Moine House

Mòine House. katielou106 (Atlas Obscura User)

The Moine House name derives from the Gaelic word mòine which means “moss” or “peat.” The house sits on the edge of a vast bog that covers much of Sutherland and Caithness, known as Flow Country. The long stretch of bog between the Kyle of Tongue and Loch Hope was often referred to as A’ Mòine, simply meaning “The Moss.”

This area was difficult and dangerous for travelers to traverse until the 1830s when the Duke of Sutherland had a road constructed. The Mòine House was designed along the edge of this road as a shelter for travelers at the halfway point of the roadway.

Although known for taking in weary travelers, the tiny house was also a family home. Around the late 19th-century, an old forester and his family of eight children and grandchildren lived at the residence. There is a worn plaque on the east-facing wall commemorating the building of the house.

The tiny structure is currently covered in graffiti and is well worth a visit for its impressive views across Flow Country, stretching as far as Ben Hope on a clear day.

Know Before You Go

The Mòine House currently sits off the A838. There is a little car park where you can pull in to stop and visit the house. It sits in the middle of the burgeoning North Highland Way and is the start of the alternative route over the mountains to Durness.

This is the turn off to Route 2 over the mountains, avoiding the long walk along the road around Loch Eriboll. There is no accommodation up there, so you will need to wild camp.

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