I love launching at first light — the water glassy, the cliffs washed in a peach light and the world quiet except for distant waves. The short paddle from Balnakeil to Enamel Bay is one of my favourite dawn outings from Durness: sheltered stretches, dramatic sea stacks, and that moment when the...
Oct 28, 2026
• by Élise Dupont
Latest News from Hillside Durness Co
I still remember the first time I crouched on a rock pool edge at low tide, the wind pushing my hair into my face while a crofter pointed out the difference between a sweet, glossy sugar kelp and a tougher wrack that belongs in a stew. Seaweed foraging feels like a secret handshake with the coastline here in Durness—part culinary adventure, part cultural lesson, and completely tied to local...
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I picked the Croick sea stack for a reason: it’s one of those places that looks impossible until you find the quiet path that makes it all feel intimate. Golden hour there can turn the sandstone and waves into molten copper, and if you time it right and keep to respectful, little-used routes, you can have an almost private show. Below I share the footpaths I use to avoid crowds, where I park...
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I love coastal light and quiet lanes as much as anyone who lives for the camera’s next good frame. When I’m based near Durness I’m often plotting far-off escapes, but some of my favourite days come from short drives and salty air — which is why I’m excited to share a personal guide to villages pittoresques à découvrir près de Marseillan. In this piece I’ll walk you through the...
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I first noticed the arctic terns at Balnakeil on a blustery June morning when the bay was a scatter of silver wings and sharp, piping calls. Since then I’ve come back year after year, learning how to read the machair’s subtle signs, where to sit and watch without causing a stir, and which vantage points give the best view without trampling nesting scrapes. If you’re planning to look for...
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I’ve spent countless days walking windswept ridges and following streams into remote coves, and on many of those trips I’ve reached for a small, familiar foil packet: a purification tablet. They’re lightweight, easy to carry and promise safe water in a pinch. But as useful as they are, I’ve also learned to be cautious—there are real risques liés aux pastilles de purification deau that...
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I love starting a day on the water in the far north — dawn light, glassy sea, and the quiet company of seals slipping between the kelp beds. One of my favourite early-morning outings is a short sea-kayak from Balnakeil across to Enamel Bay to photograph grey seals and the coastline’s dramatic light. Below I’ll walk you through the launch points, tide considerations, kit I always pack,...
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The first time I tried a cliff-to-beach panorama at Camel Haugh I realized there’s a sweet spot between ambition and chaos: I wanted the whole sweep — towering cliffs, the curl of the beach, the sweep of the bay — in a single frame, but my phone’s default panorama kept warping the horizon and disjointing the foreground rocks. After a few failed stitches and a much-improved attempt, I’ve...
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I know the draw of a lone sea stack at first light—the way the water steals the colours from the sky and the cliffs hold their breath. One of my favourite quiet sunrise sessions near Durness is at the Croick sea stack (local crofting name: "Croick" rather than the Croick near Inverness), a dramatic slab of rock standing off a sweep of shingle and grassy cliffs. Below I’ll tell you exactly...
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I’ve lost count of the times I’ve set out for Sango Sands only to find the little stone causeway under a ribbon of sea. Tides here are surprisingly fast; a causeway that looks passable at low tide can be flooded again before you’ve had a chance to explore the north end properly. If you meet a flooded causeway, don’t panic — there are several safe, scenic alternatives that still let you...
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When I first set out to explorer larchipel arctique avec une carte, I expected crisp white maps, neat contour lines and predictable navigation. Instead I discovered that a Svalbard map is a living document: it tells you where polar bears roam, where sea ice retreats, which glaciers are retreating fastest, and which settlements are connected only by boat or snowmobile. Mapping the archipelago is...
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