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Click for services within this area. Scourie clusters round a sheltered sandy bay, overlooked by a small caravan site. Perfect for the bucket-and-spade brigade. On summer evenings, listen for the rusty-engine call of corncrake. Statuesque grey heron hunt for supper amongst crystal-clear sea pools. Bewhiskered seals, black heads poking above the waves, watch curiously. The Scourie Hotel is one of Scotland's most notable game fishing establishments. It was once the home of General Hugh Mackay, famous for being defeated by John Graham of Claverhouse, Bonnie Dundee, at the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689. Hugh met his own end leading his troops at the Belgium Battle of Steinkirk in 1692. To the north of Scourie lies Handa Island, an exciting bird sanctuary peaked by Sithean Mor (406ft), the great hill of the fairies. A bay here encloses the Stack of Handa, first climbed in 1876 by men from the Island of Lewis hunting seabirds. They bridged the 80ft gap between Handa and the stack by securing a rope over the top of the stack, then crossing hand over hand to reach the summit; a feat replicated in 1967 by Dr Tom Patey. The short boat trip to Handa begins at the hamlet of Tarbert, reached by a narrow, single-track road from the A894 road at Clashfern. The more adventurous might consider reaching Tarbert by tramping the exhilarating coastal and hill path from Scourie, two and a half miles of sheer delight. Hotels Visitor Attractions |
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