Starting at the very north of the Moray Firth, at Caithness. At
Duncansby are some of the most impressive sea cliffs and sea stacks in
the whole country. Just a kilometre south of the headland are the Stacks
of Duncansby, which are impressive triangular shaped sea stacks. The
easiest way to start this trip would be at Freswick Bay, a nice sandy
beach just a few km south of the stacks.
Just to the south near Noss Head you will find Sinclair Bay with a vast beach stretching over 4km. This is again a great launching spot for a sea kayak. Noss Head only a few clicks away from the beach has some impressive cliffs and you might also spot Sinclair castle from the water. Just around the corner from the headland is Wick, an old Caithness town with many grey stone buildings, typical for the area.
South of Wick and all the way to Lybster you will again find many interesting cliff formations, sea stacks and natural arches. The paddling journey would be about 20km. Just after leaving Wick you will also notice Old Wick Castle at the top of the cliffs. On this paddle journey there are few and far between stopping points. One would be at Sarclet which is home to just a few houses and a small haven. Arriving in Lybster you will find a little pier where you can land your craft.
The area in Sutherland between Golspie and Dornoch is just white beaches as far as your eyes can see. Some of these beaches are really good for surfing when the sea swells come in from the north or east. Since it is all beaches it would be a soft landing should anything go wrong. The beaches stretch over 12km and they are very popular with people in Dornoch. Just passed the mouth of Dornoch Firth are again vast beaches but should be avoided since it is a training area for fighter planes from Lossiemouth. This area should only be paddled if the Aberdeen Coastguard is giving you the all clear.
There is another nice sea kayaking trip starting at the small village of Portmahomack passing Tarbet Ness. This headland can pick up some big waves on a windy day, since there is a massive stone slab just under the water, creating the perfect condition for big surf waves. Maybe not the best idea on a windy day. The coast sees many sea cliffs and few good landing spots. Just south of Balintore, at Sandwick Bay, is another nice beach to finish a good paddling day.
South of Balintore, on the Black Isle is the Highland village of Cromarty, which is well known for its craft shops and even Prince Charles is fond of this place. There are again good beaches to start a trip. You can then paddle down the coast with sea cliffs and interesting rock formations towards Chanonry Point. This area is home to many dolphins which can be seen often at the point for some feeding and a play in the tide race. Of course you would have to keep your distance from the sea mammals so not to disturb their routine.
On the other side of Chanonry point is Fort George. This Fort was built after the 1745/46 Jacobite uprising and was meant to keep the Highlander clan in bay. Today it is a museum run by Historic Scotland. Some parts of the Fort are still a functioning military base with rifle ranges and the Blackwatch Regiment a frequent visitor to the Barracks.
Further along the coast are still more beaches and sea cliffs to admire. Cummingston is a very popular area for rock climbers and you will find some people climbing these sandstone cliffs at most days. After passing the harbour village of Hopeman you will come across some sea caves at the cliffs to the east of the harbour. The stretch between Hopeman and Lossiemouth are again many sea cliffs with a nice sandy beach at the end of it. On some days you might even spot some Tornado jets taking off from the RAF base in Lossiemouth. Further along the Moray coast you near Cullen you will find a sea stack called the Bow Fiddle Rock, which are some sea stacks with and impressive natural arch to one side.
Contact Unexplored Scotland to find out more about sea kayaking Scotland in the area.
Just to the south near Noss Head you will find Sinclair Bay with a vast beach stretching over 4km. This is again a great launching spot for a sea kayak. Noss Head only a few clicks away from the beach has some impressive cliffs and you might also spot Sinclair castle from the water. Just around the corner from the headland is Wick, an old Caithness town with many grey stone buildings, typical for the area.
South of Wick and all the way to Lybster you will again find many interesting cliff formations, sea stacks and natural arches. The paddling journey would be about 20km. Just after leaving Wick you will also notice Old Wick Castle at the top of the cliffs. On this paddle journey there are few and far between stopping points. One would be at Sarclet which is home to just a few houses and a small haven. Arriving in Lybster you will find a little pier where you can land your craft.
The area in Sutherland between Golspie and Dornoch is just white beaches as far as your eyes can see. Some of these beaches are really good for surfing when the sea swells come in from the north or east. Since it is all beaches it would be a soft landing should anything go wrong. The beaches stretch over 12km and they are very popular with people in Dornoch. Just passed the mouth of Dornoch Firth are again vast beaches but should be avoided since it is a training area for fighter planes from Lossiemouth. This area should only be paddled if the Aberdeen Coastguard is giving you the all clear.
There is another nice sea kayaking trip starting at the small village of Portmahomack passing Tarbet Ness. This headland can pick up some big waves on a windy day, since there is a massive stone slab just under the water, creating the perfect condition for big surf waves. Maybe not the best idea on a windy day. The coast sees many sea cliffs and few good landing spots. Just south of Balintore, at Sandwick Bay, is another nice beach to finish a good paddling day.
South of Balintore, on the Black Isle is the Highland village of Cromarty, which is well known for its craft shops and even Prince Charles is fond of this place. There are again good beaches to start a trip. You can then paddle down the coast with sea cliffs and interesting rock formations towards Chanonry Point. This area is home to many dolphins which can be seen often at the point for some feeding and a play in the tide race. Of course you would have to keep your distance from the sea mammals so not to disturb their routine.
On the other side of Chanonry point is Fort George. This Fort was built after the 1745/46 Jacobite uprising and was meant to keep the Highlander clan in bay. Today it is a museum run by Historic Scotland. Some parts of the Fort are still a functioning military base with rifle ranges and the Blackwatch Regiment a frequent visitor to the Barracks.
Further along the coast are still more beaches and sea cliffs to admire. Cummingston is a very popular area for rock climbers and you will find some people climbing these sandstone cliffs at most days. After passing the harbour village of Hopeman you will come across some sea caves at the cliffs to the east of the harbour. The stretch between Hopeman and Lossiemouth are again many sea cliffs with a nice sandy beach at the end of it. On some days you might even spot some Tornado jets taking off from the RAF base in Lossiemouth. Further along the Moray coast you near Cullen you will find a sea stack called the Bow Fiddle Rock, which are some sea stacks with and impressive natural arch to one side.
Contact Unexplored Scotland to find out more about sea kayaking Scotland in the area.
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