The coastal views and landscapes are breathtaking – sometimes quite literally, as the wind whips in off the Pentland Firth and snatches the very breath from your mouth. Standing here on the northern edge of mainland Britain you are moved to reflect on the awesome, unstoppable power of the sea and the equally indomitable strength of the ancient rock beneath your feet, the two locked together in a timeless and never-ending battle.  

We begin at Duncansby Head, the north-eastern tip of Scotland, with its jagged sea stacks and wheeling seabirds, and continue via John O’Groats to Dunnett Head, the most northerly headland of all, with extensive views in all directions. A visit to the Castle of Mey, the lovingly restored former summer residence of the late Queen Mother, is also included. Travelling west we continue to Strathnaver, the lonely river valley which evokes the dark days of the notorious ‘Highland Clearances’ of the early 19^th century. From our harbour-side hotel at Kinlochbervie we seek out some of the gems of the north-west coast, such as Smoo Cave at Durness, a huge sea cave with a waterfall and a ‘blowhole’.