Walking the John o' Groats Trail: Coastal walking from Inverness to John o' Groats

By Andy Robinson and Jay Wilson

A guidebook to walking the John o' Groats Trail between Inverness and John o' Groats at the northeastern tip of mainland Britain. Covering 233km (145 miles), this Scottish coastal trail takes 2 weeks to hike and is suitable for experienced walkers.

The route is described from south to north in 14 stages, each between 10 and 25km (6–16 miles) in length. Summary notes are also included for southbound walkers. An alternative start from Drumnadrochit is detailed, allowing walkers from the Great Glen to bypass Inverness.

• Mapping is included for each stage
• GPX files available to download
• Detailed information on facilities, public transport and accommodation on route
• Advice on planning and preparation

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cicerone Press
• Release date: Feb 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9781783629503

Andy Robinson

Andy Robinson has been walking around the hills and mountains for more years than he cares to admit to, and is a mean hand with a map and compass. He has a habit of setting off on unreasonably optimistic expeditions and usually gets away with it. But not always. His family is very supportive and puts up with a lot, but he’s not quite sure why. Andy Robinson is the author of The End to End Trail – Land’s End to John o’ Groats on Foot and has worked together with Jay Wilson to create a guide to the John o' Groats Trail.

Book preview

Waterfall at Whaligoe at the end of Stage 11 (photo: Ken Crossan)

ROUTE SUMMARY TABLE

The Trail arch, John o’ Groats (Stage 14)

INTRODUCTION

The John o’ Groats Trail is a challenging 233km (145-mile) walking route from Inverness to John o’ Groats, up the most northerly part of the Scottish east coast.

Some of the most spectacular cliffs in Britain are to be found along the coast of Caithness, but these remain largely hidden from drivers on the coastal roads. Only along the cliff tops can walkers begin to see the secret delights of the north. Sprinkled along the Trail are also striking cultural remains, including old fishing harbours and ancient dwellings. A thick cover of vegetation and gentle slopes above the cliffs make for frequent comfortable spots to sit and admire the scenery. An unhurried approach to walking the Trail will be well rewarded.

People have walked this coast for thousands of years as a natural route connecting coastal settlements. In the 19th century the herring fishery on this coast became a massive industry, and seasonal migratory workers walked along the coast for days to reach the harbours. The routes walkers followed in earlier days gradually turned into main roads, however, and there has never been a separate footpath. It was not until 2014 that work began on developing the Trail; before its creation, much of this walk was not practical, and walkers were forced onto main roads for a lot of the way.

The first recorded walk between John o’ Groats and Land’s End was in 1871. Although ‘End to End’ walkers have been covering the ground between Inverness and John o’ Groats ever since, the launch of the Trail represents an important development for them: thanks to the newly developed footpaths, they no longer have to follow the busy coastal roads on the section north of Inverness.

The far north of Scotland is not well known to most walkers. Inland there are huge areas of mountains and lowland peat bogs, and very few people or amenities. The east coast is another matter, however. Since the days of the Vikings there has always been a thriving farming community along the coast, and it also used to have a huge herring fishing industry. These days the fish have largely gone, but there are places for visitors to stay in the villages and towns. The coast is mainly quiet, and is scattered with medieval and prehistoric remains. The spectacular sea cliffs of Caithness are a must for any adventurous long-distance walker.

The first four stages of the Trail cut across country to avoid long diversions around headlands. After this, the route follows the coast the rest of the way. It stays off-road as far as is practical, and there is a lot of exciting cliff-top scenery in the northern half of the route.

Duke’s Candlestick, above Berriedale, on Stage 8 (photo: Ken Crossan)

This guidebook splits the walk into 14 stages, each of which is intended to represent a day’s walking. Although the guide generally assumes that you will be walking from south to north, some notes are provided for those who want to start at John o’ Groats and head south. The Trail itself is marked southbound as well as northbound. The octagonal waymarks represent the legend of John o’ Groats’ octagonal house – which appears to be just that: a legend!

The majority of the Trail waymarks look like this

The guide also includes a relatively challenging alternative start to the route at Drumnadrochit, joining the main Trail at the Cromarty Bridge. This is intended principally for walkers wanting a through route from Fort William to John o’ Groats that avoids the city of Inverness and the two big A9 bridges. There is no current plan to waymark this alternative start, and it is not formally part of the John o’ Groats Trail.

The terrain

The John o’ Groats Trail gives walkers access to a stunning rocky coastline populated by a fascinating array of wildlife. Until now, though, few other than the local population have seen much of it. The Trail also gives long-distance walkers a much-needed connection between Inverness and John o’ Groats. This makes possible a walk from Land’s End to John o’ Groats staying in accommodation the entire way, while keeping road walking to a minimum.

The array of natural wonders to be found along this coast is astounding, including cliffs, waterfalls, sea stacks, sea caves and sea arches. Beyond the physical features, there is wildlife everywhere, particularly in the sea and the air. Seals, dolphins and seabirds are all here in abundance, and rare migrant birds can often be seen.

While the coastal road is never far away, it will often be forgotten for hours while you make your way through lovely countryside or along dramatic cliff tops. Yet every evening you’ll be able to find accommodation in the towns and villages along this same coastal road. Although there are two stage ends where there is no accommodation (Berriedale and Whaligoe), the bus service can take you to accommodation nearby. Generally, the civilisation along the highway hovers at just the right distance.

The terrain is usually fairly level, staying along the shore or along the cliff tops for long stretches. There are short climbs sometimes, and occasional shifts in elevation of 50m or even 100m. The greatest climb is going up and over the Ord of Caithness on Stage 8, an ascent and descent of approximately 200m.

The walk goes through landscapes varying from wide open moors to large woods to small fields and pastures. For some long-distance trails the challenge is in not getting lost in the woods and on the moors, but here the greater challenge has always been in finding a way between fields and pastures, and in negotiating the cliff tops. Many stiles, gates and bridges have now been built for the Trail, but there are still some fences that have to be crossed. Keep in mind that the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (see ‘Access considerations’ below) gives you the right to cross all the fences between fields that you may encounter.

The Trail divides naturally into three sections, each with its own characteristic type of walking. As with all the best adventures, it gets better and better as you go on.

Inverness Castle and the start of the Trail (Stage 1)

For the first four stages, from Inverness to Dornoch, the route is mainly inland, crossing three big modern bridges over the Beauly, Cromarty and Dornoch firths, and cutting across the Black Isle and Easter Ross between the bridges. The coast in this section would make for a very indirect route, although maybe one day a path will be developed here too. This inland section is mainly on tracks through estate woodland and forestry plantations, with some sections on quiet roads.

The next three stages, from Dornoch to Helmsdale, see the Trail mostly following the shoreline. The shore is varied, with sand dunes, golf courses, fields down to the stony shore, and the Loch Fleet estuary, which is a nature reserve and a haven for seals and wild birds. On the approach to Loch Fleet the route follows a disused railway line that used to serve Dornoch.

The rest of the Trail is spectacular: seven stages along the top of the cliffs. The coast starts to rise up near Helmsdale and soon you are on the cliff tops, continuing at that level for most of the rest of the walk. The Trail climbs over the massive Ord of Caithness headland before descending into Berriedale and then again going along cliffs to Dunbeath. It continues to the lovely harbours of Latheronwheel, Lybster and Wick and then past the ancient castles of Sinclair Girnigoe, Ackergill, Keiss, Bucholly and Freswick. Finally it passes along stunning cliffs and sea stacks on the way to Duncansby Head and to the end at John o’ Groats. The second half of the Trail is delightful, but don’t expect your progress to be fast along the cliff tops.

There is one local term that needs explaining: a geo is a narrow inlet in the cliffs, usually with sheer walls on both sides and sea at the bottom. They are called zawns in Cornwall and Pembrokeshire, but up here they are geos. Don’t fall down one.

The hazards of the Trail

There are a few things you need to be aware of before committing to this walk, as it is particularly challenging in a number of respects. Not all of it