Easter Head Cairn(s) View all content for Easter Head

Visited 16 October 2013. We take the Thurso-John o'Groats bus as far as Brough (pronounced to rhyme with "loch"), then it's a simple road walk of three miles to Easter Head, the most northerly part of Dunnet Head. I had completely underestimated the distance from the map (doh), so it becomes a bit of a rush to get up here. The quiet road climbs steadily, winding its way past a selection of heather-imprisoned lochs, bright mirrors in a dark and impenetrable setting. The highest point of the headland, where the cairn is, is visible the whole way, but doesn't seem to get any closer for quite a long while. Eventually we round the corner and the lighthouse suddenly comes into sight. A car-parking area is available, which attracts several blink-and-they're-gone other visitors during the time we're here. The cairn itself has sadly disappeared under a circular seating/toposcope thing, but this place is well worth the effort of the visit on a clear day for the views of the Orkney Islands across the Pentland Firth, almost close enough to touch. As the helpful, albeit cairn-destroying, panels inform us, we can see Hoy, Scapa Flow (which brings schoolboy memories of the sinking of the Royal Oak by Gunter Prien's U-47), as well as the cliff fort of Holburn Head, Ben Loyal, Cape Wrath to the west and Duncansby Head to the east, amongst other things. We have about three quarters of an hour before the repeat journey back to catch the bus, during which time the wind whips up a frenzy, even on this mild and sunny afternoon. The headland is dotted with abandoned concrete buildings of a military-looking type, casting an air of post-apocalyptic decay onto the scene. I'm sure the weather was all lovely and tropical in the Bronze Age when the cairn was built, but this feels as close to the ends of the Earth as anywhere right now. Perhaps they felt that too, some days. Until we make it across to the Orkneys one day, this is as far north as we get. For all the howling wind, I find it a wrench to leave here.

Posted by thesweetcheat 27th October 2013ce

Comments (15)
Great site and the mainland's most northerly Hump to boot. Good stuff tsc.	Posted by thelonious 27th October 2013ce
I hadn't even realised that. Ta!	Posted by thesweetcheat 27th October 2013ce
Neither did I when I went and I can't remember going to the actual top :-( Good excuse to go back one day :-)	Posted by thelonious 27th October 2013ce
Definitely, make sure you go when there's good visibility. We went to Land's End and Lizard Point in the summer, so it seemed appropriate to come up here this time. Unfortunately we didn't have time to look at any of the cairns around Dunnet, due to my timing error.	Posted by thesweetcheat 27th October 2013ce
Lizard Point and Easter Head in the same year, that's great. I love doing things like that. Has a nice symmetry to it.	Posted by thelonious 27th October 2013ce
There's a little part of me that might want to get to Lowestoft too.	Posted by thesweetcheat 27th October 2013ce
Visited the car park last year on my way to Orkney. I had already visited the most southern point (Lizzard Point) and most eastern (Lowestoft). I was obviously keen to do the most northern. This year I managed to finish my 'quest' by visiting the most westernly point (Ardnamurchan Point) - which of the four was without doubt the most awkward to reach. As for the cairn being here, I had no idea.	Posted by CARL 28th October 2013ce
The drive to Ardnamurchan Point is something else. Worth going just to see the Stevenson "Egyptian" lighthouse. Happy memories.	Posted by thelonious 28th October 2013ce
Way to go, to the ends of the Earth, then a bit further. I did Lands end and John o groats in the same year, for such a little island the two are so different as to be millions of miles apart.	Posted by postman 28th October 2013ce
I know I am going to sound like an old fart but (unfortunately) John O'Groats isn't now as nice as it was when I first visited some 40 years ago. Back then it was little more than a small fishing port - hardly anything in the way of 'tourism'. When I visited again last year I was dismayed to see the 'new builds' going up and the visitor's centre, large car parks etc. It looked to me that it was heading the same way as Lands End. And we all know what that is like! Still, it is well worth a visit if you get the chance as the journey (and scenery) heading north is memorable.	Posted by CARL 28th October 2013ce
Carl, take this whatever way you like, but I thought you were younger than me, but unless you went to JO'G pre-conception (or perhaps in a past life), I have been mistaken. Ardnamurchan Point. Sounds worth looking at, if we ever get across the water anytime. I shall content myself with Land's End til then.	Posted by thesweetcheat 28th October 2013ce
I will take that as a compliment TSC! I am actually the ripe old age of 49. Big 50 next year - still thinking of where to go to mark the occasion? I was probably about 8 when I first went to JO'G. I guess it's my parent's fault I have the travel bug! Ardnamurchan Point is a long old drive (longer than it looks on the map) along a narrow and twisting road. Worth the effort though.	Posted by CARL 29th October 2013ce
A-ha! I have the big 40 soon, firmly middle-aged then :) My next obvious question re Ardnamurchan is "is there a bus service?"	Posted by thesweetcheat 29th October 2013ce
Apparently there is a daily bus - possibly as far as the ferry terminal? I can't see a bus going all the way to the lighthouse?	Posted by CARL 29th October 2013ce
That's good enough! Thanks Carl. One day...	Posted by thesweetcheat 29th October 2013ce
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