Venture North: Tourist Information for Caithness & Sutherland
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  • Plan your stay
    • Accommodation
      • Oldshoremore Retreats Self-Catering
      • Oldshoremore Croft Cabins
      • Birkenshaw at Fiddler's Green Highlands
      • Ulbster Arms Hotel
      • Ferry View Campsite
      • Dornoch Station
      • Glenmorangie House
      • The Pentland Hotel
      • House of the Northern Gate - a baronial, coastal Highlands estate
      • Newton Lodge
      • Helmsdale Station CIC
      • The Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage, Noss Head
      • Highland Luxury Cottages
      • The Granary Lodge
      • Royal Golf Apartments
      • Links Apartments and Links View Villas
      • Ceol Mor Highland Lodges
      • Forse of Nature
      • Tongue Hotel
      • The Crofter's Snug
      • Castletown Hotel
      • Kylesku Hotel
      • Mackays Hotel
      • The Norseman Hotel
      • Royal Marine Hotel
      • Royal Golf Hotel
      • Thurso Bay Holidays
      • Caithness View Luxury Farm Lodges
      • Thrumster House
      • North Highland Holidays
      • The Halladale & North Coast Touring Park
      • Links House
      • Dunnet Bay Accommodation
      • Harrow Cottages
      • Ardgay Glamping Pods
      • Eddrachilles Hotel
      • Apartment 65B, Thurso
      • Munro House / Croft 148 3 Bed Caravan / Campervan Parking
      • 18 The Meadows, Dornoch
      • Migdale Heights
      • Aurora Bed and Breakfast, Murkle, Thurso
      • Dunnet Head Lighthouse
      • John O Groats Caravan and Camping Site
      • Northern Sands Hotel
    • Cafes & Restaurants
      • The Curing Yard Restaurant
      • Megan Boyd Bar
      • Cafe Groats
      • The Golden Gorse
      • Ulbster Arms Hotel
      • No. 1 Bistro
      • Mr C's Bar
      • CC Chocolatier
      • Mr Eddy's @ Ferry View
      • Crenshaw's Brasserie
      • Kylesku Restaurant
      • Varrich Restaurant & Brass Tap Bar
    • Tours & activities
      • Royal Dornoch Golf Club
      • Above and Beyond Tours
      • Sutherland Adventure Company
      • North Coast Watersports
      • NORTH POINT DISTILLERY & DALCLAGIE HIGHLAND SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
      • Schottland fuer Alle - Travel for people with and without disabilities
      • Lichen Caithness Reindeer Centre
      • A Highland Blend
      • Connell Outdoor Pursuits
      • Konstantina Pateraki: Fine Scottish Jewellery
      • Caithness Seacoast Ltd
      • 42Cycling
      • 8 Doors Distillery
      • A Far North Naturalist
      • Assynt Fly Fishing
      • RobbieMac Tours & Ancestry Services
    • Visitor Attractions
      • Dunbeath Heritage Trust
      • North Coast Visitor Centre
      • Waterlines
      • Castletown Heritage Centre
      • Lyth Arts Centre
      • Strathnaver Museum
      • Timespan
      • Dunrobin Castle
      • Heritage App
      • Castle Of Mey
      • Dunnet Bay Distillery
      • Lairg and District Learning Centre
      • Halkirk Heritage & Vintage Motor Centre
      • Wick Heritage Museum
      • Wick Harbour Authority
      • Smoo Cave
      • Duncansby Stacks
      • Whaligoe Steps
      • The Flow Country
      • Camster Cairns
      • Castle Sinclair Girnigoe
      • Yarrows Archeaological Trail
      • Handa Island
      • Thrumster Station
    • Local Produce & Shopping
      • Marks & Pencils
      • Jail Dornoch
      • Aspire HLTC Ltd
      • Patricia Niemann Design
      • Caithness Summer Fruits
      • Winston the Bear
      • Caithness Chamber of Commerce
      • 8 Doors Distillery
      • Bin Ends Wick
      • Bin Ends Thurso
      • Hugo Ross, Fishing Tackle Specialists
      • Caithness Furniture
      • Ice and Fire Distillery, Caithness
      • Biron's Ironmongers
      • Lindsey Gallacher Jewellery and Art
  • Things to do
    • History & Heritage
      • Archaeology
      • Castles
    • Activities & Sports
      • Golf
      • Surfing
      • Fishing
      • Scuba Diving
      • Paddlesport
    • Flora & Fauna
      • Flora & Fauna
    • Wildlife & Birds
      • Bird Watching
      • Wildlife
    • Walking & Cycling
      • Mountain Biking
      • Cycling
      • Hiking and Walking
    • Nature & Outdoors
      • Beaches
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      • Dark Skies
      • Waterfalls
      • Mountains
      • Coastal Features
      • Islands
  • Area Guides
    • Caithness North
      • Canisbay
      • Castletown
      • Duncansby
      • Dunnet
      • Halkirk
      • John O’Groats
      • Lyth
      • Mey
      • Stroma
      • Thurso
    • Caithness East
      • Berriedale
      • Dunbeath
      • Keiss
      • Latheron
      • Lybster
      • Reiss
      • Thrumster
      • Ulbster
      • Watten
      • Wick
    • East Sutherland
      • Brora
      • Dornoch
      • Golspie
      • Helmsdale
      • Kildonan
    • Central Sutherland
      • Altnaharra
      • Bonar Bridge
      • Ardgay
      • Lairg
      • Rogart
      • Rosehall
    • North West Sutherland
      • Durness
      • Cape Wrath
      • Elphin
      • Kinlochbervie
      • Kylesku
      • Lochinver
      • Scourie
    • North Sutherland
      • Bettyhill
      • Forsinard
      • Melness
      • Melvich
      • Strathy
      • Tongue
  • What's On
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Space to Explore

Space to Discover

Space to Enjoy

Space to Experience

Space to Adventure

Space to Admire

  • Accommodation
  • Restaurants & Bars
  • Tour Operators
  • Visitor Attractions
  • Local Shopping
  • Accommodation
  • Restaurants & Bars
  • Tour Operators
  • Visitor Attractions
  • Local Shopping

Plan & book

  • Getting here
  • Accommodation
  • Restaurants
    & bars
  • Visitor attractions
  • Local shopping

Discover Caithness and Sutherland

Whether venturer or adventurer you will find a region rich in unique leisure opportunities. Go surfing at Thurso East at the world famous reef break, or join the ‘end-to-enders’ and visit the northerly extremes on the UK mainland at Dunnet Head or John O’Groats. Have a change from seascapes in Scotland’s first European Geopark with its 3,000 million year old rocks and classic hills, like Suilven and Stac Pollaidh, amongst the wildest places in Britain.

Take time to unwind under gigantic skies in our ancient land and tread in the footsteps of our Pictish and Norse ancestors whose enigmatic architectural remains cover our landscape. If you’re lucky you might even see the Northern Lights in our clear dark skies. When you’ve climbed, trekked, mountain-biked, surfed, gazed, explored and recharged, come inside and enjoy the Highland warmth and hospitality. Time to venture north!

About Caithness & Sutherland  Area guides

What's on

Thurso Park Run (weekly)

Thurso Boating Pond
19 October 2024 - 20 December 2025

Wednesday Folk Session at the Comm Bar, Thurso

Comm Bar, Thurso
8 January 2025 - 24 December 2025

Night Skies Photography Exhibition

Thurso Library, Davidsons Lane
26 April 2025 - 29 May 2025
View all events

Meet our Members

Eddrachilles Hotel

The Crofter's Snug

The Granary Lodge

Birkenshaw at Fiddler's Green Highlands

Dornoch Station

No. 1 Bistro

Mr C's Bar

CC Chocolatier

Kylesku Restaurant

Mr Eddy's @ Ferry View

The Curing Yard Restaurant

Megan Boyd Bar

Varrich Restaurant & Brass Tap Bar

Crenshaw's Brasserie

The Golden Gorse

Cafe Groats

Ulbster Arms Hotel

42Cycling

Lichen Caithness Reindeer Centre

Schottland fuer Alle - Travel for people with and without disabilities

Sutherland Adventure Company

North Coast Watersports

A Highland Blend

RobbieMac Tours & Ancestry Services

Above and Beyond Tours

Caithness Seacoast Ltd

Connell Outdoor Pursuits

Assynt Fly Fishing

Royal Dornoch Golf Club

A Far North Naturalist

Konstantina Pateraki: Fine Scottish Jewellery

NORTH POINT DISTILLERY & DALCLAGIE HIGHLAND SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

Dunbeath Heritage Trust

Castle Of Mey

Strathnaver Museum

Timespan

Yarrows Archeaological Trail

Halkirk Heritage & Vintage Motor Centre

Dunrobin Castle

North Coast Visitor Centre

Waterlines

Bin Ends Wick

Caithness Summer Fruits

Caithness Furniture

Jail Dornoch

Hugo Ross, Fishing Tackle Specialists

Patricia Niemann Design

Winston the Bear

Marks & Pencils

Caithness Chamber of Commerce

8 Doors Distillery

John O Groats Caravan and Camping Site

Northern Sands Hotel

Dunnet Head Lighthouse

Aurora Bed and Breakfast, Murkle, Thurso

Migdale Heights

Wick Heritage Museum

Dunnet Bay Distillery

Thrumster Station

Wick Harbour Authority

Biron's Ironmongers

Lindsey Gallacher Jewellery and Art

Ice and Fire Distillery, Caithness

18 The Meadows, Dornoch

Ferry View Campsite

Castletown Heritage Centre

The Pentland Hotel

Lyth Arts Centre

The Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage, Noss Head

Bin Ends Thurso

8 Doors Distillery

Lairg and District Learning Centre

Helmsdale Station CIC

Newton Lodge

Mackays Hotel

Thrumster House

Thurso Bay Holidays

The Norseman Hotel

Castletown Hotel

North Highland Holidays

Harrow Cottages

Glenmorangie House

Highland Luxury Cottages

Ulbster Arms Hotel

Links Apartments and Links View Villas

Royal Marine Hotel

Oldshoremore Retreats Self-Catering

Forse of Nature

Links House

Royal Golf Hotel

Kylesku Hotel

Caithness View Luxury Farm Lodges

Royal Golf Apartments

Ceol Mor Highland Lodges

Tongue Hotel

The Halladale & North Coast Touring Park

Oldshoremore Croft Cabins

House of the Northern Gate - a baronial, coastal Highlands estate

Munro House / Croft 148 3 Bed Caravan / Campervan Parking

Dunnet Bay Accommodation

Apartment 65B, Thurso

Ardgay Glamping Pods

Things to see & do

History & Heritage
Activities & Sports
Flora & Fauna
Wildlife & Birds
Walking & Cycling
Nature & Outdoors
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Blog

Your Guide to Local Souvenirs and Gifts in the North Highlands

Your Guide to Local Souvenirs and Gifts in the North Highlands

July 8th 2024

You want a gift from Scotland for yourself or a friend, it must be special, maybe handmade, and from the area you’re visiting. But what to get….? And where to get it….? We have some truly talented artists and makers in Caithness and Sutherland and some fabulous places to buy gifts. So here are a few suggestions.

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Surf and Paddleboard the North Coast 500: Beautiful Beach Adventures

Surf and Paddleboard the North Coast 500: Beautiful Beach Adventures

May 23rd 2024

The North Coast 500 isn't just about dramatic landscapes and historic villages. This epic Scottish route boasts some of the UK's most incredible coastlines, primed for adventure. Whether you're a seasoned surfer, a paddleboarding enthusiast, or a wild swimming aspirant, the NC500 has something for every water lover.

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Explore the magic of the North Coast 500 with Highland Coast Hotels' new itineraries

Explore the magic of the North Coast 500 with Highland Coast Hotels' new itineraries

May 9th 2024

Calling all adventure seekers, history buffs, and nature lovers. Highland Coast Hotels has unveiled a brand new selection of travel itineraries designed to make your North Coast 500 (NC500) adventure unforgettable.

Read more
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Working with local businesses, communities, and stakeholders to provide a united voice and vision for the development and promotion of responsible, sustainable tourism across Caithness and Sutherland.

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