Cliff and waterfall at Whaligoe Haven, near Ulbster, Caithness, Scotland, UK
Whaligoe Haven is surrounded on three sides by 250ft cliffs and forms one of the most remarkable harbours you will find anywhere in Scotland. It is reached by the Whaligoe Steps, which descend to the harbour. There are between 330 and 365 steps depending on which source you take as authoritative Harbours along this stretch of the Caithness coast are so scarce that local residents were forced to use Whaligoe as a fishing station, possibly from a very early date. Opinions differ about when the steps were built. Thomas Pennant, who visited in 1769, remarked on the use of steps by locals carrying heavy loads. The current configuration of Whaligoe, and the full run of steps, probably date back to 1792. By the mid 1800s there could be over 20 fishing boats using Whaligoe during the summer herring season and schooners were regular visitors to the haven. The use of Whaligoe declined towards the end of the 1800s and by 1920 only five boats remained, fishing for salmon. By 1946 this had declined to two boats, and the last one ceased to fish from Whaligoe in the 1960s. The steps have since been maintained by enthusiastic local volunteers.
Size: 6000px × 4000px
Location: Whaligoe Steps, Ulbster, United Kingdom
Photo credit: © Vincent Lowe / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: caithness, cliff, cliffs, coast, coastal, eec, eu, europe, harbor, harbour, haven, scenic, scotland, sea, shore, steps, stream, uk, ulbster, waterfall, whaligoe
