Braid 3: Tain to Kirkwall via John O’Groats and Gills Bay

The braid is divided into 12 stages, as listed in the table below. See the introduction to Braid 1 for notes on mileages. This braid joins the John O’Groats Trail, which starts in Inverness, at St Duthac’s Church, Tain, follows it to its end and then goes along the coast to Gills Bay. 

Stage Miles Km

1-6 Tain – Dunbeath: as Braid 2 56.8 92.1

7 Dunbeath – Lybster 7.9 12.6

8 Lybster – Whaligoe 7.4 11.9

9 Whaligoe – Wick 10.6 17

10 Wick – Keiss 12.5 20

11 Keiss – Gills Bay 16.8 27

12 Gills Bay Bay to Kirkwall via ferry (1 hour) and bus (30 min, 15 miles). As the road includes three causeways without pedestrian walkways, we do not recommend walking from St Margaret’s Hope to Kirkwall. Anyone wanting to walk all the way could take the Scrabster-Stromness ferry and join the St Magnus Way at Orphir.

The JOGT is a coastal walk, sometimes utilising existing roads, sometimes going along the shore or cliff-edge or through rough ground. Please consult both the JOGT guidebook and our own for details.