Durness is the last village on the north-west corner of mainland Scotland, a scatter of crofts on a limestone headland, and it is an oasis of green in a landscape of peat and gneiss. The limestone is the reason: it breaks down into sweet, fertile soil, and the grass here grows lush where the surrounding moor is bare. Smoo Cave, a short way east, is a huge sea cave whose entrance is among the biggest in Britain, with a waterfall dropping into the inner chamber. There is no large town for miles, only the villages of the far north coast.
The road here is the A838, which from Rhiconich winds across wild moorland to the sea, and the single-track sections have passing places that need to be used with care. The ride is long and lonely, with few other vehicles, and the scenery is open and austere, with long views over the sea. Wind is the main hazard, and on exposed sections the gusts can be strong. Beyond Durness the road turns east along the coast, past Loch Eriboll, a deep sea inlet that was used as a naval anchorage in the Second World War.
The area has a special place in the history of rock music. John Lennon spent childhood summer holidays here with his aunt's family, and he later recalled the happy times, and a memorial stone at Durness commemorates his connection. From here a small ferry crosses the Kyle of Durness to a minibus that runs the rough track out to Cape Wrath, the lighthouse at the north-west tip of Britain, in the season. The Balnakeil craft village, a former military site now home to artists, is nearby, and the sand at Balnakeil Bay is pale and wide.
Do not rely on finding fuel here. There may be a pump in the village, but the nearest reliable supplies are at Ullapool, Lochinver or Tongue, so fill up in good time. A few cafes, a shop and a hotel serve visitors, and the Cocoa Mountain chocolate cafe at Balnakeil is a local legend. The roads are open year-round, though winter is wild, and the best months are May to September. Midges, again, can be fierce on calm evenings.