Ardnamurchan Point

Headland & lighthouse, Kilchoan, Highland
★★★

There’s a saying among outdoor enthusiasts in Scotland that goes “west is best”, and if you believe that then Ardnamurchan Point should be at the top of your travel shortlist. The isolated headland is the westernmost spot accessible by road in Great Britain, i.e. not counting the islands, and excluding roadless Corrachadh Mòr a mile to the south which juts out just a few metres further. Getting here from the rest of Scotland involves a remarkable journey through very remote terrain indeed. Negotiating the compulsory hour or more of tortuous single track roads takes you past wonderful coastal vistas and through some of the country’s last surviving oakwoods – this is a region richer in wildlife than almost anywhere else in the country. So the relative metropolis of a lighthouse, visitor centre, large car park and coffee shop might come as bit of a surprise. Come here for the journey, the views out to sea, and just to say you’ve done it. The exhibition is interesting but touring the lighthouse itself mostly consists of climbing lots of stairs (shouldn’t that have been obvious?); the views are good at the top, but they’re not bad from down below either.