Finding a toilet in the North Highlands

Toilet stops are one of the practical matters I discuss early on a private tour. It might not be the conversation anyone expects after the introductions, but knowing when the next opportunity is likely to appear makes the journey more comfortable. Travelling anticlockwise from Inverness, I generally find the east-coast towns and villages better served by public toilets and cafés. Elsewhere, particularly inland and along quieter stretches of the north and west, the gaps require more planning. Search engines are useful, but a toilet appearing on a map does not guarantee an unlocked door. Some facilities are seasonal, opening hours vary, and “Easter to October” is not necessarily as precise as you might wish. Check the Highland Council toilet map and directory, together with local information for community-run facilities. If you need accessible facilities or baby-changing provision, check those details before setting off.

“Public” does not necessarily mean free. Some toilets require payment before you enter, while others request a donation, so carry some coins as well as a payment card. Where local community organisations maintain facilities, a contribution helps pay for cleaning, supplies and repairs. Appearances are not always a reliable guide to what you will find inside: a modern building can run short of supplies, while an older, modest-looking facility may be clean and well maintained. Carry a little toilet paper and something suitable for cleaning your hands, and leave the facilities as you would hope to find them.

Cafés, restaurants and hotels can provide another opportunity, but ask staff before using their toilets and ordinarily make a purchase rather than walking straight through. I have witnessed an uncomfortable confrontation between a proprietor and someone who used a café’s bathroom without buying anything. A polite question beforehand would have been a much better beginning. These are businesses paying to maintain facilities for their customers, so a little courtesy and a purchase are reasonable ways to acknowledge that.

For occasions when we are far from facilities, I carry a small trowel, wipes and disposal bags in the Land Rover. Independent travellers should consider a similar emergency kit, but using the outdoors comes with responsibilities. Choose somewhere discreet, well away from paths, buildings and animals, and at least 30 metres from water. Where the ground is suitable, bury solid waste in a small hole about 15 centimetres deep and replace the turf. Where that is unsuitable, use appropriate waste bags and carry it out. Bag and remove toilet paper, wipes and sanitary products, and never bury or flush wipes. An apparently secluded spot beside a lay-by may already have been used by many others, so use proper facilities whenever possible.

Above all, plan ahead and use an available toilet rather than waiting until you urgently need one. It can cost considerably more than a pound to spend a penny.