North Highland Way

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Not on the North Highland Way, but the map shows that the North Highland Way has merged into Wick.

Using OS maps - Explorer Series 450 & 451 (1:25 000 scale)

Start at Old Wick Castle 368488

View towards Old Wick Castle. Please note the Take Extra Care due to unprotected Cliff edge.

Head out from Old Wick Castle, along the coastal path to 374493 and follow the road to 376498.

Pick up the footpath and follow on down and around the edge of Wick Harbour, taking care when walking on the Caithness Stone Slabs, which can be slippery when wet. Cross the Wick River at 365509.

Follow the road to 359511 leaving the road where it starts to climb to the left, picking up track straight ahead. Continue until steps are reached and climb these.

At the top of the steps turn right and continue to follow the coastal path to 379513.

Turn right and continue on through Papigoe and on to Staxigoe harbour 385525.

At Staxigoe harbour head to Field of Noss Farm 384529.

Continue on through the farmyard paying all due respect to any ongoing work and to privacy.

When passing through the gates please remember to leave them as they are found. Skirt along edge of fields to 386533.

Through the gate and on to 386534, taking care when crossing the barbed wire fence. Cliff edges are now exposed - no protective fencing. Follow the fencing heading towards the lighthouse outer boundary wall 388546. Turn and follow along the wall to car park - picnic area, at 385547.

Cross road and pick up track to remains of castles 378549. Warning, exposed shear cliffs ahead!

Two route options:

Option one - from castles head to gate at 381548, skirt around field edge to 377546 crossing at gate and on around edge of field to next exit heading towards 365546. This avoids close proximity to exposed, shear cliff faces.

Option two - from castle to fence at 375547. Beyond this fence are exposed cliff faces within very close proximity to the path edge for approximately 250 m. Path less than 1 m from cliff edge in places. Follow this route to fence and wall at 373547, crossing inwards over the wall and skirting along the edge of the field to 365546.

Pick up coastal footpath and follow on to Ackergill harbour 359546. Passing through the gate head up the road to 358545 - last of houses on your right. Follow track to the right to and across small play park, through exit onto track heading to 355546. Walk along the minor road to 354546 and along the coast trail to349550. Head down onto the sand and follow Ackergill Links beach around to the river estuary at 343577.

At the river estuary; depending your own experience, recent weather conditions & tidal position upon arrival, your potential options may well be dictated. During mid and late summer there may well not be an estuary and straight walking may be possible. The estuary may be possibly be shallow enough to simply paddle across - this is when remembering to take a towel with you becomes very useful because you can now put your socks and boots back onto dried feet. If these options are not appropriate then it becomes a matter of following the bank upstream and crossing at 332587 then following the minor road down to 349584.

Continue along Keiss Links beach on to344602, leaving the beach and picking up the coastal trail, to the minor road at 348608. Turn up this minor road and very shortly on your left find a footpath heading up into Keiss.

Reaching the Keiss Pier at 351609, a distance of 15.26 miles has been covered.

From the Pier, continue on to 353610 where the road doubles back and a track leads on along the coast to Keiss Castle (remains) 357618.

Turn now and head inland, for a change of scenery, to 348627. At this point, the minor road turns into a track that winds out across the flow. From now on, there are no footpaths, tracks, trails or minor roads until 397714.To minimise impact on the local environment, following boundary fencing, whenever feasable and appropriate, is actively promoted. This area may initially appear a 'wilderness' but signs of human activity will be noted in the form of old peat cuttings. These can be quite deep in places and as such it is important to stay alert. Also, this is 'Adder Country', so stay alert and if they're seen, give them plenty of room to move on, or skirt widely around them. Important also, that long trousers are wore, as ticks are also known to live in this area - advisable therefore to tuck your trousers into your socks!

Pick up the track branch that heads directly to the forest boundary fence. Once reached continue to follow the edge of the fence until reaching 358677.

From 358677, head along the fence to 350681 where the fence needs to be crossed, enabling the ongoing shadowing of Gill Burn. At 345682, it should be now possible to cross Gill Burn, cross over and trail the fencing - north north east, heading towards Warth Hill 372699.

At 372699 skirt down and around the disused quarry and view point at 373702. With clear views, looking north east, what appears to be the remains of an old house may just be possible to see. This is actually the Stacks of Duncansby 400718 and the direction of travel.

The cliffs are fenced from approx. 398719, south of that the cliffs are exposed with a wide track running parallel to the cliffs at a distance from the edge of at least 2 m. until 398715 - then no more track.

Pass through gate at 398719 and follow trail around the fence, next to the cliff edge until reaching 403727, along track to 404730, on to trig point and Duncansby Head Lighthouse 405734.

From the lighthouse follow the path along the fenced cliff edge until 399737 where the fence can be crossed. Doing so exposes you briefly to the cliff edge approx. 2m away, for approx. 2 m, before coming down and around to the Bay of Sannick. Stay on the track above the beach and follow it along the coastline to Ness of Duncansby and John O Groats Pier area at 380736.

Behind the café can be found a bus stop displaying the local bus times to Thurso & Wick.