Things to do
Local area
There is plenty to do and enjoy at Stoer View, whether you like hiking, day trips, angling, wild swimming, mountains to climb, rivers to kayak, dog walks, or just exploring nearby towns and villages.
See our (tried and tested) recommendations below for places to eat, walks and boat trips.
Places to eat
SCOURIE
The Scourie Hotel primarily caters for fishing holidays but its restaurant is open to the public. It does formal three course meals that you can book and enjoy alongside the fisher-folk and their tales of the one that got away. They also do really good bar meals and keep a good pint (where no booking is required and the fisherman stories are optional!).
Scourie Hotel, Scourie IV27 4SX
Tel: 01971 502 396 | scouriehotel.com
The Eddrachilles Hotel sits at the end of Badcall Bay and has lovely views along the whole bay (you can see Stoer View up on the hill from their beautiful gardens). They serve a full three course meal each night and the restaurant is open to non-residents of the hotel. Their website also has a great ‘what to do’ section for the area.
Eddrachilles Hotel, Lower Badcall, Scourie IV27 4TH
Tel: 01971 502 080 | info@eddrachilles.com | www.eddrachilles.com
The Whale Tale is a small informal café at the Scourie Lodge, run by a lovely young couple from Brazil. They serve really good coffee!
www.facebook.com/TheWhaleTaleCafeAndRestaurant
The Anchorage Café at the Scourie campsite does hearty bar meals and serves drinks in a lively bar.
Lynn’s Fish and Chips: Lynn opens her Fish & Chip van on Wednesday and Friday evenings from 5pm to 7pm. You will find her outside the Scourie shop.
KYLESKU
The Newton Lodge reopened just last year after a complete refurbishment with a great restaurant with outdoor space and fantastic views.
Newton Lodge, Kylesku IV27 4HW
Tel: 01971 502 070 | Mob: 07817 639 143
www.newtonlodge.co.uk/restaurant-highland-bar-no-4-drinks-food-views/
The Kylesku Hotel has a lovely restaurant with views overlooking Loch Glendhu. They serve great meals and have a very well stocked bar. They use local produce wherever possible including vegetables from the croft in Scourie. It is very popular so booking is advised.
Kylesku Hotel, Kylesku IV27 4HW
Tel: 01971 502 231 | info@kyleskuhotel.co.uk
The Newton Lodge and the Kylesku Hotel have both announced a recent change in ownership so re-opening dates and menus may change.
TARBET
The Shorehouse Seafood Restaurant is next to the ferry point for the crossing to lovely Handa Island (beautiful walk and amazing bird watching). It serves the fresh seafood they catch themselves. Booking is essential! They catch their own fish and will catch something for you to cook at home if you ask very nicely.
Shorehouse Seafood Restaurant, Tigh Na Mara, Tarbet IV27 4SS
Tel: 01971 502 251 | eat@shorehousetarbet.co.uk
LOCHINVER
The Lochinver Larder has great pies! They run a restaurant and pie shop and also have an outdoor pie shack serving daily from their garden by the water.
Lochinver Larder, Main St, Lochinver IV27 4JY
T: 01571 844 356 | hello@lochinverlarder.com
Peet’s Harbourside Restaurant has a full menu with fresh fish caught locally.
Peet’s Harbourside, Culag Road, Lochinver IV27 4LE
Tel: 01571 844 085 | eat@peets.co.uk
KINLOCHBERVIE
The Old Schoolhouse does lunch and dinner inside the former schoolhouse or on their outside patio. There are daily specials and cafe items available.
The Old Schoolhouse Restaurant and Rooms, Inshegra IV27 4RJ
Tel: 01971 521 383 | oldschoolklb@gmail.com
DURNESS
Cocoa Mountain is Britain’s most northerly chocolate maker. They have a great café where they serve their famous hot chocolate. They also do great coffee and have tasty snacks and pastries.
Cocoa Mountain, Balnakeil Craft Village, Durness IV27 4PT
Tel: 01971 511 233 | info@cocoamountain.co.uk
Walking and sights to visit around the Assynt
Nowhere are Scotland’s stunning natural landscapes more prevalent than in the often-overlooked north-western region of Assynt. With otherworldly mountains and vast expanses of unspoilt coastline, this sparsely populated area is increasingly popular with tourists – and must be seen to be believed.
The name Assynt may derive from an Old Norse word meaning ‘ridge end’. There is also a tradition that the name comes from a fight between the two brothers Unt and Ass-Unt (meaning Man of Peace and Man of Discord). The latter, having won the tussle, gave his name to the parish.
In June 2005 the Glencanisp estate, including the mountains Suilven and Canisp, and the neighbouring Drumrunie estate, with the mountains Cùl Mòr and Cùl Beag, were bought by the local community. The Assynt Foundation aims to create local employment and safeguard the natural and cultural heritage for the benefit of the community and future generations, and for the enjoyment of the wider public. The estates of Glencanisp and Drumrunie totalling some 18,000 hectares are managed by the Assynt Foundation on behalf of the Assynt community.
There are lots of fabulous walks so here are a few suggestions from our favourites and some links to give you loads more ideas.
Scourie Headlands
A short (1.75m) but rough coastal walk runs out onto the peninsula from Scourie beach. The sea views, particularly from the cairns near the point, are superb. If you are feeling more adventurous (and have a map) you can also make your way back to Stoer View across the moorland.
www.walkhighlands.co.uk/sutherland/scourie-headland.shtml
Other walks around Scourie: www.highland.gov.uk/outdoorhighlands/download/downloads/id/16/paths_around_scourie.pdf
Handa Island
Handa Island is a small island just off the coast at Tarbet, and has the most amazing cliffs that fall away into the sea and create a haven for all kinds of seabirds. At the right time of year (mid-May to July) you can see thousands of puffins. It is reached via a ferry service (a rib run by the family who also run the Shorehouse Seafood Restaurant) that runs from 9am to 2pm. You can’t book but it is a lovely place to wait, if it’s busy. Once on the island there are well marked paths and the walking is mostly flat.
scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/reserve/handa-island
Sandwood Bay
Sandwood Bay is one of the most magnificent beaches in the UK, offering nearly a mile and a half of wide, pinkish sand backed by huge sand dunes and a loch. It is flanked by cliffs and an impressive sea stack. One of the things that keeps Sandwood Bay so very special is that no one gets here without expending some real effort first. The nearest approach by public road is at Blairmore, not far from Oldshoremore and a few miles north west of Kinlochbervie.
www.walkhighlands.co.uk/sutherland/sandwood-bay.shtml
Oldshoremore Beach
A five mile walk that takes you along one of the most beautiful beaches in the area. Follow the coast to three beautiful sandy bays with rough headlands in between and for the second half return on an inland minor road.
www.walkhighlands.co.uk/sutherland/oldshoremore-bay.shtml
Falls of Kirkaig
A 4.25 mile walk through a beautiful wooded glen to the moorland above with the reward at the end of a close-up view of the fabulous Falls of Kirkaig.
Clachtoll Beach
This is a short walk (1.75 miles) but take your time to enjoy the fabulous Clachtoll Beach. Flossie’s Beach Store is nearby for coffee and tea.
www.walkhighlands.co.uk/ullapool/clachtoll-beach.shtml
Bone Caves of Assynt
The Bone Caves are a series of natural caves set into a high limestone cliff called Creag nan Uamh (Crag of the Caves). The caves are named for the large numbers of animal bones found during excavations. There are four main cave openings in the cliffs, formed before the last ice age by water dissolving limestone in cracks in the surrounding rock. Subsequent glacial action and erosion of the glen by water left the caves hundreds of feet above the valley floor.
www.walkhighlands.co.uk/ullapool/bonecaves.shtm
Glendhu Bothy (Kylesku)
Once a small family croft, the bothy at the end of Loch Dhu can now be reached by a good track which also takes you past the Maldie burn, an impressively powerful waterfall. The Loch itself was carved by glaciers and is incredibly deep, much like a Norwegian Fjord. The Loch joins with Loch Glencoul at Kylesku before flowing to the sea.
www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=91880
Falls of Kirkaig (near Lochinver)
The Falls of Kirkaig is a wonderfully scenic waterfall on the River Kirkaig, south of Lochinver, on the main approach route to Suilven. It is one of the most spectacular sights to visit, if you are prepared to put in a small effort to get there. The walk to the Falls can be combined with a longer walk and ascent of Suilven, or it can simply be a more sedate outing in marvellous Sutherland scenery. To reach the falls you have to take the Inverkirkaig road south from Lochinver and park at a small paved parking area just before the bridge over the river.
www.walkhighlands.co.uk/ullapool/falls-of-kirkaig.shtml
Faraid Head, Durness
A four mile walk through the beautiful sandy beaches and dunes of Faraid Head just west of Durness, with good views over Cape Wrath and lots of nesting seabirds on the cliffs and grey seals at the right time of year. Be sure to stop off at Cocoa Mountain in Balnakeil for the best hot chocolate and other treats.
www.cocoamountain.co.uk/content/3160/visit-cocoa-mountain/
www.walkhighlands.co.uk/sutherland/faraid-head.shtml
Smoo Cave and Bhlar Duibhe
A 4.25 mile walk giving time to explore Smoo Cave (a massive sea cave and a ‘must see’ in the area) and then head inland on a moorland track for a mostly flat circuit.
www.walkhighlands.co.uk/sutherland/smoo-cave.shtml
Walk Highlands
Walk Highlands has a great website with a comprehensive list of walks of all kinds.
Boat trips and fishing
BOAT TRIPS
North Coast Sea Tours
From the slipway at Kylesku you can take tours with North Coast Sea Tours. Tours currently include:
Handa Island Stacks and Seabirds – half day tour of Old Man of Stoer sea stack and sea birds on spectacular Handa Island Great Stack sea cliffs (note: does not land on the island but great photography opportunities)
Cape Wrath, including landing at Scotland's most north westerly point
Sula Sgeir and North Rona.
Some tours require higher levels of mobility for landings. Full guidance and prices are given on the website. Operates from May until mid August.
Kylesku Boat Tours
Also departing from Kylesku slipway with two daily boat trips offering 1 hour 45 minute tours with commentary on local history, geology and wildlife (expect to see grey seals, eagles and otters). They also talk about the sealife of the loch including the shellfish and fish, and local responsible fishing practices. Remember to check out the old Kylesku ferry that was pulled up onto the shore when the bridge opened in 1984 and still rests in the same spot. Tours from May to September. For more information, or to book, call the Kylesku Hotel on 01971 502 231.
FISHING
You can buy a fishing licence for local areas at the Scourie Filling Station (www.scouriefillingstation.uk). They can advise you on the best places to fish and also have a good stock of fishing equipment.
Some tips on driving in the Highlands
Many of the roads in the North West Highlands are single track with passing places. They can get pretty busy in the summer with people enjoying the NC500. It all works pretty well so long as everyone stays patient... you will need to pull over frequently... and takes their time. Some favourite spots can get quite congested especially with camper vans on the road finding places to stay overnight. And, please, never park in a passing place.