Getting Here

Caithness and Sutherland are at the far north of the Scottish mainland and getting to our remote and beautiful region has never been easier. We are well connected to national travel infrastructure so whether you choose to arrive by rail, car, bus, ferry or flight, a warm Highland welcome is waiting.

By Air

  • Wick John O'Groats Airport

Wick John O’Groats Airport is situated one mile north of the town of Wick on the east coast of Caithness and has regular flights to the hub airport of Aberdeen in Aberdeenshire.

Customer parking at Wick John O'Groats airport is free of charge and there are additional parking spaces at the airport entry when the main car park is full. There are several taxi providers who offer pick up/drop off services at the airport and Wick Railway Station is approximately 25 minutes walk on foot.

From 25 April 2022 the timetable will be as following:

The flight schedule has been designed to provide maximum opportunity for onward and incoming connections, including the following:

  • Domestic - London Heathrow, Sumburgh, Birmingham, Norwich, Kirkwall, Belfast City, Teesside, Manchester, Humberside, Newcastle, Bristol, Southampton
  • International - Esbjerg, Schiphol, Dublin, Bergen, Haugesund, Stavanger
  • International (seasonal) - Turkey, Spain, Greece and the Canaries

  • Inverness Airport

Inverness Airport is situated an hour south of Sutherland just outside the Highland capital of Inverness and has daily domestic UK and international flights. On arrival to Inverness Airport there are public transport links into Inverness city centre where you can continue your journey north by rail, bus, vehicle rental, bicycle or on foot.

By Rail

  • Far North Line

The scenic Far North Line travels from Inverness, through central Sutherland and up the east coast into Caithness before finishing at Wick and Thurso respectively. You can find timetables and purchase tickets online through Scotrail.

View the timetable for the Far North Line from May 2021.

Visit Scotland have an excellent Inverness to Thurso & Wick by Train itinerary with suggestions on where to stop, what to see and how to make the most of your trip.

By Sea

Caithness is well connected by ferry to the Orkney Isles. There are scheduled sailings throughout the year for both passengers and vehicle traffic, with onward ferry travel available from Orkney to the Shetland Isles.

  • Scrabster to Stromness

NorthLink Ferries offers a year-round service from Scrabster, next to Thurso on the north coast of Caithness, to Stromness on Orkney. There are at least three sailings daily and the ferry is open to both vehicle traffic and foot passengers. Cars, motorhomes, large vehicles, cyclists and foot passengers can book their passage online and the crossing takes 90 minutes.

Stromness is linked to Kirkwall and St Margaret's Hope by the Orkney's main X1 bus service.

NorthLink Ferries offers a ferry service from Kirkwall to Lerwick, in Shetland.

  • Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope

Pentland Ferries runs a year-round service from Gills Bay, approximately three miles west of John O'Groats in the north of Caithness, to St Margaret's Hope on Orkney. With their purpose-built catamaran ferry the crossing takes only 60 minutes and there are at least three sailings daily. Cars, motorhomes, vans and foot passengers can book their passage online.

St Margaret's Hope is linked to Stromness and Kirkwall by Orkney's main X1 bus service.

  • John O'Groats to Burwick (seasonal)

John O'Groats Ferries offers day trips and passage to Burwick in Orkney during May to September, with the option to book onwards bus travel to Kirkwall. The service is open to foot passengers and cyclists only and the crossing takes 40 minutes. Ferry travel, bus ticket to Kirkwall and day tours can all be booked online.

By Bus

  • Stagecoach Bus

Stagecoach offers several services across Caithness and Sutherland. You can view timetables on their site and book your travel online.

Traveline can help in your public transport journey planning.

  • Far North Bus

The Far North Bus, also called Durness Bus, offers regular services to the North-West and North Coast of Sutherland where there are no other public transport options. Visit their site to view their routes and timetables.

  • Rapsons Highland Bus

Rapsons Highland offers a service in the west of Sutherland which includes Drumbeg, Achmelvich and Lochinver. Rapsons Highland also offers bus and coach hire, day sightseeing tours, wedding coach hire, cruise excursions and more.

By Road

The main A9 trunk road connects Caithness and Sutherland to the central belt of Scotland via the Highland capital of Inverness. As a single carriageway route it is well suited for large vehicles and takes in stunning scenery along the east coast of Sutherland and Caithness before terminating at Scrabster on the north coast of Caithness, a ferry terminal for travel to Orkney.

The secondary A835 road from Inverness will take you west towards Ullapool and then up the north west coast of Sutherland, via single track road. There are also single track roads which will take you into the heart of central Sutherland and along the north coast of Sutherland, and single track roads in Caithness.

Responsible driving on single track roads in the Scottish Highlands is crucial to our local communities and you can help by reading ahead on the legal and recommended requirements of driving on a single track road, particularly allowing faster vehicles behind you to overtake safely.

Read the Driving in Scotland Guide to prepare you for your travels. (available in English, Spanish, Italien, German, French and Polish)

Driving in Scotland leaflet (2019)

Driving in Scotland leaflet (2019)

Photos on this page by Angus Mackay, Fiona Jack.