Lybster

Once a Herring Port

Lybster with its clean fresh air sits in a sweeping bay with views across the North Sea and down to the Moray Coast. It is steeped in clan history and was once the third largest herring port in Scotland, after Wick and Fraserburgh. There is an interesting, comprehensive exhibition about the area’s history and natural heritage which explains how the community survived throughout the ages. Today Lybster offers a wide range of excellent accommodation. Those with a discerning pallet will enjoy a visit to the cheese factory or eating out at some of the many top notch establishments.

This is an area peppered with archaeological sites which allow you to feel first hand an atmosphere experienced by our ancestors. The Grey Cairns of Campster sit five miles inland on the Watten road. Visitors can travel back in time by crawling inside the 5,000 year old cairn. Also inland on the road to Achavanich are the Achavanich Standing Stones which stand sentry by Stempster Hill. Over 30 of these stones remain but it is thought there may have been about 50 at one time. The highest stone stands at about 2 metres tall. So far there is thought to be no astronomical significance attached to this imposing configuration. Follow the coastal road north to Ulbster and follow the signs for the Hill of Many Stanes, and nearby you can see the Cairn of Get which measures 24 metres by 14. Close by are the Whaligoe Steps which lead down to the harbour. (There are 365 steps in all. They are steep and demand great care.

If you are interested in birds you can train your binoculars on the cliffs around Lybster and observe breeding colonies of seabirds, or view them seasonally through the camera link recording them. Just south of Lybster on the A99 is the village of Latheron which has more heritage centres. Here you will find the centre for Clan Gunn and you can uncover ancestral history relating to various clans which have an association with the Gunns. From Latheron you can take the A9 south to Dunbeath and then Helmsdale or you can follow it north to Thurso and the open moors of the Causwaymire. From here you can make a visit to the Boglands at Blar Nam Foaileag and Westerdale Mill – both of which are a must for those interested in herbs and ferns, especially at Dirlot Gorge. The Causwaymire road also takes one past a large wind farm which looks surprisingly in place on this barren stretch of road where there is a sense of the future blending with the past.

Harbour development in Cathness reached its peak in the 19th century. In fact the growth of activity in Lybster Harbour was so rapid that it was officially recognised as a fishing station in 1817. The quays, piers and storehouses were constructed at the expense of the Duke of Portland in 1849 and the development stands today as a testimony to the sound nature of construction during that period.

Should you choose to visit Lybster you will be drawn in by a place which blends ancient history and stunning scenery with a story of sustained development and an ability to move with the times.