ACTIVE OUTDOORS: Caithness coastal walk offers a lighter look at medieval castle
The striking Castle Sinclair-Girnigoe has stood on a rock promontory in Sinclair’s Bay since as early as the 15th century.
Its ruin looks impressive enough as you approach from the landward side, but the drama really unfolds when you see how closely it is perched on the edge of the sea, built up from the bedrock below.
The long history of this once grand house and fortification is fascinating, and you can read all about it on the many information boards put in place by the Clan Sinclair Trust, which owns the listed ancient monument and is conserving it for future generations.
It’s possible to park close by and wander down the track to see the castle, but there’s a longer walk that takes in more of the glorious coastal scenery and visits the lighthouse at Noss Head on its way past.
The walk starts at the picturesque Staxigoe harbour, a short distance from the centre of Wick, where there is a very small area of informal parking available.
The 19th-century harbour here was once the largest herring salting station in Europe, but today there were only two boats bobbing about in this rocky shelter.
It was a sunny morning, and I decided to tackle the route counter-clockwise, heading north along the road then farm track to Field of Noss Farm. Make your way carefully through the yard and go through a gate to the right.
This leads you onto a narrow – and it turns out very soggy – grassy path between two fences, with cows in the field over to the left. On the right, the cliff edge drops away to skerries and the Beatrice wind farm is visible in the Moray Firth.
Despite my wet feet in the early morning dew, this was a lovely walk, and after crossing a small stile it soon opened out into a grassy nature reserve – the butterflies were out enjoying the sunshine, too.
The vague path bypasses a couple of large geos at Scholl – marked on the 1:25,000 scale map – and approaches the wall surrounding the lighthouse land, heading for an obvious gate. Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a quagmire around the gate itself, so I tiptoed on rocks as best I could while opening and closing the gate!
Continue towards the lighthouse before veering left to go through a farm gate leading to the minor road, then go right, along the road, to see the structure close-up.
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Noss Head lighthouse, engineered by Alan Stevenson, was built in 1849 and the original lamp can still be seen in the museum in Wick. It was automated in 1987 and is private, so you can’t access the tower – although it is possible to rent the former Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage as holiday accommodation.
Returning down the road, I went as far as the parking area – an alternative starting point for this walk – then took the track off to the right which leads down to Castle Sinclair-Girnigoe.
This precariously positioned castle, built and modified over hundreds of years by the Sinclair earls of Caithness – one of the far north’s most powerful families – is on the World Monuments Watch list due to its high risk of deterioration.
A project to survey and stabilise the ruins was undertaken in the early 21st century by the World Monuments Fund in collaboration with the Clan Sinclair Trust, Historic Scotland, Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise, Highland Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The bridge was later added to facilitate safe access to parts of the castle, though it was closed for a time due to falling masonry earlier this year.
It is one of the best surviving and unchanged examples of a late medieval/early modern fortified complex in Scotland – and well worth a visit!
After a good look around, I returned up the track to the parking area and followed the newly resurfaced road to the right. Other than having to step aside quite often for passing cars and motorhomes – and having to wait in a passing place while two of them tried to negotiate a way past each other – it was a nice enough experience.
After some cottages, you pass the huge Noss Head switching station building, where the high-voltage subsea cables from Shetland come ashore. Further on, you skirt the edge of Wick John O’Groats Airport, taking a sharp left turn here for the last stretch back to Staxigoe.
The road bends left at the war memorial to pass the village football pitch, then continues straight on past houses to return to the harbour.
Route details
Noss Head circuit
Distance 6 miles / 10 km
Terrain Coastal paths and moor, tracks, minor road
Start/finish Staxigoe harbour, Wick
Map OS Landranger 12; OS Explorer 450
A flat coastal walk taking in Noss Head Lighthouse and the impressive ruins of a 15th-century castle
Click here to see the route in OS Maps
