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 Loch Eriboll |
 Talmine, Near Tongue |
 Durness from the East |
This area covers Scotland's far north coast, from Cape Wrath in the west to Strathy in the east. Inland, it extends south to include Altnaharra and the clearance landscape of Strathnaver. The two main settlements on this stretch of coast are Durness and Tongue.
Durness is the most north westerly village on mainland Britain and a good base from which to tour the area. Despite major road improvements in recent decades, the last 14 miles to Durness from the south are of single track road, with rather more in places along the north coast as you head east.
A couple of miles south west of Durness is the easiest way to Cape Wrath, with a little seasonal ferry crossing the Kyle of Durness from Keodale. From the far side it is ten miles to Cape Wrath itself. A minibus is sometimes available to assist: though at certain periods the the use of the military bombing and artillery range here closes off access from this direction.
Anyone visiting Durness should make a point of visiting Balnakeil, a mile to the north west. En route you pass a craft village, and at the end of the road is a remarkable golf course; an attractive ruined church; Balnakeil House, originally built as the summer palace of the Bishops of Caithness; and Balnakeil Bay, which stretches north up the west side of Faraid Head. This is one of the most attractive stretches of coastline in Scotland.
East from Durness you pass the path leading down to Smoo Cave. The road then rounds the deep indentation of Loch Eriboll before heading across country to the bridge across the beautiful Kyle of Tongue. North west of the end of the bridge an unclassified road leads to the little known gem of Talmine. On the east side of the Kyle of Tongue is the village of Tongue, dominated by the ruined Caisteal Bharraigh and by Ben Loyal to its south.
East again, and you come to the village of Bettyhill, created by the Countess of Sutherland in 1815 to house people cleared from Strathnaver to the south, and beyond it the crofting township of Strathy and nearby Strathy Point.
Roads south from both Tongue and Bettyhill, bring you to the tiny hamlet of Altnaharra, primarily a base for fishing, complete with its well preserved Parish Church.
