I first learned how fragile a great puffin photo can be when I trod too close to a burrow and watched an adult bird hesitate at the entrance, clearly unnerved. That moment changed how I approach seabird colonies: close-range images are possible, yes—but only when you prioritise the birds’...
Apr 04, 2026
• by Élise Dupont
Latest News from Hillside Durness Co
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 tell a young sugar kelp from a mature blade, when a wrack species is best eaten, how to dry a handful...
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I love the narrow, roomy feeling you get when the sea pulls back and exposes reefs, rock pools and shards of sand. The walk from Balnakeil to Enamel Bay is one of those small Highland rituals that feels secret until you know the tide beat and the safe line of travel. I’ve done this walk many times at low tide and learned the hard way that the coast looks very different an hour later. Below...
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Camping overnight on Balnakeil Beach is one of my favourite low-key adventures—there’s something elemental about sleeping to the sound of surf with the dunes behind you and the stars above. But the far north of Scotland can be unpredictable, and the stretch around Balnakeil demands respect: tides that can reshape the shoreline, cold winds even in summer, and fragile habitats to protect....
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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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