The cottage provides an excellent base from which to explore Caithness and North Sutherland. There is scope for a wide variety of car tours, with most of the far North within an easy day’s drive. Motoring is still a pleasure, the roads are quiet and often twisty and single track - to be enjoyed at a leisurely pace! It is also good cycling country, with plenty of routes for both road and mountain bikes.

Within 10 minutes drive is the two-mile stretch of Dunnet Sands with the cliffs of Dunnet Head beyond. There are many secluded beaches along both the North and East coasts amid some of the finest coastal scenery in Britain. The setting of beaches such as Strathy compares with the best in the world.

John-O’ Groats is only 20 miles away, as is the county town of Wick (attractive harbour, Heritage Centre, new swimming pool) and the village of Dunbeath, birthplace of the famous author Neil Gunn. The landscapes so vividly described by him are still to be seen.

Only 15 miles away is the famous Castle of Mey with its gardens; formerly the Summer home of the Queen Mother this is now open to the public from late May until September.

The Caithness flow country, pristine peatland of international importance, is within easy reach of the cottage.

Thurso is the most Northerly town on the British mainland with good shops, a swimming pool, ten-pin bowling and all the usual town facilities. There are several hotels which serve bar meals, high teas and dinners, also in Summer, Scottish Ceilidhs are held.

Just across the Pentland Firth are the Orkney Isles. Day trips are available every day (May-September) from John-O-Groats including guided tours around the islands, visiting the Churchill Barriers, St Magnus Cathedral and the prehistoric village of Skara Brae. Day returns from Scrabster are also possible on many days throughout the year.

On the moors, hills and mountains of Caithness and Sutherland the walker can enjoy the peace and solitude which is now rarely found elsewhere. Deer will certainly be seen, possibly ptarmigan on the higher tops with, if you’re lucky, a glimpse of a family of otters or a golden eagle. Wildcats are present, but I’ve rarely had a good sighting myself! Seals are common around the coasts.

Caithness is famous for its wild brown trout, there is boat fishing on most easily accessible lochs or you can walk out to a remote loch and have the water entirely to yourself. The salmon fishing is also renowned, particularly on the River Thurso. Top class sea-angling is to be enjoyed from Scrabster.

There are several excellent golf-courses in the vicinity, there is no difficulty in booking a round and fees are very reasonable.

Caithness provides some of the best surfing in the world - but you will need a wetsuit!

Caithness is a superb county for birdwatching and several rare species breed in the flow country. The spectacular cliff-nesting colonies of kittiwakes and guillemots are easily watched in complete safety from Duncansby Head, near John-O-Groats. Puffins, razorbills, shags and cormorants will also be seen there, and elsewhere. Near the cottage you will hear and see field and moorland birds such as larks, curlews, redshank, lapwings, snipe, and oyster-catchers. Buzzards and kestrel are common, most other birds of prey (including hen-harriers, peregrines and ospreys) can be seen locally. Autumn is a good time to see the migrating wild geese which roost in thousands on the lochs and feed on stubble fields. Other migrants, some rare, also pass through in considerable numbers.

Farming is usually not intensive in Caithness and wild flowers grow in profusion. A speciality is the Scottish Primrose, common here along grassy clifftops and dune links but found almost nowhere else. In different seasons you can find banks of violets and primroses, carpets of blue Spring Squill, fields of Grass of Parnassus, verges dotted with purple orchids. You don’t need to be an expert to find over 

Caithness is rich in antiquities, particularly chambered cairns, standing stones and stone rows dating back to 3000BC. Brochs - the remains of iron-age fortified multistory flats (only 2000 years old) - are common. Many sites have never been investigated and just 200 yards along the road from the cottage is the enigmatic green hillock of Sysa - probably a chambered cairn - where the Valkyries reputedly lie sleeping.

You can read more about the Far North in Ben MacGregor's column in the local paper (the Caithness Courier) Out and About with Ralph