Duncansby Head


Two miles east of John O'Groats, Duncansby Head has a small lighthouse and 60m-high cliffs sheltering nesting fulmars. A 15-minute walk through a sheep paddock yields spectacular views of the sea-surrounded monoliths known as Duncansby Stacks.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Banks Chambered Tomb

7.11 MILES

Discovered while digging was under way for a car park, this 5000-year-old chambered tomb has yielded a vast quantity of human bones, well preserved thanks…

2. Castle of Mey

7.19 MILES

The Castle of Mey, a big crowd-puller for its Queen Mother connections, is 6 miles west of John O’Groats. The exterior is grand but inside it feels…

3. Tomb of the Eagles

7.47 MILES

Two significant archaeological sites were found here by a farmer on his land. The first is a Bronze Age stone building with a firepit, indoor well and…

4. Castle Sinclair Girnigoe

11.52 MILES

Three miles northeast of Wick is the magnificently located clifftop ruin of Castle Sinclair. It's a short walk from a car park, with some interpretative…

5. Dunnet Bay Distillery

11.59 MILES

There's something rather fetching about this small-batch distillery on the main road through Dunnet. The very tasty Rock Rose gin and Holy Grass vodka are…

6. Seadrift

11.7 MILES

Backing the dunes of Dunnet Bay, this is a small wildlife display and base for local rangers, who organise walks in summer.

7. Hackness Martello Tower & Battery

11.96 MILES

Built during the Napoleonic Wars, when French ships passed through the Pentland Firth to prey on North Sea merchant vessels, this battery, accompanied by…

8. Dunnet Bay

12.11 MILES

Just west of the Dunnet headland, the sweeping curve of Dunnet Bay offers one of Scotland’s finest beaches, backed by high dunes and a campsite. Rangers…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "scotland/john-o-groats/attractions/duncansby-head/a/poi-sig/1200873/1004632",
      "position": "superzone"
    }