[This walk was completed on Tuesday, 23rd of May, 2023]

This is the walk I should have done yesterday – today I’m filling in the gap. I chain my bike up at the Castletown car park and start by walking along part of the Flagstone Trail.

This area is really an open-air museum to celebrate what was once a thriving local industry producing Caithness flagstones. The Castletown quarry employed over 100 people, and flagstones were shipped all over Britain and abroad. Now, sadly, the use of these beautiful flagstones has been replaced by concrete. Seems a such a shame.

But, an information plaque tells me that working conditions were hard and dangerous. Bad weather meant no work and no pay. The company controlled much of the local accommodation and ran the local shop. Tenant farmers were forced to work in the quarry too. No alcohol was allowed and the workers received “morality instruction”. Not a pleasant life.

I follow a path down to the shore, past ruined buildings. The brilliant sunshine of yesterday has gone – it’s dull and murky today.

There is a little harbour on the shore, and I guess the flagstones were once shipped from here. It is now occupied by a solitary fishing boat festooned with colourful buoys. The boat is actually tiny – and its presence creates the illusion of an enormous harbour!

The road winds round the shore for a short distance. I look at the sweep of Dunnet Bay and the beach ahead, and feel a little thrill. Love beach walking.

(When I first started my coastal walk along the sandy beaches of Norfolk, I naively assumed that most of my route would involve beach walking. In reality, most of coastal walking is through fields, over rocks, or along roads – beaches are few and far between!)

This second car park is already busy with cars and a couple of camper vans. I am pretty sure this van stayed the night here. A great spot.

(Can’t break the habit of looking out for suitable overnight-camping spots, although I mainly use official camp sites now because I need an electric supply to charge my electric bike.)

I step down onto the beach. A couple are walking on the sands, but they soon return to their parked car.

Long waves roll in from the sea. The heaving mass of water sems almost seems alive, and the waves actually roar as they hit the shallow water. A beautiful – but slightly menacing – sound.

I cross over a little stream. I’m always amazed by how large streams, and even-larger rivers, can apparently disappear as they hit a pebbly beach – their water reappearing mysteriously further down. It’s a useful phenomena for walkers, because it means you can cross the stream with dry feet!

Now I’m alone on the beach. From the point of photography, the dull weather is disappointing. But, from a walking perspective, it adds an air of mystery and slight menace. And it keeps other people away!

I notice the beach is scattered with enormous shells, and can’t stop collecting a few. Every time I think I’ve found the largest one ever, I find an even bigger one.

I don’t usually bring gifts home from my walking trips – but I love these shells, and one will make a nice gift for my grandaughter. She is still young enough to find shells magical.

Another stream. This one isn’t absorbed by pebbles, but spreads out across the sands to create a shallow sheen of water. Easy to cross.

Looking across Dunnet Bay, I can see the headland of Dwarwick Head on the the other side. That is where I walked yesterday, climbing up from the little pier at West Dunnet and heading towards the mysterious Peedie Sands.

And I can also see the wonderfully-named House of the Northern Gate. It dominates the horizon (just to the right of the photo above).

All too soon, I’m approaching the end of the beach. Meet a lady walking her little white dog. The dog isn’t very keen on the walk – but seems very interested in me. The lady has to keep coming back to retrieve him.

Onwards.

To my right is a ridge of tall, vegetated sand dunes. Wooden steps provide a way down from a nearby car park on the invisible road beyond the dunes.

To my left are the relentless lines of rolling breakers. Wave after wave after wave. I spot a bird pecking at a rock. He seems unperturbed by my presence and I swing up my camera. He jumps off the rock, but I take his photo anyway. Too late, I realise the “rock” isn’t a rock at all – but a dead sheep. Urggh.

The dunes are lower now. And these weird concrete shapes are the remains of old tank defences from WW2.

I use one of the concrete slabs as a perch for my camera, set the timer, and take a self portrait. This definitely shows my best side!

At the far end of the bay, a few more people appear on my beach. One cold and bored-looking girl is sitting on her towel, while a young man walks towards her in a wet suit carrying his surf board. I’m just thinking “brave fella”, when he strips off his wet suit and runs down to the sea to plunge into the waves in his shorts. Even braver!

He must be Scottish. It’s cold!

I’m approaching a grassy area, and climb up to walk along the low cliff. This is Dunnet Links. Stop to take more photographs of the sea. What marvellous waves. Love this place.

Sadly, it’s time to leave the beach. I cross the grassy area to join the road – the A836. The little place ahead is Dunnet. It has a pub/hotel called Northern Sands (I don’t stop) and it’s own little distillery – Dunnet Bay Distillery (I don’t stop there either!).

I turn off the A836 along the road to Dunnet Head, and a short time later, at a sharp curve in the road, I take a side road towards West Dunnet. Someone has put a large orange sign on the fence by the curve – “DUNNET HEAD” – with arrows.

I guess the good people of West Dunnet are fed up with confused visitors heading for Dunnet Head but taking their vehicles along the West Dunnet road by mistake.

There are quite a few houses and cottages scattered around, dispersed between fields of sheep, horses, and… ooh, highland cows. This one has several young calves in the field too.

Safely behind a fence, I stop to take their photographs. Highland cows are really very, very cute. Sadly, none of the beasts will raise their heads to look at me – and give me a perfect photo-op – so I just have to take photos of them munching the grass.

I come to a T junction and take the left turn. This pretty cottage on the right is Mary-Ann’s Cottage, owned and run by the Caithness Heritage Trust.

I would have stopped to have a quick look inside, but it doesn’t open until 2pm and it is now only 1:15. So, instead, I sit on the bench and eat my lunch. Thank you for the opportunity for a sit down, Mary-Ann.

Then onwards, down to the sea, along a road that curves past a few well-tended cottages, to where my van is waiting beside the little old pier.

When I parked this morning, and just after I’d packed up my rucksack and strapped it to my bike, I spotted a seal playing in the waves beside the jetty. Not wanting to unpack my rucksack, I thought I would take his/her photo when I came back.

So, I sit and wait, and wait, and wait… but there is no sign the seal. Lovely view though.

It’s been a wonderful walk today, despite the dull weather. Less than 5 miles, but enough for me because I really am feeling unusually tired on this trip. But tonight I’m going to book into the Castletown Hotel and have a night in a proper bed with an ensuite shower and big fluffy towels. Can’t wait!

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Miles walked today = 4.5 miles

Total around coast = 5,047 miles

Route:

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