🗺️ NC500 Attractions

Sandside Bay near Reay offers one of the more surreal views on the NC500 — the beach is genuinely lovely with soft pinkish-white sand and clear water, but the decommissioned Dounreay nuclear power station dominates the horizon to the east. Despite its unusual industrial backdrop, the beach is clean, safe for swimming, and often quiet. A memorable and unusual…

Dunnet Bay is a magnificent 3-mile arc of sand on the north Caithness coast, frequently cited as the finest surf beach in mainland Scotland. The bay faces directly north into the Pentland Firth — one of the most powerful tidal passages in the world — and th…

The Bay of Sannick is a small, sheltered bay near Duncansby Head, just southeast of John o'Groats, known for its shell-rich shoreline glittering with different coloured shells. Far quieter than nearby John o'Groats. From the headland above, the path to Duncansby Head leads past dramatic sea stack…

Keiss Beach is a pleasant sandy beach in the quiet fishing village of Keiss on the east Caithness coast. The beach is sheltered and clean, with the ruins of Keiss Castle — a 16th-century tower house — providing a pictures…