Category: Local attractions

Welcome back, and welcome to another year – 2025.

This blog entry hopes to bring you updates regarding a few points of interest which have taken place around Whaligoe Steps since my last blog on June 2nd, 2024 – Misty Magic of Success and Sorrow – Whaligoe Eye

*** BE AWARE*** that the residential car park is not designed as yet, for the volume of traffic which visit this local landmark. When the sun is shining or roughly from Saturday through to Tuesday (late April through to September), it can periodically get VERY busy!

The photos above show that on Saturday, May 17th, 2025, the evident volume of visitors to Whaligoe Steps. Not only were they parking in the residential car park, but also overflowing down an access lane and on grass verges due to lack of infrastructure. Please be aware of the time you visit and the various frustrations which may be encountered.

The reason I took the plunge with this humble blogging website, was to raise awareness for visitors and the Highland Council regarding how precarious and even dangerous things were getting due to the lack of unsuitable immediate infrastructure.

Above, are two photographs showing remains of a local resident’s outer wall which is located directly beside the residential car park area. The first impact by a campervan (Photo on the right) took the entire outer wall down (September 6th, 2020), while the second occasion (photo on your left) took place when a small van knocked down a partial section (July 11th, 2023)…

On September 16th, 2024, a silver car driven by a visitor to Whaligoe Steps collided with a metal gate which is right beside a local home wall…

This is the THIRD incident of property damage to be experienced due to an inadequate infrastructure here. Please be aware, and please be careful.

The latest I heard from Janet McEwan (dated October 9th, 2024) (Councillor Jan McEwan | 03 Wick and East Caithness Ward | Scottish Liberal Democrats Party | The Highland Council), is that “…there is ongoing considerations regarding extending the car park and re-routing the entrance road” plus adding, “This is still at early stages…”

Since August, 2022, the Highland Council have been sitting on £90,000 of tourist related funding from the government. They stated it would take up to five years in which to determine how best to spend it and to resolve this issue.

Now for something completely different…

When you visit the Whaligoe Steps for a moment of exercise, just a few yards further along the A99 heading toward Wick, Caithness, you’ll see to your right a field with alpacas quite possibly.

Home – Ulbster Alpaca Trekking

Last year, I had the opportunity and the pleasure to visit this wonderful local alpaca farm. A wonderful experience for my family and I. We were treated to a friendly insight and a depth of knowledge regarding all of the animals in this very hospitable site. Highly recommended.

If you do make an appointment and choose to take the family to Ulbster Alpaca Trekking, then share some creativity before you leave. (There were so many delightful hearts displayed on a wall beside where we were able to buy some souvenirs).

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Below, a photograph of a pile of wood…

Why share a photograph showcasing a pile of curious wood?

Well, let me tell you. The folk at John O’ Groats Trail have been busy since my last blog post. For those who wish to know more about this trail and all the benefits of such a journey along the coastline in the outdoors, their website can be found here: The John o’ Groats Trail – Coastal Walking Route from Inverness to John o’ Groats

Meet Andy, or as I called him, Handy Andy! The above photo was captured on June 17th, 2024.

Andy worked over many visits designing and building a wooden walkway through a gully, located at the top of Whaligoe Steps. Below are some photographs I took, beginning on April 12th, 2024…

Really impressive skills were incorporated along with experience by Andy in this welcome aid for visitors, who may now venture along the top of where Whaligoe Steps is situated and follow a trail which leads to spectacular views. (Not just coastline scenery, but also the streamlined waterfall which is hidden behind some coastal rocky cliff face).

This waterfall was given some attention by Sir Billy Connolly during his visit for the BBC during the 90s. He said something along the lines of “It’s the only waterfall I’ve seen which goes up the way!”

The above image shows the waterfall before the new walkway was completed. My photo was taken on April 20th, 2024.

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Another reminder of health and safety related aspects concerning this landmark.

Let me share the above clip with you.

On September 26th, 2024, a security camera picked up this wee bit of footage as emergency vehicles were leaving in the aftermath of an accident down the Whaligoe Steps.

There were a couple of local news orientated web sources which covered this incident. Here’s a link to one of those sites, the Press and Journal: Person rescued after 30-feet cliff fall at beauty spot near Wick

Thank you to those who reached out around this time, wondering if the man who had fallen whilst trying to climb at the Whaligoe Steps was me. My activity is generally of the trekking variety when it comes to this local region, so I can reassure folk it wasn’t me.

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Before I sign off, I took the photo below on February 13th, 2025… In the sunshine, a little feathered flair from Whaligoe Steps.

Thanks as always for reading this and checking out photos, etc… Thank you also for your interest and invaluable time. It all means a lot and I appreciate you.

Email: WhaligoeEye@gmail.com

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Daylight is becoming shy as the season of autumn falls on this coastal location at Whaligoe Steps, in Caithness, Scotland. Sightings of the moon in conjunction with some more beautiful sunrises give nature a presence so precious.

Links to the previous episodes which document my attempt to go down or around, or both, regarding the six zig-zagging flights of rustic stone steps known as Whaligoe Steps, which wind their way down a two hundred and fifty foot cliff face can be clicked on below…

New Challenge (Part 1) – Whaligoe Eye

New Challenge (Part 2) – Whaligoe Eye

New Challenge (Part 3) – Whaligoe Eye

New Challenge (Part 4) – Whaligoe Eye

New Challenge (Part 5) – Whaligoe Eye

New Challenge (Part 6) – Whaligoe Eye

Daily Challenge (Part 7) – Whaligoe Eye

Daily Challenge (Part 8) – Whaligoe Eye

Daily Challenge (Part 9) – Whaligoe Eye

Whaligoe Steps 365 (Part 10) – Whaligoe Eye

Whaligoe Steps 365 (Part 11) – Whaligoe Eye

I began these adventures walking down the Whaligoe Steps each and every day from May 1st, 2023… By the end of this month of October I will have succeeded in tackling a trek around this rustic coastal location for a whole six months. Encounters with deer, rabbits, curlew, various seabirds, a stoat, a grey seal and being gifted the many witness accounts of varying sunrises have all shown me the wonders of what the natural world has to offer, alongside the coldest sea in the world.

This blog entry is sharing some highlights collated from October 2nd, 2023 up to and including Sunday, October 15th, 2023…

Oct. 2nd, 2023: In one direction was a stunning sunrise over the North Sea… I turned around and noticed behind the flora, a faint but present moon fading into the daylight…

Oct. 3rd, 2023: A rabbit plays peek-a-boo whilst a dazzling sunrise takes place on the horizon, melting clouds and shimmering at the beginning of daybreak.

Oct. 4th, 2023: Despite the temperatures dropping, the wind picking up and the general lack of daylight, the local flora still puts on a show during the overcast conditions of the day.

Oct. 5th, 2023: Off-shore wind farm called Beatrice is just over eight miles from the coastline, and the shadows of the wind turbines loom in the foreground of another scorching sun.

On this particular trek, I caught a glimpse of Star as she went hunting in the verge…

Oct. 6th, 2023: Shades in a sunrise differ depending on the skies. Not that it would cross the mind of a grey seal, which was spotted at Whaligoe Steps perusing the local waters…

Oct. 7th, 2023: Early on a Saturday afternoon, I was fortunate enough to not only witness a rock pipit hopping from stone to stone, but also one of the wild rabbits which inhabit a vibrant community here at the ‘Steps.

Oct. 8th, 2023: Looking magnificent after Charlie’s stonemasonry, the second flight of the six which make their way down the cliff face.

Despite the drizzle during this trek, I was pleased to witness the grey seal swimming around in some restless tides.

Oct. 9th, 2023: Waves became excitable when analysed closely, yet from a distance they rapidly diminished when seen within the context of a radiant sunrise.

Oct. 10th, 2023: Jagged rock and the Whaligoe Steps provide the shapes for what nature likes to work with. Below is a point beside the Bink where a hole exists filled with rubble.

An angle taken of the ‘forgotten flight’ (fifth flight of Whaligoe Steps) as it curls towards the Bink.

Oct. 11th, 2023: There’s gold in them skies I tell you!

During a Wednesday trek I was astounded by the beautiful sunrise. A wonderful opportunity to capture a silhouette too.

Oct. 12th, 2023: Talking of silhouettes…

These past few days, the waterfall has been rife as the water from the higher ground has been adding to the generosity of flow.

Oct. 13th, 2023: The wild rabbits love the sunshine.

A photograph showcasing the work Charlie Juhlenski did on the third flight of Whaligoe Steps.

Oct. 14th, 2023: A grim day as the weather continues to bite. The lack of seabirds has made an eerie presence to the skies and the ledges of the cliffs, so it was a delight to see this great black-backed gull enjoying the ripe breeze of the North Sea.

Oct. 15th, 2023: During my Sunday afternoon trek down and around Whaligoe Steps, not only was the weather cold and almost uninviting, but Star provided some light relief by being cute.

Jackdaws ponder over which direction to travel via the John O’Groats trail…

So until the next blog entry, I must say with hearty gratitude a sincere THANK YOU for your support reading and looking at these blogs, and for taking some time to check out my postings on social media.

This whole experiment with investing time and money in ‘Whaligoe Eye’ has been a truly profound experience, and with the Highland Council working in the background on how they’re going to utilise their £90,000 budget to create a better infrastructure here at Whaligoe Steps, there is some real room for optimism regarding a safer and more appropriate car park for residents and visitors alike in the future.

I hope you take care, stay safe and have a positive fortnight until my next blog entry.

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The first blog was posted on August the 15th, 2021. In all honesty, this website was motivated by a perceived apathy from the Highland Council regarding the overwhelming traffic visiting this wee coastal corner of the Highlands of Scotland, and their lack of concern or to a slightly more alarming degree, even their awareness of what was taking place. The sheer volume of visitors was so bad that property damage was inevitable and sure enough, cause and effect unfolded.

A photo above is a moment in time where the rear end of a campervan demolished an outer wall. The feeling of the wall crashing on to the path was felt throughout the foundations of the residential property. On reflection, it reveals how vulnerable the residents are from further accidents as the outer wall was only a path-width away from being the actual home wall.

Check out further reading as accounts of congestion and evidence of increased volumes of visitor activity created tension, frustration and elements of risk to vehicles and properties in this immediate area.

Previous blogs: “Jam…” – Jam… – Whaligoe Eye

“Deja Vu” – Deja Vu – Whaligoe Eye

“Never Judge a Book…” Never Judge a Book… – Whaligoe Eye

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To give you an insight in to what other productivity has been undertaken to this modest and still evolving online source, there have been two well-received sections showcasing natural photographs and the “Postcards” area.

Check out this link for the ever-growing ‘Nature’ gallery – Nature – Whaligoe Eye

Check here to see photographs of visitors to the Whaligoe Steps – Postcards – Whaligoe Eye

Many thanks to all of you who were happy to strike a pose in and around this beautiful location.

Other blog posts added to this site included content about stones and creativity, a sentimental connection to the Whaligoe Steps, unfolding situations in general, a trip down the coastline with Caithness Seacoast, the arrival of a litter bin to the residents’ car parking area and observations of nature around here. More on these topics as time goes on plus a wonderful rich collection of historically researched materials which I think you may find interesting

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So for now, I will bid you a fond farewell and let you know that there is plenty going on behind the scenes which will surface on this website in due course.

Take care and many thanks as always.

It has been a busy few days here for Whaligoe Eye. Time to share with you a few bits about some observations and activities. Hold tight as those waves can provide quite a rollercoaster ride!

Caithness Seacoast Caithness Seacoast – Thrilling Sea Tours around the Caithness Coastline (caithness-seacoast.co.uk) have gained a great reputation for bringing some truly great insight to a piece of the north-easterly coastline in these parts of Scotland, in conjunction with dramatic views, wildlife encounters and moments of adrenaline. The word ‘thrill’ is readily to mind when reflecting on a generous hour and a half of adventure.

Whaligoe Steps from the north sea is a unique opportunity to see them from a refreshing perspective. It is one thing to be descending and tackling the ascent afterwards on those stones underfoot, but to see them in relation to the landscape which embraces them is something else.

Not only did we witness the coastal caves which lurk beneath the Bink, or maybe a little to the side, but we witnessed the waterfalls sprinkling a delightfully fresh cascade down on to the surface of the sea.

With a narrative regarding historical facts, wildlife and significant individuals to what was witnessed regarding the trip from Wick Harbour to the Whaligoe Steps, there was no room for a break. The eyes were taking in the views, the ears were listening to trivia and all the time the brain was bombarded with stimuli.

This adventure was an experience which was very welcome, insightful and I will be doing again. The knowledge of the crew, the attention to health and safety and the overall detail provided made me feel confident in them and their abilities, and subsequently relax and enjoy the ride. Highly recommended.