Durness, Balnakiel and the effect of a holiday

In 2004, Sally-Ann and I discovered the ruined church at Balnakeil and the beach beside it, where we would sit watching the sun set, mesmerised by the light and the sea. That first visit to Durness began a relationship that helped draw us to the North Highlands nine years later. We were then living busy corporate lives in south east England, and Durness became our sanctuary. Sometimes twice a year, we took the overnight sleeper north for a long weekend. I even brought my closest friends here for my fortieth birthday. This was somewhere I wanted the people who mattered to me to experience.

For a newcomer, Durness can take a little getting used to because it spreads across the landscape rather than gathering neatly around a centre. The well-stocked village shop, with its ATM and the 24-hour self-service petrol station across the road, provides a useful place to get your bearings. Beyond it, sandy coves at Sango and the broad beach at Balnakeil invite you to leave the car and spend some time outside. At Balnakeil, you can extend a beach walk through the dunes towards Faraid Head, giving yourself an afternoon to discover how much lies beyond the view from the road.

There are other reasons to stay, including Balnakeil Craft Village, where Cocoa Mountain provides a particularly persuasive argument for taking a break. Smoo Cave offers a more dramatic encounter with the coast, its enormous entrance opening into the cliff, while Sango Sands campsite lets visitors stay overlooking the sea. Durness is also a useful base for a Cape Wrath excursion, although the passenger ferry and onward minibus require some planning. Weather and military activity can affect access, so having a few days available gives you flexibility as well as time to enjoy Durness itself.

Our own holiday routine ended after Mackay’s Restaurant and Rooms closed and we lost the place we loved staying. For somebody discovering Durness today, another room, cottage or camping pitch can become the beginning of their own attachment. Arrange your stay ahead and leave a little time free, because some of the pleasure comes from having time to linger. We first fell for this place while sitting beside a ruined church, watching an evening unfold without needing to be anywhere else. If your itinerary allows several days here, I think they could become among the most memorable of your journey.

To learn more, listen to the blogcast or book one of our North Coast Explorer private tours.