Johnshaven - Golspie

Dunnottar Castle on its cliffs, Highland cows by the roadside, and a hunt for a sharp photo of Nessie that ends in the tourist trap of Urquhart Castle.

Annina & Nicolas 4 April 2023 · 2 min read

In short

The breathtaking Dunnottar Castle on its cliffs is the perfect start to the day, followed by Highland cows by the roadside. At Loch Ness we set out to finally take a sharp photo of Nessie, instead we find a veritable tourist trap in Urquhart Castle. The night is spent with a kind elderly lady in Golspie.

The tour in numbers

Start: Dunnottar Castle car park on the A92, about 1.6 miles (2.6 km) south of Stonehaven
Getting there: Car, and the castle car park is small. From there about 300 m on a dirt path to the cliff, then 180 concrete steps to the entrance, about 40 m of path and 38 uneven steps. Alternatively on foot from Stonehaven along the coastal path.

Country:

Scotland

Date:

4 April 2023

Photos:

Cover photo:

Dunnottar Castle, Scotland · 56.9459° N · 2.1972° W

This morning we leave straight after breakfast for the nearby Dunnottar Castle. The view of the castle is breathtaking, we are literally surrounded by beautiful landscape: high cliffs, green hills and a clear blue sea, everything is there. We enjoy the nature around the castle and take plenty of photos and drone videos. After the castle our route takes us through the national park, where we soak up the scenery and the fresh air. There are so many beautiful landscapes that we cannot get enough of them, and on the way we also see some Scottish highland cows. Next we set ourselves a goal: to finally take a high-resolution picture of Nessie and settle the question of the Loch Ness monster once and for all. So we make our way to the famous Loch Ness and start with Urquhart Castle, which turns out to be a real tourist trap. We have hardly seen so many people in one place anywhere in Scotland, and the castle is not even particularly well preserved. The view over Loch Ness is worth it, though, and of course we take a few photos. Afterwards we head to our new Airbnb in Golspie, where a kind elderly lady, the owner of the house, welcomes us. We shop on the way and have dinner in our room, which we thoroughly enjoy.