Tourist Attractions Scottish Highlands

Dunbeath Heritage Trust (Caithness East)

Dunbeath Heritage Centre developed an engaging approach to landscape interpretation - through art installations, photography and our unique ‘floor map’, visitors can explore a rich historical, archaeological and literary landscape.

North Coast Visitor Centre (Caithness North)

Arts and Culture/Historical Sites/Visitor Centres and Museums

Set in the former Thurso Town Hall and Carnegie Library, now repurposed. North Coast Visitor Centre is primarily a museum, housing centuries of Caithness history, while an art gallery, café, and theatre are further attractions also found within the building.

Accessible access
Family friendly
Food and drink
Open year round
Parking
Public transport links
Suitable for groups
W/C
Workshops and classes

Waterlines (Caithness East)

Visitor Centres and Museums

Waterlines is a heritage centre and museum on the shore by Lybster Harbour. We have a permanent exhibition as well as a space for rotating exhibitions and events. We also have a small coffee and gift shop.

Accessible access
Parking
Family friendly
Suitable for groups
Food and drink
Viewpoint
Live performances
W/C
Open year round
Workshops and classes

Castletown Heritage Centre (Caithness North)

Castlehill Heritage Centre is located within renovated farm buildings immediately adjacent to the cutting yard and quarry of the now defunct flagstone workings. The workings were the first in the country to exploit the commercial possibilities of flagstone and in doing so put Castletown on the global map.

Lyth Arts Centre (Caithness East)

Arts and Culture

Lyth Arts Centre (LAC) is Scotland’s most northerly mainland arts centre, presenting an annual programme of live performance across Caithness alongside contemporary visual art and an extensive participatory programme of educational and socially-engaged arts projects led by local creatives in our community.

Accessible access
Eco friendly
Family friendly
Food and drink
Live performances
Parking
Suitable for groups
W/C
Workshops and classes

Strathnaver Museum (North Sutherland)

Arts and Culture/Historical Sites/Trails/Visitor Centres and Museums

Strathnaver Museum is now open for visitors again after an exciting refurbishment! Just a short walk from the white sandy beach at Farr Bay you will find a hidden gem of a Museum housed in the former parish church of St Columba. Laid out within its unassuming walls is a treasure trove of unusual objects and gripping stories all presented by a friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteer staff.

Family friendly
Food and drink
Parking
Suitable for groups
W/C
Workshops and classes

Timespan (East Sutherland)

Visitor Centres and Museums

Timespan is an award-winning museum and cultural development organisation which provides a unique experience for locals and visitors alike. Rooted in the village of Helmsdale, Timespan explores the history, heritage and landscape of its distinctive, rural location.

Suitable for groups
Open year round
Food and drink
W/C

Dunrobin Castle (East Sutherland)

Historical Sites/Visitor Centres and Museums/Arts and Culture

Dunrobin Castle is the most northerly of Scotland's great houses and the largest in the Northern Highlands with 189 rooms. Dunrobin Castle is also one of Britain's oldest continuously inhabited houses dating back to the early 1300s, home to the Earls and later, the Dukes of Sutherland.

Award winning
Family friendly
Food and drink
Parking
Public transport links
Suitable for groups
W/C

Heritage App

A comprehensive list of sites around Caithness and Sutherland viewable on our online map or by downloading our Venture North Heritage App.

Open year round

Castle Of Mey (Caithness North)

Historical Sites

The Castle of Mey was bought by The Queen Mother in 1952, while mourning the death of her husband, King George VI. Falling for its isolated charm and hearing it was to be abandoned she decided to save it.

Suitable for groups
Parking
Food and drink
W/C
Viewpoint

Dunnet Bay Distillery (Caithness North)

Arts and Culture/Nature and Wildlife/Visitor Centres and Museums

Join us at Dunnet Bay Distillery for one of our award-winning distillery experiences and visit our Distillery Gift Shop.

Accessible access
Award winning
Eco friendly
Family friendly
Food and drink
Parking
Public transport links
Suitable for groups
W/C
Workshops and classes

Lairg and District Learning Centre (Central Sutherland)

Arts and Culture/Historical Sites

Discover Lairg & District Learning Centre, a vibrant hub for creativity and lifelong learning in the heart of the Highlands.

Workshops and classes

Halkirk Heritage & Vintage Motor Centre (Caithness North)

The Heritage & Vintage Motor Centre is located within the village of Halkirk on the bus route to and from Thurso/Wick. The building was the local school until 1956 when a new school was built on the other side of the river. The Centre has been renovated and a huge extension built to accomodate the vehicles (some of which belonged to the well known garage owner Edward Sutherland of J & G Sutherland. It is unique to the county of Caithness and is run by volunteers. Group bookings can be arranged at times and days to best suit the group.

John O'Groats Mill (Caithness North)

Arts and Culture/Historical Sites/Nature and Wildlife/Visitor Centres and Museums

The John O’Groats Mill is a heritage visitor attraction just a stones throw from the iconic John O’Groats signpost. Now the last working water-powered grain mill in Caithness, we are open April - October for tours, events, and live demonstrations.

Accessible access
Eco friendly
Family friendly
Live performances
Parking
Public transport links
Suitable for groups
W/C
Workshops and classes

Wick Heritage Museum (Caithness East)

The Wick Heritage Centre is a local history museum which presents the story of the town. It houses 27 display areas including a Kipper kiln, a cooperage, Harbour scene, a restored fisherman’s house, art gallery, the famous Johnston collection of photographs of 115 years history and a working lighthouse. Monday-Saturday from Easter until end October. Open 10am, last entry 3:45pm Sundays in July and August 11am -3pm Admission Adult £7.50 Child £1.00

Wick Harbour Authority (Caithness East)

Wick Harbour was developed from circa 1803 to support the booming herring industry, The Harbour is still being used for the fishing industry, cargo business, offshore renewables and leisure.

Smoo Cave

Smoo Cave is arguably one of the largest cave entrances Britain and an impressive place to visit. Explore the caves and view the Smoo falls which fall from an opening into the inner chamber.

Open year round
Viewpoint

Duncansby Stacks (Caithness North)

The Stacks of Duncansby are some of the finest in the British Isles. The Great Stack towers at 60m high.

Open year round
Viewpoint

Whaligoe Steps

The Whaligoe Steps are 365 steps that descend to what was a naturally formed harbour between two sea cliffs, built by Captain David Brodie who also built the harbour and village of Sarclet some 3 miles north of the steps which was once a landing place for fishing boats.

Open year round
Viewpoint

The Flow Country

Open year round
Viewpoint

Camster Cairns (Caithness East)

The Grey Cairns of Camster are a series of three burial cairns.

Open year round

Castle Sinclair Girnigoe (Caithness East)

Located about five miles north of Wick the Castle is dramatically and grandly situated on a long narrow peninsula projecting into Sinclair Bay and the North Sea with perpendicular sides of between fifty and sixty feet.

Open year round
Viewpoint

Yarrows Archeaological Trail (Caithness East)

10,000 years to explore in an afternoon.

Handa Island

Handa Island is a small island just off the north west coast of Sutherland with internationally important seabird populations. Day trips to the island are possible via a foot ferry from nearby Tarbet.

Viewpoint

Thrumster Station

Thrumster Station was restored by the Yarrows Heritage Trust and now features a rebuilt station with relaid track. The railway was the most northerly light railway track in Britain, it ran from Lybster to Wick during the herring fishing period.

Open year round