North & West Coast

Quintessential Highland country such as this, with breathtaking emptiness, a wild, fragile beauty and single-track roads, is a rarity on the modern, crowded, highly urbanised island of Britain. You could get lost up here for weeks – and that still wouldn’t be enough time.

Carving its way from Thurso to Glencoul, the north and northwest coastline is a feast of deep inlets, forgotten beaches and surging peninsulas. Within the rugged confines, the interior is home to vast, empty spaces, enormous lochs and some of Scotland’s highest peaks.

Whether in blazing sunshine or murky greyness, the character of the land is totally unique and constantly changing – for that window of time in which you can glimpse it, you'll capture an exclusive snapshot of this ancient area in your mind. Park the car and gaze. This northernmost slab of the Highlands is the stuff of coastal-drive dreams.

Explore North & West Coast

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout North & West Coast.

  • Park

    Northwest Highlands Geopark

    As you head south from Durness, heather gradually gives way to a rockier landscape of Lewisian gneiss pockmarked with hundreds of small lochans. This is…

  • Beach

    Sandwood Bay

    South of Cape Wrath, Sandwood Bay boasts one of Scotland’s best and most isolated beaches, guarded at one end by the spectacular rock pinnacle Am…

  • Gardens

    Inverewe Garden

    Six miles north of Gairloch, this splendid place is a welcome splash of colour on this otherwise bleak coast. The climate here is warmed by the Gulf…

  • Castle

    Eilean Donan Castle

    Photogenically sited at the entrance to Loch Duich, Eilean Donan is one of Scotland’s most evocative castles and must now be represented in millions of…

  • Visitor Centre

    Forsinard Flows Visitor Centre

    On the platform at Forsinard railway station is the RSPB's Forsinard Flows Visitor Centre, an exhibition dedicated to the neighbouring nature reserve…

  • Museum

    Russian Arctic Convoy Exhibition Centre

    The Arctic convoys were a vital supply line for Russia during WWII; these merchant ships escorted by Allied warships brought supplies into the northern…

  • Museum

    Strathnaver Museum

    Housed in an old church, this museum tells the sad story of the Strathnaver Clearances through posters created by local kids. The museum contains…

  • Waterfall

    Falls of Measach

    Just west of the junction of the A835 and A832, 2 miles south of Braemore, a car park gives access to the Falls of Measach, which spill 45m into…

  • Nature Reserve

    Handa Island Nature Reserve

    A few miles north of Scourie Bay lies this nature reserve run by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. The island's western sea cliffs provide nesting sites for…

  • Waterfall

    Eas a’Chual Aluinn

    Five miles southeast of Kylesku, in wild, remote country, lies 213m-high Eas a’Chual Aluinn, Britain’s highest waterfall. You can hike to the top of the…

  • Cave

    Smoo Cave

    A mile east of the centre of Durness is a path down to Smoo Cave. From the vast main chamber, you can head through to a smaller flooded cavern where a…

  • Museum

    Gairloch Heritage Museum

    This museum has interesting displays on life in the West Highlands from Pictish times to the present, including locally built fishing boats and a faithful…

  • Museum

    Ullapool Museum

    Housed in a converted Telford church, this museum relates the prehistoric, natural and social history of the town and Lochbroom area, with a particular…

  • Museum

    Kyle Line Museum

    Enterprising local volunteers have put together this likeable museum at the end of Kyle's railway station platform, with train memorabilia, a model…

  • Visitor Centre

    Beinn Eighe Visitor Centre

    The Beinn Eighe Visitor Centre, a mile northwest of Kinlochewe, has interactive displays (good for kids) on local geography, ecology, flora and fauna. It…

  • Museum

    Applecross Heritage Centre

    By a church, this interesting museum has resources for discovering your Applecross roots as well as displays on spinning wool – you may see a craftsperson…

  • Gallery

    An Talla Solais

    This community-run gallery stages changing exhibitions of works by Highland artists, from paintings and photography to ceramics and textiles. Opening…