I recently wrote a guest blog on my love for the far north of Scotland for the Venture North travel website, and was delighted to see it published on their ‘Discovery’ series in the summer. For a taster, see below, and then head over to the website for the full article. If you’re planning a trip on the North Coast 500 anytime soon, there are lots of tips and ideas for a fantastic holiday!
Growing up in Caithness, I don’t think I appreciated quite how fortunate I was to call this wild and beautiful part of the world home. Day trips to the Peedie Sands near Dunnet, afternoons spent rummaging for elusive ‘Groatie Buckies’ on the shores of Castlehill, and bucket and spade days at Dunnet beach – recently ranked one of the best beaches in Scotland by the Scottish Environmental Protection Area – were pretty much taken for granted as a child. It wasn’t until years later, when I left home to study at university, that I realised how attached I was to the Caithness landscape and its way of life. I missed the rugged coastline and the pleasure of living by the sea. I missed wide open spaces and the seemingly endless expanse of sky. Most of all I missed family and the quiet warmth and spirit of the local people.
On return trips home, when travelling north along the Causeymire, I was always struck by a sense of connection to the barren, almost bleak landscape that opened up in front of me and made the world seem so much bigger. Even now, almost 2 decades after returning back for good, I still get the feeling of my heart lifting at that sight whenever I’ve spent time away.
There is only so much I can tell you about this area on paper, or that you can learn from photographs and guides. The far north of Scotland is truly a place you need to breathe in and experience for yourself. But for those of you not fortunate enough to have ever lived in or visited Caithness and its neighbour Sutherland, here are just some of the reasons you might want to add this area to your travel bucket list very soon.
See more on the Venture North website!
