About the Area

On the north-western tip of mainland Scotland along the rugged coastline, surrounded by magnificent mountains and with wide unpolluted beaches, lie the communities of Durness and Badcall Inchard near Kinlochbervie.

Durness is a thriving crofting community and Kinlochbervie the most north westerly fishing port in the UK. Both lie within the wild, unspoilt, stunning scenery of Cape Wrath, and with an exciting coastline and abundant wildlife, these and are two of the most beautiful parts of Sutherland.

This is Mackays.com , and the numerous cairns, brochs and ruined settlements in the area are testament to a long and turbulent history. Norsemen would steer their longships around Cape Wrath on the way to Ireland, and sometimes came ashore in Durness and Sandwood Bay. And it was the Vikings who gave the county of Sutherland its name.

Kinlochbervie has a long tradition of being a busy vibrant fishing port, and the village that has sprung up around the harbour is to this day, a delight to visit. 

True to their Norse ancestry, the original settlers of both areas loved to pass on stories, and there is hardly a hill, loch or bay in the area which does not boast its own ghost such as haunted Sandwood Bay or legend with Smoo Cave. There are a wealth of exciting things to do in this area, and you could start with a visit to the breathtakingly beautiful Balnakeil Beach or go along to Sango bay or our own Ceannabeinne beach. These are some of the most beautiful and unspoilt beaches in Scotland. Or perhaps you'd prefer to go inland with some hiking, walking or more traditional activities. Long distances could be your pursuit with the yearly Cape Wrath challenge or the Cape Wrath Trail 

This area has a huge amount of wildlife. You could go sea kayaking with Ridgeway Adventure and you may be lucky enough to see whales and dolphins off the coast or sea otters in Loch Inchard, or seals basking in the sun.You could visit the nearby Handa Island Reserve with over 200,000 seabirds visiting in the summer. Perhaps sporting activities are more your pursuit and you could try the most north westerly Nine hole golf course in mainland Scotland or the superb salmon and trout fishing that is available. There is Balnakeil Craft Village close to Durness and various arts an crafts people around the area.Durness Stone Craft, Lotte Glob - ceramic artist, and Cocoa Mountain - for hand made chocolates.

We also have a wealth of lovely places to eat and drink in and around the area. You could try The Rhiconich or The Kinlochbervie Hotels.  Smoo Cave Hotel , The Craggan or Old School Hotel in Inshegra. 

We hope you have found these links useful and you can find more general information about Scotland and Sutherland to help you plan you visit!