and catch amazing views, climbing to the statue of The Unknown in Borgie Glen.
This just scratches the surface of the things to see and do in Caithness. I’ve not mentioned taking the dog to Reiss Beach, exploring ruined Castle Sinclair Girnigoe, eating at Puldagon Farm or the Printer’s Rest, or seeing puffins and other wildlife on Seawolf cliff-top tours.
And of course, these are just suggestions. Mix and match destinations to suit yourselves, your children and your dogs.
Things to see and do on the NC500 mentioned in this blog post
About me
My name is Ben, and I fell in love with Caithness the first time we came here in 2017. I am still falling in love with this little-known place in the far North. I created this itinerary to help my guests at the Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage decide on what to see and do during their stay with us.
I am a human, and these are my own words and photographs, and not written by AI!
Last updated 25th November 2024.
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