John o'Groats Trail: Dunbeath to Lybster

Summary

Dramatic coastal clifftop walking links the attractive harbours of Dunbeath, Latheronwheel and Lybster; along the way you'll find sea stacks, a natural arch and a ruined castle. It's a challenge too, with three ravines to cross and other obstacles.

Grade

Bog Factor

Rating

Terrain

Challenging walking; some stiles and waymarking with signs and white paint where landownwers have permitted, but there are still some fences to cross, three ravines to negotiate (none too difficult) and some rough, overgrown and tussocky going on the clifftop. Care needed with navigation.

Getting there

Start

Dunbeath harbour.

Public Transport

Dunbeath and Lybster are connected by bus.

Start Grid Ref

ND162295

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Services

Shop, B&B, restaurant and campsite at Dunbeath and Inver. Lybster has hotels, B&B and well stocked shop.

Walk Statistics

Distance: 14.25km / 8.75 miles
Time: 5 - 6 hours
Ascent: 500m (Profile)

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Walk Description

User reports (2)

Stage 1

Starting from the footbridge over the river near Dunbeath Harbour, head right along the road towards the harbour. The Neil Gunn sculpture shows Kenn, a nine year old boy and central character in Gunn's book Highland River who caught a huge salmon with his bear hands. Follow the road around the coastline and then through a picnic area. At the far end a grassy path makes a zig-zagging ascent up the easiest ground to gain the clifftops. Now atop the cliffs continue on the rough tussocky ground on the outside of the fences.

Stage 2

Soon the route passes above a deep geo (inlet) with a natural arch. Further on there are views to a pair of very fine sea stacks; shortly after these it is necessary to climb a wooden fence and continue around the coast until a stile over a fence. Turn right to go through the farm gate and then walk around the edge of the field (or straight across if no crop) on the inland side of the fence and gently climb. Briefly follow a faint grassy track, then fork right to head past another marker post; the route then gains height to pass a boulder daubed with a white marker. Continue across a heathery slope to reach a high deer fence enclosing some planted trees. Head up left alongside this fence and then cross the stile over a smaller fence and head along the left side of the deer fence.

Stage 3

Continue uphill along the deer fence; when the trail levels off, look for the alternate route marker aiming half left up the hillside. Pass a pile of stones, and aim to reach a large stile over a double fence. Cross this and another double fence stile, then head diagonal left across that field. Cross another stile and go up to the A9. Turn right along the verge for around 700m. After a stony embankment on your right ends, turn right (marker post) to head towards the sea and turn right (backtracking slightly) along a sunken deer fence. Follow the deer fence around a corner and downhill between the fence and a stone wall, finally rejoining the original JoGT (which is not waymarked) at a stile.

Stage 4

Now walk along by the deer fence, eventually with views of some more sea stacks. At the corner of the deer fence enclosure turn left to follow the fence inland until an old iron turning gate in the wall on the right. Pass through this to follow a grassy path down towards beautiful Latheronwheel harbour. Cross an old stone bridge to reach the road, and then turn left up it. Go up the hill and then - just after a bench on the right but before reaching the houses - leave the road as it bends left and go through the gate onto a coastal path above the cliffs once more on the outside of the fenceline. There are small gates to pass through the next two fences.

Stage 5

Another pedestrian gates leads to more open grassland above the cliffs - with another fine sea stack. When a stone wall is reached there is a stile to cross, then the path veers left slightly to pass above the dense gorse along the coastal fenceline. Continue to another fence corner very slightly inland, then look out for the marker post that indicates a diagonal line across to reach the far coastal corner of the next field. Here a stile takes you back onto the coastal side of the clifftop fence. Keep left to head inland above a wide ravine with Latheron church visible to the right ahead. Go through a farm a gate and downhill to cross the bottom of the ravine and keep right up the far side. The walk runs along the stone wall above the ravine back towards the cliffs, then passes through a gate to keep on the field side, with more boggy ground.

Stage 6

Dense gorse bushes hide a stile over a fence near the cliffs go over this and immediately another one over a drystone wall; pass to the right of a curious old stone lookout tower and then reach a stile over a stone wall above a slab-like sea stack. Continue along the coastal side of what is now a clifftop wall. The route passes round the bay of Port an Muic and there are great views back along the coast towards Scaraben and Morven, Caithness' highest hill. Cross a stile and then head slightly left down into a shallow ravine to reach and cross a small footbridge slightly inland. Head uphill from here, following a couple of marker posts.

Stage 7

There are now views across the next bay to the ruins of Forse Castle above the cliffs. Cross a stile to pass round above the bay. Continue just outside the clifftop fence until you reach a very steep grassy slope down, descend this to the left to reach a path. Turn left and follow the path back up to the clifftop level at the ruins of Forse Castle. The castle dates back to 1200 and was abandoned around 1660; the ruins are in a dangerous state. Bear left to continue the clifftop walk, crossing another stile.

Stage 8

Cross another stile and continue the clifftop walk keeping on the seaward side of the fence. Just before Achastle Shore keep an eye out for marker posts indicating a sharp right turn towards the cliff (the paint waymarkers continue ahead, ignore these). Carefully follow the low level signs to descend the first section of grassy cliff diagonally left. This soon becomes a better path leading down and over the burn to reach the stone ruins of the old herring fishing station. This would make a lovely wild camping spot. Pass around to the back of the buildings and up into a natural grassy cutting. Head up this and then leave it to bear right to over a stile. The route now continues on the outside of the fences across rough, coarse grassland; there is only a faint, tussocky path, passing over another stile. Continue until a large ladder stile is reached; cross this and continue across the grassy field, with the fence on your right.

Stage 9

Another ladder stile gives access to the seat and information board at the Swiney Hill viewpoint. From here you get your first glimpse of Lybster harbour. The route doesn't cross this stile but continues on the inland side of the fence until another ladder stile, Cross this and turn left on the gravel path. Pass a bench on your right and ignore the two paths to the left and head downhill to reach the approach road to the harbour, worth visiting with a detour to the right. Otherwise the route follows the road to the left, climbing uphill towards Lybster; you can fork left off Shore Road to short-cut on a path to the centre, or simply follow the road up to the junction with the main road in the village, in which case the shop is on the left.

Next stage: Lybster to Whaligoe

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