I first met my first crofter-forager on a blustery morning, boots sinking into black sand and kelp waving like a green ocean flag. I had come to Durness to learn, camera slung across my chest, notebook in my pocket. What followed was one of those slow, sensory lessons that stays with you: how to...
Mar 07, 2026
• by Élise Dupont
Latest News from Hillside Durness Co
I get asked all the time which boat operators run wildlife trips from Durness and what a seal-and-seabird tour is actually like. From where I live and write, the answer starts with: there aren’t big fleets here — trips are small, local, seasonal and run by passionate skippers who know the coast intimately. Below I’ll outline the types of operators you’re likely to find, give names you can...
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I learned to read the Sango Sands caves not from one guidebook but from a few soggy afternoons, a couple of late scrambles back along the cliff-top and the quiet confidence that comes from getting the tide wrong and living to tell the tale. If you want the simple version: time your crossing close to low water, give yourself a generous margin, and always have a high-ground fallback. But if you...
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I’m drawn to Croick for the way the sea stack holds the light at dawn—those first rays carve the rock into layers and the whole headland feels hushed. Over the years I’ve chased many sunrises here and learned the practical bits that make or break a shoot: where to park before it’s busy, which approach gives you solitude (and which funnels you straight into a crowd), how to time the tide...
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I didn't expect a paddle sport to become one of my favourite ways to stay active while travelling, but padel has a way of fitting into itineraries and landscapes: a quick coastal session before a ferry, a sunset match near a resort, or a friendly game after a long hike. Central to all of that is the right padel tennis racket — and choosing one has transformed how I play, how I pack for trips,...
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I’ve spent more than a few nights with sand under my mat and the roar of the Atlantic in my ears, and Balnakeil Bay remains one of my favourite spots to pitch for the night. It’s dramatic, remote-feeling and within reach of Durness village—but it’s also a place where tides, nesting birds, crofting land and rapidly changing weather all demand respectful planning. Below I share how I choose...
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I’ve walked the stretch between Hillside Durness Co and Camel Haugh more times than I can count, always hopeful for that quiet moment when an otter slips from sea to shore. If you want the best day route for spotting otters in this part of the far north, I’ll take you through a route I trust—complete with maps, realistic timing, gear notes, and a few on-the-ground tips learned from early...
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I still remember my first puffin sighting near Durness—a tiny triangular face popping out of a cliff-top burrow, bright beak gleaming against a slate sky. It was one of those small, stubborn moments that make you fall in love with the north coast all over again. Over the years I’ve chased puffins across sea cliffs, sat in hides until my knees complained, and learned the rhythms that make...
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Walking to the sea caves at Sango Sands is one of those coastal experiences that stays with you: sculpted cliffs, echoing caverns and tide-carved arches framed by pale sand and Atlantic surf. But it’s also a place where the tide makes all the difference. I’ve guided this route, timed crossings, and waited on the shore more times than I can count—here’s a clear, practical guide to which...
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I still remember the first time I unfolded an Ordnance Survey map on a wind-blasted beach in the far north and tried to make sense of the cluster of unfamiliar words around me. Gaelic place names felt like a secret code that locals read like weather charts — telling you where the cliffs were steep, where sheep grazed, where a burn met the sea. Learning to read those names changed how I move...
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I chase silhouettes. There’s something about a human shape or a jagged cliff cut stark against a soft sunrise or a stormy sky that makes a photograph feel like a story. Around Durness, the light and coastline conspire to create dramatic cliff silhouettes that change mood by the minute—and I’ve spent years finding the spots that reliably deliver those moments. Below I’ve collected the...
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