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Dunnet
Head Outdoor Activities, Walking, Fishing, Wildlife & Bird Watching at the most northerly point of the UK mainland! |
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Dunnet
Head Outdoor Activities, Walking, Fishing, Wildlife & Bird Watching at the most northerly point of the UK mainland! |
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Another season - the nineteenth of the tearooms and our third since
taking over in 2000. We can hardly believe it! Our regular customers will notice a change
in the menu and we would like to welcome our new chef, Sharon Leybourne, to the team. She
is planning a series of theme nights, the first being a curry night on 20th
April from 7.30pm. If you are interested, we recommend that you book ahead as our theme
nights have been very popular in the past.
The footpath to the rear of the property is currently out of use due to a landslide in December. If you would like to visit the shore, please use the sliproad from the corner - ie turn right out of the property, walk the 100 yards or so to the corner, and turn right down the road. There are a couple of baby seals in Brough Bay at the moment. They don't mind being looked at, but please don't get too close.
Cybercafe
You can send emails or browse the Internet from the computer in the small room at the end of the restaurant - cost is �1 for the connection fee and 10p per minute thereafter. It is metered so cost is calculated exactly. You can view http://www.dunnethead.co.uk locally without logging on (therefore no cost!). There is a lot of information about the area and things to see and do.
Putting Dunnet Head on the map
In our ongoing quest to get Dunnet Head recognised as the most northerly point on the UK Mainland, we launched a number of initiatives last year. The Scottish Tourist Board in London will host a photographic exhibition about the area for the second time during April and May and hopefully bring more visitors to the area. The exhibition was displayed in the Edinburgh TIC over the winter period, and was well received. Our humble establishment has had a lot of publicity in the national press lately, including the Sunday Times and Mirror. An article has been written by the journalist Norman Miller and is due to be published in the London Evening Standard shortly.
Horse News
My old chestnut gelding, Richard, will shortly be joined by a younger model, along the same lines but fortunately, and more befitting to Tina's advancing years, more laid back. Wes will join us later in the month. Honey, the current resident of the second stable, will be going home but will still be in the village, so we can enjoy seeing her speeding around the place - Sue (her owner) is considering new brakes as the old ones are somewhat worn……!
Our guests
We have already had several guests in the B&B, the most notable were the group of South Africans who caused havoc in Helmsdale and had a visitation by "Fred" whilst staying with us. We were also delighted to see regular guests who "just can't come to Scotland without visiting Dunnet Head".
THINGS TO SEE IN THE AREA
Useful web sites
BIRD WATCHING
Birds are the most fascinating, varied and noticeable of the natural life around us. Watching them is popular and pleasurable.
The area around Dunnet Bay and Dunnet Head is of particular interest to Ornithologists. Embracing the principal bird habitats of land, waterside and water, there is an abundant variety of birdlife.
The land is basically grassland or heather moor with a little woodland. Waterside habitat lies adjacent to the area’s lochs, feeder streams, ditches and bogs. The lochs also
provide a water habitat, but the main water area is obviously the sea around the shore, which has both sandy dunes and rocky cliffs.
How you act will affect how much bird life you see. Go quietly - especially during the breeding season.
SOME OF THE BIRDS THAT BREED HERE:
Red Throated Diver, Little Grebe, Fulmar, Cormorant, Heron, Mute Swan, Shelduck, Wigeon, Teal, Puffin
SOME BIRDS OF PASSAGE:
Slavionian Grebe, Snow Bunting, Fulmar, Green Sandpiper, Gannet, Wood Sandpiper, Whooper Swan, Turnstone, Pink Footed Goose, Arctic Skua, White Fronted Goose, Great Skua, Greylag Goose, Kittiwake
For the enthusiast, there is a hide overlooking a shallow pond at the North West corner of St. John’s Loch. Further information may be obtained from Julian Smith, St. John’s, Brough. 01847 851280.
BEST SITES TO VIEW SEA BIRDS:
| Location | Map Ref. |
| Castlehill Harbour East | ND200684 |
| Dunnet Beach Mid Sands | ND214690 |
| Dunnet Beach Ranger Centre | ND218708 |
| The Ness, Dwarwick | ND206713 |
| Easter Head | ND203768 |
| Brough Harbour | ND220740 |
| St. John’s point | ND311752 |
| Gills Bay | ND330727 |
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