I don’t want to put a dampener on things, but Caithness is in Scotland and it’s undeniable that some days the weather can be, well, very weathery! We are on the east coast so we are drier than the west, but even so, you may want to find things you can do on the NC500 on a wet day. So here are some suggestions. Check for opening times if you are visiting before Easter or after September.
Dunrobin Castle – Golspie – a stately home, and seat of the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland. The castle has a restaurant, and a good shop with books and souvenirs. A fun game to play as you go round is “spot the mention of the Clearances”. The Duchess of Sutherland instigated the Clearances in this part of Scotland in the 1830s and 1840s – displacing thousands of Highlanders from the straths and glens, but there’s hardly a mention in Dunrobin Castle!
Dunrobin Castle
Old Clyne School – Brora – newly opened heritage centre with an excellent café just outside Brora.
The River Bothy and Patricia Niemann – Berriedale – The River Bothy is a great wee café and craft shop, with items by local makers. And Patricia Niemann next door is an artist and silversmith.
Timespan – Helmsdale – an excellent local history museum with a focus on Kildonan Strath, including the burning of the last witch and the shooting of the last wolf in Sutherland; there is also a contemporary gallery, with a café and shop
Dunbeath Heritage Museum – Dunbeath – a museum in the birthplace of Highland author Neil M. Gunn, showcasing his story, as well a archaeological finds from the neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age and through to the Vikings and Medieval times.
Clan Gunn Museum – Latheron – telling the story of the area through the eyes of one clan, the Gunns, from its Norse beginnings, through its part in the 1745 uprisings, and its experiences during the Clearances.
Waterlines – Lybster – a small and very child-friendly heritage centre by the harbour in Lybster, with a dog-friendly café. Lots of info about the Herring fishing in this part of the world.
Waterlines visitor centre and café in Lybster
Forse of Nature – Forse – a large café with a shop selling items by local makers.
Northshore Pottery – Forse – almost opposite the entrance to Forse of Nature. Jenny Mackenzie Ross is a ceramicist who makes sculptures and also items like mugs and bowls. Maybe one to miss if you have small children or large dogs, but a must-see if you like ceramics.
Wick Heritage Centre – Wick – an excellent volunteer run museum and home of the Johnson Collection of Victorian photographs, and with lots of insight into crofting life, and the herring fleets; it also has the two-story high glass lens from nearby Noss Head lighthouse.
The lens from Noss Head lighthouse in the Wick Heritage Centre
Puldagon Farm Shop – near Wick – a great lunchtime restaurant and cafe for afternoon tea, with a gift shop with pictures and crafts by Highland makers.
Caithness Broch Centre – Nybster – a small visitor centre explaining the big history of the mysterious round towers that dominated the Caithness landscape two thousand years ago.
John o’Groats Harbour – as well as The Signpost, there are cafes and shops. The John o’Groats Brewery has an audio tour that’s great for children from about 7-12, and the 8 Doors Distillery does tours for adults.
John o’Groats Mill – a new stop-off on the NC500, the newly restored grain processing mill is a pleasant walk from John o’Groats Harbour, or you can park right outside if you don’t fancy the walk – look out for the little lego figures dotted around the place – there’s a seating area with a tea and coffee machine, and you can get larger meals at the Harbour.
John o’Groats Mill
Halkirk Motor Museum – Halkirk – an absolute nostalgia-fest and a hidden gem with gorgeous old cars and a wide range of motoring memorabilia. A must-see stop for petrolheads and anyone of a certain age.
Vintage cars in the Halkirk Motor Museum
Castle of Mey – Mey – former home of the Queen Mother, which now belongs to the King. Many of the tour guides worked for the Queen Mother and have some lovely anecdotes of the times she spent here in Caithness.
Mary Ann’s Cottage – Dunnet – a time capsule of crofting life of 50 years ago and more. Mary Ann’s Cottage is unchanged from the day she left in the 1970s. For loos and a meal, go to the nearby Northern Sands pub and restaurant.
Mary Ann’s Cottage, Dunnet
North Coast Visitor Centre – Thurso – an excellent local museum – a highlight for me is the control room of the nearby Dounreay nuclear power station, a showcase of retro-1950s-tech; it often has exhibitions by local artists
The Coo’s Tail gallery and gift shop – Thurso – a small gift-shop with pictures and homewares by local and Scottish makers – a treat if you want unusual gifts or souvenirs
Strathnaver Museum – Bettyhill – a must-visit stop off on the way west – the museum tells the story of the people displaced by the Duchess of Sutherland, so it tells the stories Dunrobin Castle does not tell, there is a café in the car park.
Photos of Strathnaver Museum by SDM Photography
Also check out my blog posts about distilleries you can visit on the route – marked red on this map – and check out my other posts about things to see and do on the NC500.
About Me
My name is Ben and I love welcoming people to my warm and cosy Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage, at Noss Head, just outside Wick. Caithness is a wonderful place to live, but I am the first to admit that sometimes the weather is right for indoor sight-seeing!
