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Tràigh Muidhe Cleite

Coastal Feature, Headland, Point in Caithness

Scotland

Tràigh Muidhe Cleite

The way to Badbea
The way to Badbea Credit: Peter Moore

Tràigh Muidhe Cleite is a prominent coastal feature located in Caithness, Scotland. It is a headland that extends out into the North Sea, forming a distinctive point along the rugged coastline. The name "Tràigh Muidhe Cleite" translates to "beach of the rounded headland" in Gaelic, perfectly capturing the essence of this natural landmark.

The headland is characterized by its dramatic cliffs, which rise steeply from the sea, creating a striking sight for visitors. The cliffs are composed of sedimentary rock layers, displaying a variety of colors and textures that add to the overall beauty of the area. These formations have been shaped by the relentless force of the wind and waves over thousands of years.

Tràigh Muidhe Cleite is a haven for wildlife enthusiasts, offering a diverse range of flora and fauna. The headland provides a nesting ground for seabirds such as guillemots and kittiwakes, which can be observed soaring and diving around the cliffs. Common seals can often be spotted basking on the rocks below, while dolphins and porpoises occasionally make appearances offshore.

Access to Tràigh Muidhe Cleite is relatively easy, with a footpath leading from the nearby coastal road. The path offers breathtaking views of the surrounding coastline and leads visitors to a viewpoint overlooking the headland. From here, visitors can marvel at the rugged beauty of the area and take in the sights and sounds of the crashing waves and the calls of seabirds.

Tràigh Muidhe Cleite is a must-visit destination for nature lovers and those seeking a glimpse of Scotland's stunning coastal landscapes.

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Tràigh Muidhe Cleite Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 58.153127/-3.5568784 or Grid Reference ND0819. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

The way to Badbea
The way to Badbea
Badbea: a memory of the Highland Clearances Badbea is a very sad place, a grim reminder us of a disgraceful period in our national history. Badbea is a ruined village on the cliff tops around 5 miles north of Helmsdale, in Caithness. The village was settled in the 18th and 19th centuries during the infamous Highland Clearances. Families were forcibly evicted from their homes in the Straths of Langwell, Ousdale and Berriedale to be replaced by sheep for the profit of the landlords. From 1792 onwards, the displaced families began to arrive in Badbea, a small area of rough, steeply sloping land above the precipitous cliffs of Berriedale overlooking the North Sea. When the families arrived they were given small plots to farm, but had to clear the land, hack out the plots from the steep slopes, and build their own houses from the stones they found. The harshness of life in Badbea can be judged from the fact that, while the men and women were working the land, their livestock, and even their children, were on occasion tethered to rocks or posts to prevent them from being blown over the cliffs into the sea by the ferocious winds. The family plots of land had room for a longhouse, with a byre at one end, and a kitchen garden or kailyard. The rest of the available land could only support a few small vegetable plots and a few cows, pigs and chickens for each family. There was only one horse in the village and thus the soil was ploughed by human effort.
Badbea: a memory of the Highland Clearances
Badbea is a very sad place, a grim reminder us of a disgraceful period in our national history. Badbea is a ruined village on the cliff tops around 5 miles north of Helmsdale, in Caithness. The village was settled in the 18th and 19th centuries during the infamous Highland Clearances. Families were forcibly evicted from their homes in the Straths of Langwell, Ousdale and Berriedale to be replaced by sheep for the profit of the landlords. From 1792 onwards, the displaced families began to arrive in Badbea, a small area of rough, steeply sloping land above the precipitous cliffs of Berriedale overlooking the North Sea. When the families arrived they were given small plots to farm, but had to clear the land, hack out the plots from the steep slopes, and build their own houses from the stones they found. The harshness of life in Badbea can be judged from the fact that, while the men and women were working the land, their livestock, and even their children, were on occasion tethered to rocks or posts to prevent them from being blown over the cliffs into the sea by the ferocious winds. The family plots of land had room for a longhouse, with a byre at one end, and a kitchen garden or kailyard. The rest of the available land could only support a few small vegetable plots and a few cows, pigs and chickens for each family. There was only one horse in the village and thus the soil was ploughed by human effort.
Original bridge by the A9
Original bridge by the A9
Badbea Monument The Badbea Monument.
Badbea Monument
The Badbea Monument.
Old A9 A loop cut off by modernising the road over the Ord of Caithness.
Old A9
A loop cut off by modernising the road over the Ord of Caithness.
New A9 A modernised part of the road over the Ord of Caithness.
New A9
A modernised part of the road over the Ord of Caithness.
Ousdale A steep sided glen cuts down to the sea. It shelters birch woods.
Ousdale
A steep sided glen cuts down to the sea. It shelters birch woods.
Creagan Mòr Boggy moorland between the A9 and sea on the crossing of the Ord of Caithness.
Creagan Mòr
Boggy moorland between the A9 and sea on the crossing of the Ord of Caithness.
A9 Passing the car park for Badbea on the high level (but close to the coast) crossing of the Ord of Caithness. A sense of dread prevails, Berriedale and its braes are getting closer.
A9
Passing the car park for Badbea on the high level (but close to the coast) crossing of the Ord of Caithness. A sense of dread prevails, Berriedale and its braes are getting closer.
Moorland, Badbea Above high cliffs and beside the A9.
Moorland, Badbea
Above high cliffs and beside the A9.
Badbea Monument Monument from 1911, in memory of the inhabitants of Badbea, a Highland clearance village.
Badbea Monument
Monument from 1911, in memory of the inhabitants of Badbea, a Highland clearance village.
Bend in the A9 near Keepers Cottage Heading east towards Dunbeath.
Bend in the A9 near Keepers Cottage
Heading east towards Dunbeath.
Silage field, Ousdale
Silage field, Ousdale
A9, Ousdale Heading east towards Dunbeath.
A9, Ousdale
Heading east towards Dunbeath.
Woodland above the A9, Ousdale
Woodland above the A9, Ousdale
A9 towards Dunbeath Heading east beside woodland.
A9 towards Dunbeath
Heading east beside woodland.
Pylon on moorland, Badbea
Pylon on moorland, Badbea
Dunbeath 8 Miles Heading north east on the A9, Badbea.
Dunbeath 8 Miles
Heading north east on the A9, Badbea.
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Tràigh Muidhe Cleite is located at Grid Ref: ND0819 (Lat: 58.153127, Lng: -3.5568784)

Unitary Authority: Highland

Police Authority: Highlands and Islands

What 3 Words

///minivans.spill.tubes. Near Dunbeath, Highland

Nearby Locations

The Needle Tràigh Cailliche Sgreadan Dearg Clèit Mulachain Sròn Mhòr Tràigh Muidhe Cleite

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