Cromarty Coastal Walk

The Cromarty Coastal Walk climbs through woodland to the South Sutor viewpoint, high above the mouth of the Cromarty Firth, before exploring the narrow historic streets of one of Scotland's most beautifully preserved 18th-century towns.

The route starts from the car park on the seafront at Cromarty. Heading east along the shore past pretty lanes of cottages, the path follows Shore Street to its end before a short dog-leg inland along Miller Road leads to a signed path for South Sutor. The route rejoins the shore, following the coast with good views over the Cromarty Firth — watch for dolphins, or the North Sea oil rigs serviced at nearby Invergordon — before climbing into woodland via a series of steps, some quite steep, with well-placed benches offering rest along the way.

The path passes an old well and the remains of a Second World War pillbox before curving around the headland to the South Sutor viewpoint, with sweeping views over the Firth and out towards the North Sea. From here, most walkers descend via a minor road that winds down the hillside, passing glimpses of Cromarty House through its striking private tunnel entrance, before rejoining Miller Road and returning to explore the town itself — Hugh Miller's birthplace cottage, an ancient church, the harbour with its seasonal ferry to Nigg, and the lighthouse are all worth a look, alongside numerous interesting shops and cafés.

For a longer, more adventurous version of this walk, an extended circuit continues from the South Sutor across rough pasture and farmland to McFarquhar's Bed, a dramatic rock formation reached via a steep, eroded woodland descent — livestock are present in the fields along this extended route, so dogs need to be kept under close control.

The standard route is a steep but well-maintained climb followed by easy town streets, suitable for most reasonably fit walkers; the extended version to McFarquhar's Bed crosses genuinely muddy farmland and a steep, sometimes overgrown descent requiring more care, particularly with children given the nearby cliffs.

Parking on the Cromarty seafront is free; a bus service runs to Cromarty from Inverness.