Whaligoe, near Lybster, Caithness, Scotland

Whaligoe Steps

Coastal reserve

Place photograph

8.1

Wildland

1–2 hours

Time

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Cost

Dramatic

Feel

CoastalRemote countrysideWalkersPhotographersHistory lovers

Why it's Wildland

8.1

A zig-zag stairway cut into a steep Caithness cliff leads down to Whaligoe’s small natural harbour. The harbour’s fishing past is closely tied to the women who carried baskets of fish up the cliff to the clifftop.

The drama here is physical as well as scenic: 330 steep steps descend a cliff to a difficult-to-reach harbour, while a short inland walk adds a Bronze Age chambered cairn. The exposed drops and rough, sometimes boggy ground make this a place to approach carefully, not casually.

Dramatic · Wild · Atmospheric

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Whaligoe, near Lybster, Caithness, Scotland

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The experience

Descend the cliff steps only if conditions and your confidence allow, taking particular care around the unprotected drops. For the fuller walk, follow the waymarked route to the Cairn of Get and look inside its open chamber from the passage between the upright slabs.

Things to do

Descend to Whaligoe harbour

Follow the 330 steps down the cliff to the small harbour. The steps are very steep, with unprotected vertical drops into the sea; extreme care is needed.

Visit the Cairn of Get

Take the waymarked route through rough pasture to the Bronze Age chambered cairn. The source describes a passage leading between two upright slabs into an inner chamber.

Included in a 3 km / 1.75 mile walk taking 1–1.5 hours

Make a day of it

Quick escape · Allow time to descend and return; duration not specified by the source.

Quick Escape: the cliff steps and harbour

01
Reach the signed Cairn of Get parking start described by the walk source.
02
Descend the Whaligoe Steps carefully to the harbour, watching for steep steps and unprotected drops.
03
Return by the steps; do not continue if conditions or footing feel unsafe.

Half day · 1–1.5 hours for the 3 km walk, according to the route source; allow additional time for stops.

Make a half day of it: steps and Cairn of Get

01
Start at the parking area signed for Cairn of Get.
02
Follow the waymarked route through rough pasture to the chambered cairn; use the boardwalk across the boggy field.
03
Visit Whaligoe Steps and descend to the harbour only if safe to do so; take extreme care on the steep, exposed steps.
04
Return to the start using the described route.

Verified history

The Cairn of Get is described by Walkhighlands as a Bronze Age burial site. It was once roofed; its chamber is now open to the elements, with a passage between two upright slabs. The supplied BBC source reports that a landing area was created at Whaligoe in the 1790s during a herring-fishing boom, and that women carried baskets of fish from boats up the more-than-300 cliff steps for transport to market.

Hidden details

Look into the cairn’s open chamber — At the Cairn of Get, look for the passage between two upright slabs that leads into the inner chamber. The cairn was once roofed but is now open to the elements.

Spot the boardwalk across the boggy field — The waymarked approach to the cairn crosses a boggy field on a wooden boardwalk before reaching a stile.

When to go

· Not specified by the supplied sources; check conditions before visiting.

No seasonal guidance is established in the supplied sources.

The walk includes exposed, very steep steps with unprotected drops and a boggy field. Check current conditions and take extreme care.

The route

ascent: 125 m
stiles: A stile is described on the route.
surface: Rough pasture; a wooden boardwalk crosses a boggy field; very steep steps at the cliffs.
distance: 3 km / 1.75 miles
duration: 1–1.5 hours
difficulty: Grade not stated in supplied text; very steep steps with unprotected drops and rough, boggy ground. Extreme care needed.
waymarking: The route to the Cairn of Get is waymarked with tall black-and-white posts.
start point: Parking area signed for Cairn of Get; route start grid reference ND318408.
parking start: Walkhighlands describes marked parking near the south end of Loch Watenan and a parking area signed for Cairn of Get. Check current arrangements.
shorter alternative: Visit the steps and harbour only, returning by the same steps; the supplied source does not give a separate distance or duration for this option.

Whaligoe Steps: 330 steps descending the cliff to the harbour
Cairn of Get, a Bronze Age chambered cairn
Boardwalk across a boggy field

What to look for

01
Notice how the steps zig-zag down the cliff to the harbour. At the Cairn of Get, look for the passage between two upright slabs leading into the inner chamber
02
the cairn is now open to the elements.

The story

Historic fishing harbour; nearby Bronze Age chambered cairn

Best time to go

Check conditions before visiting; the supplied sources do not identify a best season.

The supplied sources do not establish a best time of day or season. Check conditions before visiting; the steps are very steep and the route includes rough and boggy ground.

How long to spend

1–2 hours

Perfect for

Walkers · Photographers · History lovers

Before you go

Website Google Maps

Address

Whaligoe, Lybster KW2 6AA

Website

walkhighlands.co.uk

Listed hours

Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours

Check before visiting.

Google rating

4.8 · 1,606 reviews

Practical information

Opening & access

A cliffside flight of 330 steep steps descends to a small harbour. The steps have unprotected drops and require extreme care. The supplied source describes a walk combining the steps with the Cairn of Get; check current conditions before setting out.

Check before visiting

Parking

The walk source gives a start at a parking area signed for Cairn of Get; it also describes marked parking near the south end of Loch Watenan. Check current parking arrangements before travelling.

Check before visiting

Toilets

Check before visiting

Food & drink

Check before visiting

Dogs

Check before visiting

Accessibility

The source row says the car park and entrance are not wheelchair accessible. The route includes very steep steps with unprotected drops, rough pasture, a boggy section and a stile; it is not suitable for visitors who cannot manage these obstacles.

Cost

Check before visiting

Water

Sea harbour; swimming or paddling permission is not established.