Highland History and Heritage

Our highland history will leave you in awe

So you are in Caithness and want to submerge yourself if all things historical. Here we have created a guide of historical places to visit when you stay with us. Explore our Highland history with these local Caithness sites, museums and heritage centres. If you have any questions please just ask us and we will be happy to help!

Explore our heritage

No visit to Caithness would be complete without a tour of the award-winning Wick Heritage Museum, run by Wick Society on an entirely voluntary basis. All the items are on loan by individuals or their families. So ensuring a genuine and personal look through the history of the area. With a range of fascinating exhibits, you can step back in time and imagine how things once were. Old furniture, clothing and machinery are just a small example of what you can explore.

The Dunbeath Heritage Centre museum offers an ample selection of goodies for those interested in a documented outlook of the past. Providing research data, photographs, manuscripts and items of local culture. It also operates workshops for a truly informative outlook of Highland history.

The award-winning Timespan Centre creates the bridge between the past and present of Sutherland. Featuring a cafe, herb garden and geology garden, Timespan makes for an excellent day of history and nature.

The Castlehill Heritage Centre aims to operate for both visitor enjoyment and as an educational resource. It holds a variety of exhibitions, which focus on the heritage and social history of Castletown.

Bringing history to life

Discover the vibrant culture inherited from Sutherland’s Gaelic and Norse Ancestors at Strathnaver Museum. Keeping the spirit of tradition thriving, this museum explores the nearly forgotten world of old Scotland and has a special feature of the ancestry of Clan Mackay!

Delve deep back in time

Dating back to the 1300s, this most northerly of Scottish houses has been home to many Earls and later, the Duke of Sutherland. With 189 rooms to view, plus a breath-taking garden, Dunrobin Castle is a day trip not to be missed!

Those looking to walk down the paths of Royalty look no further than the Castle of Mey. Bought by the Queen Mother in 1952, this charming and isolated castle and gardens is guaranteed to make for an excellent family outing.

Step into the former stronghold of Wick. Walk along the coastline of this Caithness village and explore the remnants of the Nordic castle. Built around the 1100s, the Castle of Old Wick is perched on the far coast of Wick. Known as ‘The Old Man of Wick’, much of it has collapsed, but its dramatic tower remains.

The Neolithic Chambered Grey Cairns of Camster are among the oldest structures in Scotland. Built over 5000 years ago, step back in time and walk through ancient burial grounds.