Craig Easton
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.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout North & West Coast.
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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 Buachaille. Sandwood Bay is about 2 miles north of the end of a track from Blairmore (approach from Kinlochbervie), or you could walk south from the cape (allow eight hours) and on to Blairmore. Sandwood House is a creepy ruin reputedly haunted by the ghost of a 16th-century shipwrecked sailor from the Spanish Armada.
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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 Stream, which allowed Osgood MacKenzie to create this exotic woodland garden in 1862. There are free guided tours on weekdays at 1.30pm from March to October. The licensed cafe-restaurant serves great cakes. Parking for non-members is £2.
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The Arctic convoys were a vital supply line for Russia during WWII; these merchant ships escorted by Allied warships brought supplies into the northern ports through a gauntlet of German ships and submarines. Many left from Loch Ewe, and this volunteer project tells some of the stories of those tough trips. It's fascinating; there's also a small shop. It's on the A832, 12 miles north of Gairloch. Winter opening hours may vary according to volunteer availability.
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Housed in an old church, this museum tells the sad story of the Strathnaver Clearances through posters created by local kids. The museum contains memorabilia of Clan Mackay, various items of crofting equipment and a 'St Kilda mailboat', a small wooden boat-shaped container bearing a letter that was used by St Kildans to send messages to the mainland. Outside the back door of the church is the Farr Stone, a fine carved Pictish cross-slab.
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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 spectacularly deep and narrow Corrieshalloch Gorge. You can cross the gorge on a swaying suspension bridge, and walk west for 250m to a viewing platform that juts out dizzyingly above a sheer drop. The thundering falls and misty vapours rising from the gorge are very impressive.
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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 important breeding populations of great skuas, arctic skuas, puffins, kittiwakes, razorbills and guillemots. Reach the island from Tarbet, 6 miles north of Scourie, via the Handa Island Ferry; call for times and to book your spot.
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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 recreation of a crofter's cottage. It will close at the end of the 2018 season and relocate after a redevelopment of a former anti-aircraft battery 200m south of here.
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Housed in a converted Telford church, this museum relates the prehistoric, natural and social history of the town and Lochbroom area, with a particular focus on the emigration to Nova Scotia and other places. There’s also a genealogy section if you want to trace your Scottish roots.
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The Beinn Eighe Visitor Centre, a mile northwest of Kinlochewe, has interactive displays (good for kids) on local geography, ecology, flora and fauna. It provides information on walking routes, and sells maps and natural history books.