Cape Wrath
Am Parbh
A wild headland at the northwest corner of mainland Britain, where a lighthouse was built on a cliff about 120 m high in 1828. Reaching it requires a ferry and a minibus.
Cape Wrath takes its name from the Old Norse word for 'turning point', where Viking fleets turned south. The headland is one of the wildest areas on mainland Britain, with no public road connecting it to the outside world. Visitors usually take a small ferry from the Keoldale pier west of Durness across the Kyle of Durness, then ride a minibus about 18 km along a bumpy dirt track to the lighthouse. The one-way trip takes about an hour. Beside the lighthouse is the 'most remote café' in Britain, the Ozone Café. The UK Ministry of Defence runs a firing range here, and the area is closed during exercises. The ferry and minibus are small private operations whose service has been unreliable in recent years, so be sure to confirm before setting out. You can also walk or ride a mountain bike to the lighthouse.
Opening hours
Seasonal operation; confirm in advance
Nearby sights
- Sandwood Bay
- Oldshoremore Beach
- Faraid Head
- Balnakeil Beach
- Balnakeil Church
- Balnakeil Craft Village
- Sango Bay
- Ceannabeinne Beach