Durness

Durness is a village in Sutherland on the far north coast of Scotland, with a population of 347 in 2011. Most of the terrain of this region is impermeable gneiss, carpeted by boggy heathland. Durness itself sits on a patch of limestone, so it's better drained and more fertile. The limestone has been eroded into caves: Smoo Cave at the edge of the village is easily visited, others should be left to trained cavers. To the west, Cape Wrath is the northwest tip of the Scottish mainland.

Get in
Slowly is the key point - the A838 twists and turns along the rugged coast and over the hills and far away. Durness is 100 miles (165 km) from Inverness and 65 miles (110 km) from Thurso. Much of the road is single-track with passing places, where stray sheep dispute the right of way with mad bats in white vans.

By bus: Durness Bus 805 runs from Inverness via Bonar Bridge, Lairg, Laxford Bridge and Kinlochbervie to Durness (3 hr 30 min). It runs Tu Th Sa year-round plus Monday May-Oct, south from Durness at 8AM and returning north around 3PM, at 4PM on Saturday.

Bus 806 runs from Durness at 8AM to Lairg for 10:30AM, coming back around 12:30PM. Bikes may be carried between Durness and Lairg, but must be booked at least 24 hours in advance on.

Bus 803 runs from Thurso on Saturday, via Dounreay, Tongue and Melness to Durness (2 hr 30 min). It runs east from Durness around 9:30AM and returns west from Thurso around 2:30PM. A couple of other buses ply mid-week between Thurso and Tongue.

Get around
Smoo Cave, Balnakeil craft village and Keoldale (for Cape Wrath ferry) are each a mile or so from Durness village, walkable by road.

In summer bikes can be hired at The Hub in the village.

See

 * or Old St Peter's is a ruin by the golf course. It was built in 1619 over much earlier churches, and abandoned in 1814.
 * Watch wildlife: whenever you're outdoors, always keep a lookout for sea birds (including puffins), seals and porpoises; occasionally even whales.
 * North West Highlands Geopark is a covering Durness, Kinlochbervie and Kylesku. Some of the local rocks are over 3 billion years old.
 * North West Highlands Geopark is a covering Durness, Kinlochbervie and Kylesku. Some of the local rocks are over 3 billion years old.

Do

 * Golf: Durness Golf Club is just beyond Balnakeil. Nine holes but you play twice off different tees so effectively it's 18 holes, 5555 yards, par 70. Standard fee £20.
 * The Cape Wrath Trail is a long-distance hiking trail of 200 miles (320 km) from Fort William. It's unofficial, so it's not way-marked, with few facilities en route or definitive paths. It's often boggy underfoot and pelting with rain, so it's definitely hard-core. The northernmost section, from Sandwood Bay to the Cape, is along the west coast (ie not using the track, but the same military restrictions apply) and will take even a tough walker eight hours to cover the eight miles. Now think about the getting back.
 * Durness Highland Gathering is next held on Shore Park on F 26 July 2024.
 * Durness Highland Gathering is next held on Shore Park on F 26 July 2024.

Buy

 * Durness Shop is the local Spar and post office, open M-F 8AM-6PM, Sa 9AM-6PM. There isn't an ATM in the village.
 * Mackay's filling station is in village centre, 24 hours, self-serve, card only. The prices will make you wish you'd filled up in Ullapool or Thurso, but you can't risk being low on fuel on these long lonely roads.
 * , a mile west of Durness by Loch Croispol, is a craft village on the site of a Cold War early warning station. Businesses here, usually open May-Oct, include Cocoa Mountain (surely the country's most northerly chocolate makers; they also have a base in Dornoch), Balnakeil Glass, and "The Wee Gallery" of paintings and wood sculpture.

Eat

 * The restaurants in Sango Sands Oasis and Smoo Cave Hotel cater to non-residents, see "Sleep".

Drink

 * The only public bars are in Sango Sands Oasis and Smoo Cave Hotel.

Sleep
The village is remote, accommodation is limited and the Tourist Information Centre has closed down, so you really ought to book ahead.


 * There are several other B&Bs in the village.
 * There are several other B&Bs in the village.
 * There are several other B&Bs in the village.

Connect
As of July 2022, Durness and its approach roads have 4G from EE, and in town you might get a basic mobile signal from the other carriers. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * East to Thurso, a Victorian small town with a dilapidated castle and ferries to the Orkney Islands. The Caithness "flow" country around is dotted with prehistoric monuments.
 * John o'Groats is worth most of 15 minutes, but the real attractions along that coast are Dunnet Head (true north point of the mainland) and Castle of Mey, still a royal residence.
 * Southwest is Kinlochbervie, a tiny place but the scenery is the draw.
 * Ullapool is a more sizable town and has ferries to Stornoway on Lewis.
 * North Coast 500 is a driving or cycling itinerary taking in these places.