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8 June 2008
Wick - Lybster By Sea
 Caithness
Field Club members split into two halves with one half making the trip
from Wick to Lybster and the other half going from Lybster to Wick.
30 September 07
Wish You Were Here Today - Ackergill To Girnigoe Castle Walk In Glorious
Sunshine
   
As part of the Archaeology Festival in Caithness today Caithness Field
Club ran a walk from Ackergill to Girnigoe Castle. Along the way
the group saw seals, gannets diving for fish, the St Tears chapel site,
a second wolrd war lookout post as well as Ackergill tower at the start
and Girnigoe Castle at the end. Girnigoe is the site where history
is being rewritten as more discoveries are being made each year by the
archaeologists from York university excavating the site. Among
this years discoveries is a cobbled road only part of which has been
uncovered as yet. A new footpath is being constructed leading to a
new footbridge that will allow easier access to the castle. the
bridge will be put in place later in October. access is still
limited to the public unless you go on one of these organised outings.
It is hoped that some access will be available to the public next year.
Meanwhile everyone enjoyed walk along the coast on one of the sunniest
days Caithness has seen this year.
Caithness Archaeology Festival Programme
More
about Ackergill Castle
More about Girnigoe Castle
2 September 07
Caithness Field Club Outing To Strathnaver
On Sunday 2 September 2007 Caithness Field Club Members headed over to
Bettyhill and on to Strathnaver to look at some of the places that make up
part of the Strathnaver Trail. The main places looked at were Achanlochy
Clearance Village and the chambered cairns at Coille na Borgie. For more information about what the Field
Club saw and much more look at the leaflet
Strathnaver Trail (Pdf 7932kb).
23 April 07
Caithness Field Club Outing To Brora and Golspie
On Sunday 22nd April 2007 Caithness Field Club members went on day trip to
Brora and Golspie. At Brora a local historian showed them round the
Salt Pans area of Back Beach, Brora and described how the coal was used in
the making of salt. Various features at the beach were noted and long the
way spots of interest were pointed out. Buildings at the beach have in
recent years become visible once again due to coastal erosion - they had
been covered in sand dunes long ago. Lunch was taken at the Royal
Marine Hotel in Brora before the group boarded the bus to the next stop
and walked along the picturesque Big Burn to the waterfall at the end.
For more information on history in Brora see
www.clyneheritage.com
21 January 06
Rumster Forest
 Field
Club members set out on their first walk of 2007 on beautiful morning with
the sun shining. The small amount of now was crisp underfoot and
made ideal conditions for walking along the tracks of the forest. the
forest has a large number of long houses and some are easily visible at
the old crofting village of Golsary. Many of the houses were lived
in until 1947 when it was all taken over for forestry. At Golsary a
broch sits behind on of the houses. One of the houses also has a
fine example of a drying kiln. The walkers also took quick look at
the burnt out remains of the Rumster Outdoor Centre that had been unused
for some years and was burnet down in 2006. The walk that was just
over 4 miles took about 2and a half hours and members made it back to the
cars just as the first icy rain of the day made an appearance -
perfect timing.
26 March 06
Old Hall Watten
 An
extremely interesting morning looking at the Chapel of Dunn and the crypt
below.
The chapel is near the Old Hall, Watten.
Geoff Leet noticed what appeared to be an early Mill lade and a closer
examination of the area did indeed reveal a dam and a reedy area that
usually denotes a pond. Following the likely route of the Mill lade
did not help to find a mill although it seems likely to have been close to
the bottom of the slope at Old Hall. the main group went to look at
the Standing Stone. Moving on to the near the main road the group
saw a Telford Bridge that lies near the present bridge that takes traffic
today over the stream pretty well unnoticed by most folk passing through
Old Hall near the caravan site. The old road can be clearly seen
with its walls on either side leading to the bridge still intact.
Trees have over grown it in places but the short stretch shows the well
laid route of what was once one of the main roads in Caithness. Then
on to have look at the birds at Loch Watten and cup of tea. A chilly
but dry day and well worth the effort of heading out this Sunday morning.
12 June 05
The Coast From Wick To Lybster - A Fantastic Trip At This Time Of Year
 
The Caithness Field Club hired the boat Freedom from
Freedom Charters
on Sunday and went along the coast from
Wick to Lybster. the group split into to groups and one lot travelled to
Lybster and the group organised folk to drive cars back to wick for the
folk coming the other way on the return.
12 August 04
Learable Hill Sunday 8 August 2004
19 April 04
Talmine Trip 18 April 04
 Geoff Leet led the
bus tour from Thurso/wick down to Helmsdale and up the Strath of Kildonan
over the causeway at tongue and along to Talmine. Highlights
included a stone row, graveyard and a secret army hide - one of three
mentioned along the way. Many places of interest historical and
archaeological were noted on the tour. The day was wet and the rain
never let up all day but Field Club members are not put off by weather.
Latheronwheel Walk
12 October 03
 The first part of the
day at Latheronwheel with Caithness Field Club started at the harbour and
went over the old bridge up to the field above to see the old watch tower,
long cairns, brochs and the views along the coast and up to Knockinnon
castle in the distance. The second part was up to Houstry near Dunbeath
and these pictures will come later....
Houstry Near Dunbeath 12 October
03
 Between Dunbeath and
Smerral is this ancient place full of Caithness history with everything
from Pictish Brochs to nineteenth century houses and farm buildings. An
unusual feature in the landscape is a wag. This ancient building with
huge flat stones supported as the roof and built outwards still survives
and mostly untouched. Much smaller than the wag at Forse but still an
unusual structure in this now deserted area and in the distance a small
graveyard with the graves of the victims of a cholera epidemic.
14
August 03
Bumblebees
Talk and Search - Interesting Day Out
 
Caithness Field Club and the Rangers teamed up to search for Bumblebees.
These useful creatures have been in decline for several decades in most
parts of the UK but Caithness, Sutherland and the islands still have some
of what have become rarer bumblebees. Many places in the north have not
been surveyed to see what species exist there and they are keen to find
out. Some information is presented to show how you can help to save the
bumblebee or assist in checking what species are around in different
places........
Priests Walk - Scaraben 18 May 2003
Langwell Walk 17 November 2002
Four Castles 20
October 2002
Borrowstone Quarry to Ulbster Mausoleum - 7th May 2000
Broubster Visit - 26 August 2000
Dirlot - May 2000
Dunbeath - 3rd September 2000
Useful Highland Council Leaflets - Pdf documents
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