CAITHNESS

Caithness is steeped in history with many places of historical interest to visit. Dunnet Head – The most northerly point on mainland Britain. John O’Groats – the famous end of the road, The late Queen Mother’s Castle of Mey, her private home where she spent many happy holidays. The Castle is open to visitors, Scrabster Harbour– where fish are brought into harbour to be sold at market, also from Scrabster you can take the ferry to the beautiful Orkney Islands. This is just a very small taste of what Caithness has to offer.

Wick town is situated on the north east coast of Scotland. The town has Nursery Schools, Primary Schools, Secondary Schools, College Campus, Hospital, Rail links South, Airport, 4 Supermarkets, shopping precinct, Out of School care, Restaurants, Hotels, Pubs, Nightclub. A new shopping centre has just opened with a large Homebase, Argos and other popular stores. Tesco have also opened a large store here and provide an extensive range of food as well as household goods and clothes.

Thurso has all of the above facilities as well as the North Highland College, Ferry links and Cinema complex with Bowling Alley. The village of Halkirk nearby, boasts the North Highland Equestrian Campus.

Caithness offers a wide range of leisure activities to those who are outdoor minded with fishing and horse riding being very well catered for, there are well subscribed Riding Clubs and Pony Clubs who are very active all year round. The countryside around the towns is abundant with wildlife and the sky at night can be full of wonderful displays.

The hills of Morven and Scaraben are close by and the North Sutherland mountains of Ben Klibreck, Ben Loyal, and Ben Hope can be reached easily within 2 hours.

Caithness has a worldwide reputation for its wild brown trout fishing and boasts several of the most productive lochs in Scotland - Watten, Scarmclate, Heilan and St Johns to name but four.

Salmon fishing is often available on the local rivers such as the Thurso and Wick. Noted salmon rivers within two hours commuting distance include the Borgie, Naver, Halladale, Brora, Helmsdale, Alness, Ness, Morriston, Conon, Cassley, Oykel, Shin, Carron, Beauly, Spey and Deveron.

Inverness is approximately 2.5 hours drive south. Inverness has achieved the status of “City” with many features including a large shopping centre and international airport.

SUTHERLAND

Not for nothing is Sutherland called Europe's Last Wilderness. It is a beautiful and rugged area and a contrast to the land beyond the Highlands that is Caithness and before you take the ferry to the islands of Orkney.

The area can be wild and desolate in parts with stark contrasts of long gentle sandy beaches, spectacular sea cliffs and dramatic mountain backdrops. The coastline itself is peppered with steep cliffs and small villages, each with a character and charm all of their own.