NC500 West tour

The village of Tongue is an ideal base for trips into the heart of Sutherland but it also has plenty of amenities and attractions close by to keep visitors busy. There are two hotels with restaurants and bars, a shop, a café and gift shop, a playpark and 24 hour fuel pump. Although by the sea, Tongue is surrounded by expansive grassy peatland, peppered by lochs, bordered by hills, mountains and those magnificent beaches.

Some noteable local visits include:

Castle Varich the Castle can be seen from Kyle of Tongue Hostel and Holiday Park. There is a path leading up to the Castle which starts in the middle of the village. It is a medium standard walk uphill towards the Castle, which has recently undergone stabilisation work and the construction of a viewing platform.

Moine House and The Flows – originally a ‘Bothy’ (effectively free accommodation for travellers to escape the elements) Moine House has some interesting graffitti art on its walls inside and is well worth a visit to take a few pictures. Moine House sits in the Flows region of Sutherland. This is the largest Peat Bog in Europe covering around 4,000 square kilometers. It is considered the best habitat of its type anywhere in the world. The peat throughout this remarkable ecosystem records the history of plants, animals and people who have made this region their home for thousands of years. Beautiful to walk/ride through.

Beaches – there are a number of stunning beaches in the local area which can be enjoyed whatever the weather!

Ben Loyal – known as the Queen of the Scottish mountains, Ben Loyal stands proud over the village of Tongue and is a popular mountain climb for visitors.

Durness is a thriving village surrounded by the dramatic landscape of Sutherland.

This most north westerly village on the Scottish mainland boasts spectacular scenery with a rocky coastline, pristine beaches with turquoise waters, a wide array of wildlife and vast open spaces which makes it a great escape from all the hustle and bustle!

The North West Highlands Geopark is a key attraction here, with untouched landscapes, walking routes and trails for all abilities, white sandy beaches, rock caves and much more.

Hillwalkers and mountain climbers find this place a real haven as it offers towering cliffs, rugged mountains and expansive moorlands which all provide fantastic but sometimes challenging walking trails. If you’re embarking on the North Highland Way, you can get your passports stamped at the local Post Office.

Scattered around a string of sheltered sandy coves and grassy cliff tops, Durness straddles the turning point on the main road as it swings east from the inland peat bogs to the coast. Nearby are Smoo Cave, a gaping hole in a sheer limestone cliff, and beautiful Balnakiel Beach.

The crofting village of Scourie, once a Clan Mackay stronghold, lies at the centre of the parish of Eddrachilles in North West Sutherland, and provides an ideal base from which to explore the surrounding countryside.

An area famous for its remote rugged beauty, unspoilt by modern development, but with good road connections to Inverness and the East Coast, Scourie offers a wide range of services for visitors to the area.

The village also claims to be the only one in the world where, depending on the season of the year, you can see Palm Trees, Red and Black Throated Divers and Highland Cattle, from the foreshore of the bay.

Handa Island has over 200,000 seabirds on its towering cliffs, including internationally important numbers of guillemot, razorbill and great skua. Plus more than 250 pairs of puffin breed here. Also Otters, dolphins, minke whales, pilot whales, porpoises, basking sharks and the amazing orca (killer whales) also occasionally go by.