Durness is where the road runs out of Britain and starts to feel like the edge of something. It lies on the north coast of Sutherland, a long, thin scatter of crofts around a wide sandy bay, with the Kyle of Durness and its pale beaches below and the flat-topped hills of the interior behind. The A838 arrives from the south by way of Loch Eriboll, a deep sea loch where warships sheltered in the Second World War, and the bare moorland there gives you a sense of how empty this corner is.
There is plenty of interest for a place so remote. Smoo Cave, a short walk from the village, is a huge limestone cavern with a waterfall inside, entered from a sea inlet beneath towering cliffs, and visitors can take a short boat trip into the inner chambers during the season. At Balnakeil, a quirky group of low buildings that began as a Cold War early-warning station is now a craft village, with potters, a chocolatier and a bookshop. The beach at Balnakeil is among the finest in Scotland, with clear green water and white sand, though cold even in July.
A small ferry crosses the Kyle to a minibus that rumbles along a rough track to Cape Wrath, the north-western tip of mainland Britain, topped by a lighthouse built by Robert Stevenson in 1828. The cliffs here are among the highest on the British mainland. Bikes cannot go on the track, and the lighthouse area is also part of a military range, so check access and timings before planning anything. At Faraid Head in summer, you can see puffins nesting in the turf.
The road in is a fine ride in its own right, though much of it is single track with passing places, and the weather changes without warning. Sheep and tourists are the traffic. Fuel in Durness is limited, so arrive with a full tank and plan to refill in Ullapool or Thurso. The village has a small shop, a few places to eat and some excellent bed and breakfasts, though in summer you should book. Long light in June, and sharp autumn colour in September, are the best times.