From Whaligoe Steps to Cairn O’Get

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Sage Adventures Blog

5 min readJan 23, 2022

In the northeast highlands of Scotland lies a days adventure. From one of the least-accessible harbours in Whaligoe to a 5,000-year-old tomb at Cairn O’Get.

Fit both into one day worth of easy walking and, as always in the highlands, spectacular scenery. Get your walking boots and your raincoats on then grab your cameras for this one.

Whaligoe Steps

The history of Whaligoe Steps

Start off by visiting the Whaligoe Steps. This man-made stairway of 337 steps was built in the early 19th century to provide access to a natural harbour between two sea cliffs. At the time it was used by fisherwomen to haul herring. They would gut the fish, carry them up the stairs in baskets and to the nearby town of Wick, about 7–8 miles away. This was a popular harbour in its heyday, with 24 boats at its peak, despite the harsh conditions and the battering winds.

The name Whaligoe comes from the old ‘Whale Geo’. Occasionally beached whales would find themselves carried into this natural harbour. So with nothing else to do about it, the locals would butcher and process the whale. Not the most pleasant image but one that no doubt sustained many.

Stories of the past aside, be grateful that you won’t be hauling any fish, or whale, during your visit. Descending all 337 of those stairs is an easy task, although in bad weather it can be treacherous. Just don’t think too hard about the walk back up!

The steps aren’t sign-posted very well so can be tricky to find. Thanks to Google’s satellite view you can see the winding steps make their way down to sea level here. You’ll notice there’s also a small car park near the cafe where you can park up for the few hours of your visit.

The walk to Whaligoe Steps

To make your way to this hidden harbour turn off the main road (the A99) and pull up in the car park next to the cafe. Bear in mind there are only a few car parking spaces here and you shouldn’t stop for too long.

Walk down towards the cafe and turn right alongside the wall that surrounds it. Follow the wall and you’ll soon see the entrance of the famous steps. Remember: take care, the wet and windy weather can make them slippery and the steep decline can make you feel a bit wobbly.

At the bottom, the views are worth it as you find yourself in a quiet cocoon of coastal beauty. It’ll be windy, and you’ll feel salt in the air and moisture on your cheeks as it’s picked up from the sea. Take a 360 view of it all — from the dramatic cliffs, and a small waterfall, to the ocean and the swells of the current. Notice the old platform that was once home to a winch for hauling boats out of the water.

Then prepare yourself for the slow walk back up. Take your time, stop, turn around and take a look at the view behind you, as the harbour disappears from view.

Cairn o’Get

The history of Cairn o’Get

Further inland from the dramatic cliffs around Whaligoe Steps you’ll find Cairn o’Get. This tomb has a history of 5,000 years of human activity. Initially it was built as a burial cairn in the Bronze Age. Back then it would have stood around 2.5m tall with a roof of overlapping stone slabs and sealed with large stones. Access to the tomb would have been through a small walkway, separated from the main body of the tomb by two upright plinths.

Now overgrown with heather, and the wild nature seemingly found only in the Scottish highlands, it’s quite amazing to think of life here over 5,000 years ago.

A little further beyond the tomb itself are the remains of an old dam built in the 1800s. No river remains but it shows the cycle of human life as stones from the cairn were repurposed to build the dam.

The walk

On the other side of the A99 you’ll need to make your way inland. Follow the road to the recycling centre and then on to Loch Watenan (there’s a car park here too if you need). Soak in the views of one of Scotland’s many calming lochs before passing through a metal kissing gate on your right.

From here on you’ll see the route to Cairn o’Get marked by tall black and white striped metal posts. Broadly speaking, follow the hill upwards and watch out for the marshy land underfoot. You’ll want a good pair of walking boots. Here you’ll also find a wooden boardwalk to help keep you above the worst of the marshland. Once through the field it’s uphill and you should soon see the stones of the cairn creep into view.

Once you arrive you’ll see the cairn is chambered. The roof is long gone and it’s open to the elements. But you can still walk through to the centre and imagine what it must have looked like.

Then walk beyond the cairn to find the old dam. Stand on its wall and take a moment to look around. Imagine the passing of time in this area. From an ancient burial site with a nearby river, then a dam and now a peaceful part of the Scottish Highlands with few other visitors about.