It offers the holiday visitor all the essentials, having a petrol station, two repair garages, a licensed village shop and post office, two hairdressers, a first class butcher and grocer shop , a family run hotel and a bed and breakfast guest house. Holiday cottages are also available in and around the village.

The community boasts a state of the art children’s play-park, but equal fun can be had, climbing the sand dunes or flying a kite on the three mile stretch of unspoiled Dunnet Sands.

The nearby harbour was built in the early 1800s for ships exporting local stone, which paved the main towns and cities of the British Empire. Today it is a favourite spot for fishermen, bird watchers photographers and walkers. The Castlehill Heritage Centre opens all year round, on Wednesday Saturday and Sunday afternoons. As well as heritage displays, it has Dark Sky status, being an ideal spot to watch the amazing night skies of the North Coast.

At the other end of Dunnet Sands lies the small village of Dunnet with a seasonal camping and caravan park a family run hotel and Sea Drift visitor centre. Its ancient square towered church dating from 1230 is worth a visit. Not far away is Mary Ann’s Cottage, open in the season and the St John’s Loch bird hide where a host of local and migrant birds can be observed.