Dunnet Head

The drive out to Dunnet Head from Thurso gets progressively wilder - you're heading towards the northernmost point of mainland Britain, and the landscape tells you so. Cliffs rear up to 300 metres, raw sandstone faces hammered by Atlantic weather, and on a clear day you can see right across to Orkney.

There's a proper lighthouse at the tip, automated now, standing white against the grey sea. The walk from the car park takes about twenty minutes, mostly straightforward, though the wind can be fierce enough to actually slow you down. On the cliff edges, the views open up in all directions - it's one of those places where you understand why people got obsessed with reaching the uttermost corners of things.

History types will appreciate the Bronze Age broch remains near the lighthouse, though they're fragmentary. Walkers get a cracking coastal path experience without needing to commit to a full day's trek. Families with younger kids might find the exposure of the cliffs a bit nerve-wracking, but if they're old enough to understand cliff safety, there's real drama here.

It's free and open year-round, though winter gales can make it properly hostile. Allow an hour including the walk and a proper look around. If you're staying at Little Croft Highlands nearby, it's an easy morning or afternoon visit - the kind of thing that justifies the journey north to Thurso rather than stopping short at somewhere more convenient.