Why not Venture North to Wick Marina?

Caithness is the most northerly county on the British mainland and is packed with visitor interest and variety.

Deserted white sand beaches, sandstone cliffs and offshore stacks, rare wildlife and teeming seabird  colonies, plus the vast, rolling green of the Flow Country all combine to create a spectacular natural environment. Add to this a rich history and culture, ancient castles, rare wildlife, sporting thrills that include some of the best cold water surfing in the world, and ancient fishing communities dotted along the coast – these all combine to make Caithness an exciting and unique place to discover !

Our 80 berth marina, which opened in 2009 is only a 5-minute stroll from the town centre with the usual shops, leisure opportunities and renowned Caithness hospitality.

• Wick is a secure base to leave a yacht and explore the north east of Scotland.
• 24 hr vessel access to marina with a water depth of 2.5m at MLWS
• 80 berths provided on floating pontoons with fingers varying from 7m-12 m
• Walkway pontoon lighting, water and electrical services 240v,16A
• Secure berthing with security gate operation to pontoon area
• Showers and toilet facilities available

Harbour Office will be happy to deal with any enquiries for bookings for the 2024 season.

• Usual daily rates available for short stays

• Special Offer “Buy 5 stay 7”

• Weekly and monthly rates available

• Summer Season long stay berths

We look forward to welcoming you to Wick Marina in 2024 .  Contact office@wickharbour.co.uk or 01955 602030 for more information on how to plan and book your “venture north” – a warm Caithness welcome awaits.

Read below what our customers told us in 2023……………………….

All excellent.Would have no hesitation in recommending. 

Wick marina is a crucial stepping off point for crossing the Pentland Firth and a pleasant experience from the first radio contact with harbour staff. Highly recommended.

Very happy with everything during my stay.

Facilities were excellent and a lovely welcome from the harbour staff

For us, it’s a great stopping off point crossing from Orkney to the mainland.

Keep up your present standards and you are on a winner. Great showers !

Wick really has the perfect location for us to land when sailing from Gothenburg. Now that we are more familiar with the marina we will use it more frequently when doing crossings!

Can’t fault anything it was fantastic !

100% of our customers surveyed in 2023 said they would recommend our marina to a friend or colleague.

This is an excellent facility in a strategically important location. The marina staff were friendly, helpful and gave us useful local knowledge about tides etc. Local sailors and other visitors alike were also very friendly and this made for a pleasant stay.

It was an obvious stop on our Round Britain Cruise, in our gaff cutter  following crossing from Orkney. We had no idea what to expect, except that it was becoming clear and continued to be so, that Scottish Harbours and Harbour Masters and staff are extremely helpful and welcoming. It is probably fair to say that Wick was the best of a good bunch!

WICK  

Wick, from the Norse ‘vik’, meaning bay,  is at least as old as the days of Norwegian rule in the region, which ended in 1266 with the treaty of Perth.  Thomas Telford, engineering genius, Thomas Stevenson, father of Robert Louis, who lived in Harbour Terrace, and local man James Bremner, whose distinctive “Round House” overlooks the Inner Basin, and whose memorial stands above the Old Lifeboat shed, were all eminent civil engineers who built the harbour, largely as you see it today. Check out our harbour timeline available at www.wickharbour.co.uk/our-vision/port-timeline.

LOCAL INTERESTS

A wide variety of shore based activities can be easily accessed from Wick Marina. From local archaeology and history to spectacular walks,  and great food and drink , Caithness has something to offer all tastes.

As well as spectacular coastal scenery , Caithness is less well known for its vast moorland expanses. Why not take a trip around the Caithness countryside to visit unspoilt areas of wilderness taking in a visit to the  Camster Cairns burial site ?

No visit to Wick is fully complete without  a trip to the Wick Heritage Centre located 2 minutes from the harbour. This award winning museum also houses the world renowned Johnstone Photographic Collection and is the custodian of the Isabella Fortuna one of the last seagoing “Fifie” fishing vessels. You may even be lucky enough to see the Isabella berthed for the summer in the marina .

Pulteney Distillery is a short walk from Wick Marina. Visitor centre, shop and tours available.  Wolfburn Distillery is located in the town of Thurso 21 miles from Wick.  Again tours available.  Public transport or car required . Dunnet Bay Distillers producers of Rock Rose Gin are based in the small village of Dunnet. Visitor Centre, shop and tour available.

Should you wish to visit Rock Rose you could also take a trip to the Castle of Mey and Visitor Centre which is a short drive  from Dunnet.

Again public transport, or hire car would be required from Wick. The Castle of Mey was the summer home of the late Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother and is still used  periodically as a summer retreat by King Charles and other members of the Royal Family .

Walking     

Explore the Telford Trail around Wick finding out more about Thomas Telford`s engineering influence in the area.

Explore the varied paths located in and around the town, taking you walking around the river, or perhaps around the North and South Head pathways.

Many other walks and pathways are available to explore throughout Wick and its surrounding areas.

A delightful exploration on foot awaits just around the corner — whatever your chosen route…

Contact the Harbour Office for more information.

Why not take the pathway towards the Castle of Oldwick which is perched precariously on a steep sea cliff promontory.   

Golf

Wick Golf Course is situated just outside  Wick at Reiss Links. The oldest established course on the North Coast 500.  Access to the course does not normally require pre booking and information is available on the competitions including walk on opens. Fees are reasonable and an honesty box is used to collect green fees. A small practice putting area is provided adjacent to the clubhouse. Nearby are 2 practice nets and a large practice area. Contact the clubhouse on 01955 602726.

Other Attractions in our Area

See the other side of Caithness, with an exhilarating trip aboard the Caithness Seacoast Explorer fast rib. 

A strong cultural programme of events and exhibitions is offered at Lyth Arts Centre  located 6 miles north of Wick. Check out their latest information brochure available in the Harbour Office.

During summer months the local Wick Pipe Band Hall is the venue for their weekly Scottish Summer Show. Sit back and be entertained by all things Scottish –  traditional pipes and drums, Highland Dancing and much more. Check at Harbour Office for up to date show times.

Caithness has some of the best world cuisines, right on our doorstep and you can be assured of good food during your stay in Wick Marina.  From the freshest of seafood through to locally reared Aberdeen Angus beef fed on lush green pastures.

Visitors will discover great restaurants, imaginative bar snacks and pub meals, plus high quality bakers and speciality producers of dairy products and highland cheeses, fruit and vegetables. Offshore, the clear, cold waters of the marine environment deliver up excellent seafood – our lobster and scallops, crab, prawns, mussels and langoustine are sought out by chefs and gourmets across the world.