june_2002

Dunnet Head Outdoor Activities,
Brough, Caithness, KW14 8YE
Tel: 01847 851774
Email: [email protected]

Walking, Fishing, Wildlife & Bird Watching

at the most northerly point of the UK mainland!

NEWSLETTER - JUNE 2002

What's New??

Well, May was an action packed month - lots of guests at the B&B, the Spanish night went down very well and most notable of all, Marjorie and Sharon did sterling service serving 25 Dutchmen from the Knaus Caravan Club AND they're getting their photo in the Dutch press. Serving 25 people at one sitting is a record in the history of the restaurant!

The intrepid travellers continue to stay in the B&B, most notably a lady from Northumberland who cycled from Pitlochry via Betty Hill. The Betty Hill - Dunnet Head leg was most gruelling due to high winds and Alexandria was knocked off her bike several times!

A talk given by Mary Legg on 5^th June was very well attended - 21 people in all. Mary has kindly agreed to do a repeat performance on 19^th. The slides are fantastic and Mary is full of information and advice not only about the wildlife, but the county in general.

We have been designated as an official Local Tourist Information point and have our "i" sign ready to be mounted outside the premises. Marjorie is another mine of information, and we do have bus and train timetables and a leaflet display in any case, so I thought we may as well get recognition for it. A good move for business development!

Chinese night 22^nd June - 15^th is already full, so we have arranged a "second sitting" a week later!

Wildlife in Caithness - Talk and Slide Show by Mary Legg - Wednesday 19^th June. Free refreshments. 8 - 9 pm

A glimpse of the history and wildlife of Caithness and North Sutherland through the eyes of the local Countryside Ranger. Slides on Natural History, archeology and places to visit - largely the local area but also into North Sutherland.

Italian Night - 13^th July. 7.30pm. £15 per person, £8 children under 10. Booking recommended.

A night of Scottish cuisine - 7^th September. 7.30pm. £15 per person, £8 children under 10. Booking recommended.

Horse News

No shows or equine events will take place in the county until further notice, due to a case of Strangles being diagnosed in Halkirk. Strangles attacks horses' respiratory systems and is called "strangles" due to abcesses in the throat which sometimes occur, cutting off the breathing. It is highly contagious so the vets have asked for minimal contact or movement of horses in the county.

THINGS TO SEE IN THE AREA

The old radar station and lighthouse on Dunnet Head.

The Ranger station at Dunnet Bay above the caravan site office.

Dunnet Forest opposite the caravan site - a wealth of flora and fauna, including the indigenous primula scotica.

Mary-Ann's Cottage - an excellent example of an old croft - now open 2-5pm, closed Mondays.

Forsinard RSPB centre, essential if you are interested in birds and the peatland.

Useful web sites

http://fishing-highland.co.uk. Fishing permits for the Dunnet Head Lochs are available here!

http://www.dunnethead.co.uk - you can view this on the PC in the restaurant without connecting to the Internet, therefore no charge!

http://www.caithness.org - a wealth of information about the county.

JUNE WALKS WITH THE COUNTRYSIDE RANGER

Wednesday 12^th June 7pm Grade A

Dunnet Bay (Allow 2 to 2.5 hours). Meet Dunnet Bay car park.

Sunday 16^th June 11am Grade B

Camster Cycle - Family Event (Allow 2 hours). Take part in bike week by joining the ranger service for a cycle through Camster Forest. Meet at Camster Cairns.

INDEPENDENT WALKS

CASTLEHILL TO MURKLE BAY

Leave your car at the Castlehill Flagstone Centre Car Park. A series of interpretative information panels along the trail tell the story of the flagstone industry at Castlehill. From here take the farm track past the ruined quarry buildings. After approximately a mile a track known as Battery Road branches to the left. Near here at the top of the beach are the remains of a cannon battery used in Victorian times by the local Volunteer Regiment. This road, if followed, will take you to the west end of Castletown village.

However, if you wish to proceed to Murkle Bay, continue over the stile onto the shore. The way here is less comfortable underfoot. Terns and Ringed Plovers nest along the beach in summer - be careful where you walk. Terns will make their presence felt very noisily. Please keep dogs on a lead as nesting birds are easily disturbed.

Murkle Bay is an attractive, secluded, sandy beach where seals are often seen. Return to the car park by the same route. Adjacent to the car park is a community woodland walk with sculpture trail.

DUNNET FOREST

Leave your car at the small carpark at the South West corner of the forest. Follow the signpost from the A836 roadside. The forest is within the National Nature Reserve and owned by Scottish National Heritage. The grassland for which the Reserve has been identified supports a great number of plant species and range of wildlife. Some of these wild flowers, such as Primula scotica, and a variety of butterflies, can be seen within some of the clearings in the forest. There is a network of paths through the trees, which provide ideal short and sheltered walks. This is a good place to go in wet or windy weather. The ground can be wet in places, but continuing work is being done to bridge this area with boardwalks. Dogs are welcome in the forest as long as they are kept under control. Visit the Ranger station at the Dunnet Bay caravan park for further information.

The trees in Dunnet Forest were planted in the 1950s by the Forestry Commission as an experiment. The forest is now owned by SNH and is part of Dunnet Links National Nature Reserve.