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Caithness Field Club

Walking In Caithness

Caithness Field Club
Outings Index

Many pictures from Caithness Field Club outings in the last few years around Caithness are scattered throughout the web site.  This section contains just a few.

8 June 2008
Wick - Lybster By Sea
Caithness Field Club members split into two halves with one half making the trip from Wick to Lybster and the other half going from Lybster to Wick.

 

 

30 September 07
Wish You Were Here Today - Ackergill To Girnigoe Castle Walk In Glorious Sunshine

As part of the Archaeology Festival in Caithness today Caithness Field Club ran a walk from Ackergill to Girnigoe Castle.  Along the way the group saw seals, gannets diving for fish, the St Tears chapel site, a second wolrd war lookout post as well as Ackergill tower at the start and Girnigoe Castle at the end.  Girnigoe is the site where history is being rewritten as more discoveries are being made each year by the archaeologists from York university excavating the site.  Among this years discoveries is a cobbled road only part of which has been uncovered as yet.  A new footpath is being constructed leading to a new footbridge that will allow easier access to the castle.  the bridge will be put in place later in October.  access is still limited to the public unless you go on one of these organised outings.  It is hoped that some access will be available to the public next year.  Meanwhile everyone enjoyed walk along the coast on one of the sunniest days Caithness has seen this year. 
Caithness Archaeology Festival Programme   More about Ackergill Castle   More about Girnigoe Castle

2 September 07
Caithness Field Club Outing To Strathnaver

On Sunday 2 September 2007 Caithness Field Club Members headed over to Bettyhill and on to Strathnaver to look at some of the places that make up part of the Strathnaver Trail. The main places looked at were Achanlochy Clearance Village and the chambered cairns at Coille na Borgie.  For more information about what the Field Club saw and much more look at the leaflet Strathnaver Trail (Pdf 7932kb).

23 April 07
Caithness Field Club Outing To Brora and Golspie

On Sunday 22nd April 2007 Caithness Field Club members went on day trip to Brora and Golspie.  At Brora a local historian showed them round the Salt Pans area of Back Beach, Brora and described how the coal was used in the making of salt. Various features at the beach were noted and long the way spots of interest were pointed out. Buildings at the beach have in recent years become visible once again due to coastal erosion - they had been covered in sand dunes long ago.  Lunch was taken at the Royal Marine Hotel in Brora before the group boarded the bus to the next stop and walked along the picturesque Big Burn to the waterfall at the end.  For more information on history in Brora see www.clyneheritage.com

21 January 06
Rumster Forest
Field Club members set out on their first walk of 2007 on beautiful morning with the sun shining.  The small amount of now was crisp underfoot and made ideal conditions for walking along the tracks of the forest. the forest has a large number of long houses and some are easily visible at the old crofting village of Golsary.  Many of the houses were lived in until 1947 when it was all taken over for forestry.  At Golsary a broch sits behind on of the houses.  One of the houses also has a fine example of a drying kiln.  The walkers also took quick look at the burnt out remains of the Rumster Outdoor Centre that had been unused for some years and was burnet down in 2006.  The walk that was just over 4 miles took about 2and a half hours and members made it back to the cars just as the first icy rain of the day made an appearance  - perfect timing.

26 March 06
Old Hall Watten
An extremely interesting morning looking at the Chapel of Dunn and the crypt below.  The chapel is near the Old Hall, Watten.  Geoff Leet noticed what appeared to be an early Mill lade and a closer examination of the area did indeed reveal a dam and a reedy area that usually denotes a pond.  Following the likely route of the Mill lade did not help to find a mill although it seems likely to have been close to the bottom of the slope at Old Hall.  the main group went to look at the Standing Stone.  Moving on to the near the main road the group saw a Telford Bridge that lies near the present bridge that takes traffic today over the stream pretty well unnoticed by most folk passing through Old Hall near the caravan site.  The old road can be clearly seen with its walls on either side leading to the bridge still intact.  Trees have over grown it in places but the short stretch shows the well laid route of what was once one of the main roads in Caithness.  Then on to have look at the birds at Loch Watten and cup of tea.  A chilly but dry day and well worth the effort of heading out this Sunday morning.

12 June 05
The Coast From Wick To Lybster - A Fantastic Trip At This Time Of Year
 

The Caithness Field Club hired the boat Freedom from Freedom Charters on Sunday and went along the coast from Wick to Lybster.  the group split into to groups and one lot travelled to Lybster and the group organised folk to drive cars back to wick for the folk coming the other way on the return.

12 August 04
Learable Hill Sunday 8 August 2004

19 April 04
Talmine Trip 18 April 04
Geoff Leet led the bus tour from Thurso/wick down to Helmsdale and up the Strath of Kildonan over the causeway at tongue and along to Talmine.  Highlights included a stone row, graveyard and a secret army hide - one of three mentioned along the way.  Many places of interest historical and archaeological were noted on the tour.  The day was wet and the rain never let up all day but Field Club members are not put off by weather.
 

Latheronwheel Walk 12 October 03
The first part of the day at Latheronwheel with Caithness Field Club started at the harbour and went over the old bridge up to the field above to see the old watch tower, long cairns, brochs and the views along the coast and up to Knockinnon castle in the distance.   The second part was up to Houstry near Dunbeath and these pictures will come later....

 

Houstry Near Dunbeath 12 October 03
Between Dunbeath and Smerral is this ancient place full of Caithness history with everything from Pictish Brochs  to nineteenth century houses and farm buildings.  An unusual feature in the landscape is a wag.  This ancient building with huge flat stones supported as the roof and built outwards still survives and mostly untouched.  Much smaller than the wag at Forse but still an unusual structure in this now deserted area and in the distance a small graveyard with the graves of the victims of a cholera epidemic.
 

14 August 03
Bumblebees Talk and Search  - Interesting Day Out
 

Caithness Field Club and the Rangers teamed up to search for Bumblebees.  These useful creatures have been in decline for several decades in most parts of the UK but Caithness, Sutherland and the islands still have some of what have become rarer bumblebees.  Many places in the north have not been surveyed to see what species exist there and they are keen to find out.   Some information is presented to show how you can help to save the bumblebee or assist in checking what species are around in different places........

Priests Walk - Scaraben 18 May 2003
Langwell Walk 17 November 2002
Four Castles 20 October 2002
Borrowstone Quarry to Ulbster Mausoleum - 7th May 2000
Broubster Visit - 26 August 2000
Dirlot - May 2000
Dunbeath - 3rd September 2000

Useful Highland Council Leaflets - Pdf documents