Duncansby Head to Cape Wrath | 150 miles/241km | white beaches, beautiful bays and coves, waterfalls and plenty of wildlife
Work in progress: This web site is being developed and content will be added, just as the NCT itself is also being developed. Your donations and feedback will help us with both. For now, you can find some stage walk descriptions and GPX files on the walkhighlands web site here.
In late 2024, we held a series of community consultations in the half of the trail east of Melvich. We are now engaging directly with landowners and other stakeholders to decide on a route there. Where a route is agreed, we have begun to mark the trail. By summer 2025, we hope to have a marked trail up and running from Duncansby Head to Melvich. In the west, the trail will continue to be a concept more than a path, though much of the coast is already walkable. For more up to date info, please see our North Coast Trail Facebook page.
It’s a walk on the wild side with a ferry ride thrown in for good measure. The North Coast Trail takes you through some of the most picturesque, historical and dramatic landscapes in the world. White beaches, beautiful bays and coves, waterfalls, Highland Clearance Villages, wildlife and even the odd mountain or two can be seen along the Trail.
The NCT is a mixture of obvious grassy path ways, the less obvious (such as sheep trails), shoreline and some roads.
As in wilderness, conditions and fitness will play a big part in your enjoyment of the Trail and Scotland’s north coast. In some of the more rugged sections, it is recommended that a minimum of two persons walk together.
General points for you to consider – suitable footwear & clothing; navigational safety equipment; accommodation; food & water supplies; weather; phone signals (or rather lack of); route planning and notification; midges.