Tuši's blog: 16521

Scotland: Day 8 - Caithness & Sutherland

On our travels through the far north of Scotland, we discovered Caithness, a county whose very name reaches deep into history. It comes from the ancient Pictish tribe known as the Catti, giving it the meaning "Land of the Cats." Further west lies Sutherland, whose name tells its Norse story. Derived from Suðrland - "southern land" - it reflects the Viking perspective: to them, this remote Highland territory was their southernmost land. For centuries, it was under the influence of the powerful Jarls of Orkney, leaving a legacy that still lingers in its culture and place names.

Previous days of our trip to Scotland: Day 7 - 16520, Day 6 - 16519, Day 5 - 16518, Day 4 - 16517, Day 3 - 16516, Day 2 - 16515, Day 1 - 16514.

We woke up into the windy and rainy day. The tent was falling apart and it was wet inside, so we didn't stay long. On my morning walk I visited the Easter Head, the northernmost point on the island of Great Britain and the lighthouse.

Our first stop was pier in Brough, which is the most northerly village of mainland Great Britain.

View to the Little Clett island with 2 sharp rocks.

Washing the dishes with supervisor Bronco.

At low tide you can walk to the island.

Sunrise.

House on the beach.

Brough Bay.

Walking towards Dunnet beach through the grassy dunes.

Bronco rather walked on the beach, while I went swimming into the cold water. The Pentland Firth connects the Atlantic Ocean (to the west) with the North Sea (to the east) and is known for its strong tidal currents.

Smelling the Sea.

Bronco found something in the sand.

Dressing up after I came out of the cold water.

Driving on A836, part of the North Coast 500 near Loch Salachaidh, meaning dirty loch.

Approaching Bettyhill.

Along the River Borgie towards Torrisdale Bay.

A little bit of running.

Bronco found something again.

The SS John Randolph was a standard American Liberty cargo vessel, launched in December 1941, part of convoys to Russia during WWII. On July 5, 1942, it hit an Allied mine and was heavily damaged

Nada, Bronco and Tuši.

Although it lies just off the North Coast 500 route, Torrisdale Bay remains relatively quiet and untouched. Many travelers simply pass by without realizing that a mile-long golden beach with dramatic dunes lies just beyond the road.

Torrisdale Bay is where two salmon rivers, the River Naver (to the east) and the River Borgie (to the west), meet the sea.

Drawing time.

Activities with Bronco.

Grassy dunes.

Only us on the North of Scotland.

Returning back along the river Borgie.

Jumping time.

Bronco was too quick for me.

When Nada says STOP, we stop for a photo.

Over the last bridge and we were back - Garmin Connect.

A few miles west of Bettyhill, we stumbled upon Lochan Modsarie - a mirror‑smooth Highland loch cradled in moorland.

Near Coldbackie, we spotted An Dubh‑loch ("the black loch") - a small, still body of water framed by moor and heather.

Through the settlement Hope and Loch Hope we continued to the shores of Loch Eriboll. The island visible in the picture is Eilean Choraidh (also known as Horse Island). Once a limestone quarry site, it later served as a mock target during WWII for aerial bombing practice.

Loch Eriboll is one of the Scotland’s deepest sea lochs. It is around 16 km long and up to 60 m deep.

With a population of approximately 13000 people and a population density of just under 3 people per square kilometer, Sutherland remains one of the most sparsely populated and peacefully remote corners of the Scottish Highlands.

The area around Loch Eriboll feels remote and timeless.

During World War II, the loch was used as a safe anchorage for the Royal Navy. After Germany’s surrender in 1945, 33 German U-boats came to Loch Eriboll to formally surrender before being taken to Scapa Flow.

Local folklore speaks of selkies - magical seals that can shed their skins and walk on land as humans. Selkies have a dual nature: they can be friendly and helpful to humans, but they can also be dangerous and vengeful. Selkies are often depicted as attractive and seductive in human form, and many stories involve selkies having romantic or sexual relationships with humans, sometimes resulting in children.

Ceannabeinne Beach (also known historically as Traigh Alt Chailgeag, "beach of the burn of bereavement and death").

The old Gaelic name references a local legend: a woman who tragically drowned in the stream and washed ashore here, giving the beach a haunting backstory.

Sangobeg Cove with nearby Pictish burial grounds and Norse settlement ruins under the dunes.

Our next and a little longer stop was Smoo Cave with a 20 m waterfall.

It's partly a sea cave (entrance chamber carved by the sea) and partly a freshwater cave (inner chambers formed by an underground stream).

Trio at the entrance. The main chamber is about 40 m wide, 15 m high, and 83 m long—one of the largest sea cave entrances in the UK.

"Smoo" likely comes from the Old Norse word smuga, meaning "hiding place" or "hole".

In 2022, researchers discovered rare subterranean crustaceans (ostracods) in pools inside Smoo Cave, possibly making them the first recorded occurrences in Scotland.

Hike along the "Geodha Smoo", the narrow tidal inlet - or gorge, open to the sea and leading inland toward Smoo Cave. Over thousands of years, the cave's roof collapsed and extended seaward, forming this approximately 600-meter long gorge that once was part of the cave itself.

Driving along River Dionard.

The River Dionard arises as the outflow from Loch Dionard and flows into the Kyle of Durness. Since we've seen quite many things today, it was time for a beer in Scourie.