Caithness Bed and Breakfast in Highland Scotland
Loch Watten House is close to John O'Groats, Thurso, Scrabster to Orkney Ferry & Wick
The bed & breakfast farmhouse in Highland Scotland welcomes you to stay in Caithness and explore the Scottish Highlands & Islands
Caithness
Loch Watten can be seen from the house and boats are available to rent from Hugo Ross in Wick and from other local sources including Mary Ann and George Calder at Central Caravans. Nearby is the River Wick, famous for salmon fishing. The Thurso River is also close to our b&b.
Caithness has a rich and varied wildlife including massive colonies of breeding seabirds. Puffins can be seen on the cliffs near John O'Groats, while around the rugged coastline there are sightings of otters, seals, dolphins and occasionally whales. Boat tours are available from Wick harbour and John O'Groats, giving a close-up view of the fascinating coastal geology as well as the abundant wildlife.
Caithness has a rich heritage going back thousands of years as well as clan history including the Altimarlach Cross marking the site of the last feudal clan battle in Scotland on 13 July 1680 between the local Sinclair clan and the Campbell clan from south-west Scotland.
Caithness has hundreds of prehistoric sites some are marked on OS maps, others are still to be discovered.
Camster Cairns is one site which is close to Watten (a few miles by car or bike) that is open to the public all year. It is an interesting place to visit and kids will love it. Many other cairns are less obvious and are now just mounds of grass, yet they represent a historical journey going back thousands of years involving the Picts and Vikings - to learn more about Caithness history and recent achievements we can recommend you visit Caithness Horizons in Thurso.
Caithness Horizons is free to visit and consists of exhibitions and information on Caithness - historic past and recent past of Caithness, including a display area on the building and decommissioning of Dounreay nuclear power station.
Loch Watten House Bed and Breakfast
Kathryn Mackenzie welcomes all visitors to Loch Watten House, whether you are on a fishing holiday, using the B&B as a base to explore the Caithness area, staying on business or requiring an overnight stay on your way to Orkney. We are located centrally between the towns of Thurso and Wick and next to the famous trout loch – Loch Watten.
Phone or e-mail to arrange your bed and breakfast at Loch Watten House which is close to the towns of Wick and Thurso and about 15 miles from the Scrabster or Gills Bay to Orkney ferry. 
Breakfast is served on a large farmhouse table in the day room where there is a choice of cereals, porridge, full cooked, tea, coffee, juice etc. from 7.30am - 9.30 am or earlier to suit eager fishers. We strive to make your stay a comfortable as possible and do what we can to be flexible and accommodate the varying needs of our guests.
Loch Watten House was originally a farm house, then a coaching inn. Following this it was a hotel for some time. It is now our home and we run it as a guest house which we established in 1997.
Beautiful Beaches in Caithness
Caithness has several beautiful beaches which are ideal for walking dogs, taking the children to play on and of course fishing for bass and sea trout. The wide sands of Reiss and Keiss in the east of the county, and Dunnet and Duncansby on the north coast, are very popular with local people and visitors. Thurso has a sandy beach near the harbour. There are also a number of hidden beaches you can get access to if you are willing to walk a short distance. Caithness is close to some of the most stunning beaches in the neighbouring county of Sutherland , notably Melvich, Strathy and Bettyhill along the north coast. These are often visited by surfers and other watersports enthusiasts. The rest of us just love them as they are so clean and unspoiled.
John O'Groats and Dunnet Head Lighthouse
Caithness is famous for John O'Groats and is visited by people from all over the world. Many people just visit John O'Groats to be able to say they have visited the most northerly inhabited location in Britain. We would recommend that they also spend time exploring the nearby areas such as the Dunnet Light House.
Caithness is a farming and fishing community and the spring is a nice time to visit as you get to see the early burst of green fields and spring lambs, it is a joy to watch newly born lambs running about and obviously enjoying themselves.
Castle of Mey
One of our favourite places is the Castle of Mey, the much-loved former holiday home of the late Queen Mother. The castle and gardens are open throughout the summer, apart from those dates when Prince Charles is in residence. The Queen Mother restored the castle and gardens after she bought the fairly derelict fortress in the 1950s, and she returned each summer throughout the rest of her life. There’s a restaurant and gift shop within the castle grounds, while the nearby animal centre is a great family-friendly attraction. The gardens now have a viewing turret. For more details visit the Castle of Mey official website.
Wick Marina
The historic Wick harbour has been transformed with its new marina, which is full of local and visiting vessels during the summer months. The boat shown here is Geo Explorer, which operates a series of fascinating and exciting trips around the east Caithness coastline. If you’d like to discover the stunning coastal scenery of sea-stacks, arches, tunnels and caves to the north and south of Wick, while enjoying some close encounters with the resident birdlife, visit the Caithness Seacoast website at www.caithness-seacoast.co.uk for schedule and prices. Life jackets and waterproofs are provided, and boarding easy via one of the marina pontoons; a hydraulic chair lift is available for people with restricted mobility.
There is loads more to see and do in Caithness, so the next time you plan to visit Scotland put Caithness on your itinerary.
Caithness Bed & Breakfast
You can telephone us on 01955 621223 or if you are phoning outwith Britain the International Number is 44 1955 621223.
Contact Kathryn by e-mail: enquiry@lochwattenhouse.co.uk
B&B Accommodation
We have three rooms available and can accommodate 6 guests. Our comfortable bedrooms will assure you of a great night's sleep and we will cook you a breakfast to set you up for the day ahead. Our three bedrooms consist of a family room and two double bedrooms.
This room has 1 double and 2 single beds plus a cot. It has an en suite bathroom. More pics ...
This bedroom has a double bed with private bath and shower. More pics ...
Green Room
This room has a double bed with en suite.
Comfortable Accommodation
Our home has been lovingly restored over many years and we do hope you will enjoy your stay with us. The bedrooms are on the first floor so may not be suitable for disabled access. We are currently renovating a large downstairs room and this should be ready soon. More pics ...
Our breakfast room looks onto our garden. You'll be pleased to know that your breakfast eggs will usually have come from our own free-range chickens.
If the weather is warm you are welcome to use our outdoor seating area and to watch the wild birds in our garden.
