To Embo via the Old
Railway Line.
Distance:
About 4½ Miles.
Time: Allow 2
hours.
Grade: Flat easy
walking
From The Square travel north on the road to Embo.
Just opposite the old station (Closed in 1960), now the Station
Take-away, you will see a footpath sign to Embo. Follow the sign
into the natural woods, shortly you will cross a road through two
gates and rejoin the path through the woods, after you pass the
house on your left, take the lower path to the left, the wood is
home to a very large rookery.
Keep to the path until you
reach a fence and open field then turn right and follow
the path and fence until you pass through another gate and
out onto open ground. A small diversion to the right will allow
you to inspect the Cholera Grave (read the plaque) then take the
path to the left and see the stone Earl’s Cross, this is
thought to mark the boundary of the property of the Earl of Sutherland and
the Church, again, read the plaque.
Carry on and then go over the style, turn left
along a path overlooking the Royal Dornoch Golf Course. Almost
immediately re-cross the fence by another style and keeping the
fence on your right follow the path up and through the whin bushes
(gorse) until you see the remains of the railway track bed on your
left. Then follow the railway until you come to a gate across the
track bed (not the gate leading down to the Golf Course) then turn
right, skirting the end of the Golf Course until you reach the
beach, turn left along the beach then through the Caravan Site.
This is the famous Grannie’s Heilan Hame, you can
stop off here for refreshments before walking along the bypass
road out of the village.
Look out for the footpath sign on the left, this will take you
back onto the railway track bed which you should follow until you
reach another track near a white house on the left. Turn right
onto this track which soon leads to the Embo - Dornoch road. Upon
reaching the road turn left and follow the road back into
Dornoch.
The Dornoch Links
Distance:
About 2½
miles.
Time: Allow 1½
hours.
Grade: Flat easy walking
- wet going in winter.
From The Square walk eastwards along Church
Street towards the Golf Course, don’t turn up Golf Road but
continue until you reach the last house on the left, look in the
garden, this is the spot where Janet Horne, the last woman in
Scotland to be burnt to death as a witch was executed in 1722.
Opposite the garden take the road on the right over the Struie
Golf Course then straight down to the car park area at the grass
landing strip. This is Dornoch Common Good land and is rich in
flora and fauna, look out for the interpretation boards giving
full details.
Cross the landing strip and turn left, follow the
strip to it’s end then turn right onto the saltmarsh, if it is
winter take care as this area often floods, keep walking in a more
or less straight line towards Dornoch Point, eventually you will
cross the sand dunes and reach the beach. Look out for seals
resting on the beach, or at low tide on Gizzen Briggs, the
sandbank just off shore.
Turn left and follow the beach round and back
towards Dornoch, just before the Dornoch Burn crosses the beach
turn left again and over the high sand dunes, from the top of the
dunes you will see the landing strip, walk back to the car park
area then back to the town by the same route as you
came.
Little
Ferry
Distance:
About 1
mile.
Time: Allow ½
hour.
Grade: Flat easy
walking.
Drive along the Embo road, do not turn down at
the Embo turn off but continue along until the road takes a sharp
left bend, about a quarter of a mile from the bend turn right
opposite the telephone box and onto a track. A hundred yards or so
down the track pull over onto the wide grass verge.
You are now overlooking Loch Fleet a R.S.P.B.
Reserve, you will often be able to see seals resting on the sand
banks opposite. Walk down the track to the old pier, read the
interpretation board and explore the dunes.
Return to your car by the same route.
Royal Dornoch Golf
Course
Distance:
About 2½
miles.
Time: Allow 2
hours.
Grade: Easy going.
Special Notice: This is
a busy Golf Course, respect the golfers and look out for stray
golf balls.
From The Square go south along Church Street and
turn left up Golf Road. Go past the Golf Club House and follow the
road to the beach car park.
Leave the car park to the north passing through the metal gate
on the Golf Course. Keep to the right going behind the golf tee
and picking up the path through the sand dunes. Follow this path
through the dunes then out onto the side of the course. At the end
of the course swing round past the last tee and follow the track
up to the old railway track bed, go over the stile and continue
until you see the footpath sign pointing to Dornoch, follow this
sign and you will join the footpath overlooking the Golf Course.
Stay with this footpath following it over a second stile by
another golf tee. Don’t cross the next style but stay on the path
keeping to the left of the houses overlooking the Golf Course. You
will arrive at Grange Road. Go along Grange Road then Argyle
Street back to The Square.
Cuthill Links
Distance:
About 1½
miles.
Time: Allow 1
hour.
Grade: Flat easy
walking.
Drive along Sutherland Road out of the town,
signposted Cuthill and Lochans. Stay on the single track road,
passing through Lonemore, for about three miles. When the road
makes a sharp right turn pull over onto the grass verge near the
new metal gates which cut off the old road.
Now walking, turn left off the road over a stile
and walk between the two fences which will then bring you out onto
open land, walk parallel with the new A9 road serving Dornoch
Bridge.
The path follows the small peninsular to Ard na
Cailc point. You will get fine views of the Dornoch Firth, and, at
the point an unusual view of the Dornoch Bridge from below. You
can walk right under the bridge and get good views to the
west.
Return by the same
route.