Northen Sands Hotel Restaurant in Highland

Great home cooked food, not cheap but you get what you pay for as you can tell effort goes into the cooking and presentation. Had a few visits and will continue.

During a recent week’s holiday in Caithness with friends, we visited the Northern Sands Hotel on three different occasions for lunch and dinner. The surroundings, service and quality of the food were all of a high standard. The staff were especially well trained and fully understand allergies.

Staying at the nearby campsite . Enjoyed a chicken madras and lamb rump, both very good. Place seems newly done up and imagine the rooms could be similar. Waiting staff pleasant, attentive and efficient. Would recommend coming here.

Generally acceptable pub grub on offer, however I have to single out the extremely boring nachos served up as a starter. Basically it was just a pile of nachos with melted cheddar cheese on top - none of the other accompaniments that you would normally expect to be served with nachos were offered. Disappointing - could do much better

We were hoping and expecting a better meal experience than we received. Whilst the restaurant was very presentable and welcoming, the level of service and food we received was disappointing. Initially the Green pea Fritters arrived 45 minutes after ordering and were only lukewarm - ( our only starter), and then both our mains were below what we had expected. My wife’s fish of the day was meant to be accompanied by small potatoes, and we think they must have run out of these and then put a large “clump” of mash on the plate. She actually doesn’t enjoy mash and wouldn’t have ordered this dish if she had known. My chicken curry “of the day” was presented well, but totally overpowered by one of the spices in the curry mix. Whilst I enjoy a hot curry, this was just a totally overpowered flavour that obscured the rest of the dish - the chicken looked appetising, I couldn’t actually taste it. Overall, we think we just received poor meals from what should have been a much better experience. I would still try it again as I think they would normally do much better.

Returned to this lovely hotel in the picturesque village of Dunnet in the far north of Scotland. Pre-booked a Family meal in pleasant surroundings, six adults and four children. Two of the adults were Coeliac and required Gluten Free options. The menu did not disappoint, all Gluten Free dishes clearly marked on the menu. Both went for the Chicken Goujons followed by Sticky Toffee Pudding. Totally Gluten free. Other dishes included very good children’s menu and grown up Burger, Scampi and home made Macaroni. Every dish beautifully presented. Three members of staff served our table, all very attentive. Honestly I can’t recommend this hotel and restaurant highly enough. A gem in the Highlands of Scotland. Will definitely return, thanks to the staff for making our visit so special.

On holiday in Caithness, we enjoyed lunch here a few days earlier, so where better for a family birthday celebration. A varied menu with some classics and innovative specials. Everyone was impressed with their meals, mains and desserts. However the ‘cherry on top of the cake’, on both of our visits was the excellent service we received from everyone. Thank you for contributing to a special family occasion.

Doing the NC500. We were staying at the campsite and thought we needed some TLC which we had here the girls were so pleasant. The menu was excellent with something for all. Would recommend the Cullen Skink absolutely fabulous. So good was the service and quality of food we are here the 2 nights we were in the area.

Personale veramente cortese e cibo molto buono. Abbiamo mangiato il local smoked salmon e i breaded scampi. Tutto veramente ottimo!

Took family out for a meal on Sunday night and was well impressed with the quality of food and service. From Caithness originally but had never visited this hotel before. Great decor apart from a couple of football tops and trophy display.. but would not put me off returning ..,

Have been several times before, it has always been a good experience. So what happened yesterday? Having made our choice of food, braised beef, and cod, we eagerly waited for our food to arrive. What a disappointment. The cod was one step away from cold, the beef which was braised and should have fallen away, was quite tough. Very disappointed. When asked how the food was, we told the young lady, "not very good" of course she immediately offered an alternative. Enter a reheated cod, and what I can only describe as a huge plate of rice with a minimum amount of chicken curry. So, so, disappointing. We asked for the bill. When it arrived we were told in view of the problem with the food, there would be no charge for the drinks. 2 glasses of lime and soda, 1 medium white wine, and 1 small red. So effectively we still paid for two substandard plates of food. What idiots. Thinking about it later I should have made my complaint more clearly, not liking to complain, it was easier to accept their offer, less fuss. Conclusion, we will not eat there again, and yes you've guessed it, we definitely would not recommend.

This place is 10 mins walk from Dunnet Bay CMC site (all on a pavement but take a torch for on your way back as no street lights). The Campsite recommend it. Booked (didn’t need to). Ate in the newly opened ‘Dawg Shack’ which is dog friendly. Waitress was amazing and came out with our drinks and menus from the pub - brilliant menu- great price (£60 for 2 mains, 1 starter, 4 drinks). Dawg Shack is like a heated and well furnished garden room! Great chat and atmosphere in there with the other tables and their dogs too!

The food was fabulous and we took our two dogs and ate in the new Dawg Shack which is great. It's warm, cozy and clean. The staff were lovely welcoming and chatty. Cannot fault it in any way.

Ordered from the take out menu and whilst waiting with our furry pup we had a couple of drinks in the dawg shack. The prefect place to wait and the staff proper friendly. The food was excellent value for money, delicious and very generous portions. Would definitely recommend the hotel whether you are staying for food of taking out. 10 out of 10.

In the area on business but used to live here. Decided to have an evening meal here and really couldn't fault the service and food. Thank you.

Popped in here on the off chance of a relatively late lunch. No problem! We only had a Cullen skink/sandwich combo and fish & chips but all we had was first rate. Lovely surroundings with helpful, happy staff

Nice bright cheerful restaurant with good food and good service and comfy seating and plenty of parking. Lots of gluten free and vegetarian selections, decent size menu with some creative dishes. Lots of beers and wine and full bar. Would definitely recommend.

On a wet night, this restaurant was a haven. Enjoyed dining in the big dining room and glad we had booked. It got busy soon after we arrived. Good menu but I went with the fish pie and hubby the Gammon steak. Fish pie enjoyed with a bit more seasoning. We loved the sundaes.

Lovely lunch whilst travelling the NC500, stopped off here today and received a warm welcome from the young lady serving. We ordered the spiced roasted tomato soup with a sandwich and a jacket potato. All served in a timely manner with a smile. Most enjoyable

The Northern Sands provided a furst class 3 course meal with excellent service and attention at our Golden Wedding event. Pleasant and helpful staff. Would recommend.

Der erste Eindruck: ein netter Landgasthof mit sehr freundlichem Personal. Beim Essen ist leider Luft nach oben: die Chips klebten teilweise zusammen und waren nicht knusprig frittiert. Der Heilbutt und das Gemüse waren qualitativ nicht zu beanstanden, hatten aber ganz offensichtlich keine Spur von Gewürzen gesehen.Der Reis zum Curry war so weich gekocht, als ob es sich um Schonkost für zahnlose Greise handeln würde. Besonders wichtig: keinesfalls das lokale Bier der Orkney Brewery bestellen. Es erinnert sehr stark an mit Schweinegalle "gehopfte" Biere der DDR.

Great service from Julie who was very pleasant and attentive. Ate here three nights each meal was as good as the last. Thanks again to Julie for Great service and the other waitresses.

We are staying near Keiss and spoke to a local who reccomended Northern Sands, I had the Cullen Skink for starter and buttered Cod for main,the portions are very generous and despite wanting a dessert it would have been wasted as I was too full. My wife had scampi and my kids had gammon steak and macaroni all were devoured. Its not a cheap lunch but sometimes tou get what you pay for and I wasn't disappointed with what I had.

We had been a few years ago but Northern Sands is as good as ever. We had asked for a quiet table and were given one right in a corner. The waitress was pleasant and knew about the allergens in each dish without having to go and ask. When teh food came it was well cooked and tasty. Will certainly go again if we are back in the "far north".

Restaurant recommended by staff at Dunnet Bay campsite and glad they did. The haddock and chips and chicken breast with hasselback potatoes were both delicious as was the summer fruits sundae. The staff were very attentive and the meal was reasonably priced.

Lovely food of very tasty Haddock and Chips and Amy who was such a delight, who looked after us so well.

Simple et efficace il y a du choix à la carte: burgers, pâtes, poisson fruit de mer etc. La salle...

Great food, great staff, thoroughly recommend roast chicken with hassleback potatoes and roast carrots, onion bahji burger and cheeseboard thanks

Es war lecker. Wir stellen uns schottische Küche so vor. Die Bedienung war der Hit! Super nett und zuvorkommend. Wie...

Can not praise the staff and the food highly enough. Very polite friendly bar and restaurant staff. Food was excellent, large portions so only managed starter and main. Did see the sweets, looked lush but we were to full to have any. Not a complaint...

Stopped at the hotel for lunch during our NC 500 tour. The staff were lovely and the hotel is bright and modern. Lunch was very good - homemade soup and an excellent choice of sandwiches. In summary, we would highly recommend this establishment - especially...

After a very long day exploring and very empty stomachs we decided to try this restaurant which is near the airbnb we are staying for a few days. What a great choice, extensive menu that caters also for vegetarians, fantastic service, friendly and attentive without...

Four of us went and had a lovely greeting and showed us to our table in a lovely warm bar. We had a main course and a sweet which was first class couldn’t fault the meal, friendly staff and excellent service we will definitely be...

We ate here one evening as we were staying in a B&B within walking distance. We’d booked in advance so were shown from where we’d entered in the empty bar to the restaurant. Polite service throughout, but the restaurant was soulless. With the stark spotlights...

we have visited the northern sands on a few occasions while visiting caithness.This visit the service was absolutely first class, a warm welcome,efficient and friendly service. food was great.I tried a very unusual dessert only available in caithness!

Lovely meal with good sized portions. Service was prompt and delivered with a smile. There is an entrance at the rear of the building for wheelchair access, the restaurant is fully accessible and there is a very clean disabled toilet for customer use.

Doesn’t really matter what the rest of the place was like, any hotel which served me perfect kippers and poached eggs two days in a row gets 5 stars. It’s the law! In fact the rest of the hotel was pretty good too. A nice...

Thoroughly enjoyed our visit today as a family of 6. Fish and chips and burger were delicious as were the desserts. Relaxed dining in a friendly, clean setting and the staff were lovely. Thank you.

We were passing the Northern Sands one evening and decided to try it. We found a parking place in a very full car park. When we reached the dining room it too appeared to be packed and a waitress asked if we had booked a...

We were staying at the Dunnets Bay Campsite and hadn't been organised enough to sort out our evening meal so we popped into the hotel to see if they could fit 6 of us in. So glad that we did. We had a lovely meal...

Fantastic food, fantastic service, We Loved it! Very clean and tidy, excellent table service, hard working staff who cannot do enough to please guests.

No frills just good honest grub served efficiently and pleasantly . Great value. Would recommend ,and return.

I was pleasantly surprised by this restaurant . The restaurant was well decorated and clean. The staff didn’t seem ready for us even though we arrived at our booked time. We were the only customers in the restaurant at the time. The staff were friendly...

We were staying at the CMHC campsite which is in walking distance. We called in for a drink one night then booked for a meal last night . This has a really friendly feel about it , all the staff were great and service was...

Very much pub grub, but excellent and fair value for money. Not far away from a touring caravan and motor home site, so best to book.

My husband and I enjoyed a lovely late Sunday lunch here. Our first time in a pub since the Pandemic started and it felt really comfortable, staff wearing face coverings. I had the Roast Turkey dinner and my husband had Chicken Jalfrezi. Both meals were...

Finding it hard to get anywhere open with decent reviews in Thurso on a Wednesday. The reflexology woman we went to suggesting this venue. Precooked a table for an hour and a half away we toddled along. Lovely clean, modern, well maintained restaurant. This was...

Unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to eat here as they had to shut the marquee due to strong winds. We arrived with our dog and in the hotel itself they don’t permit dogs. However, they were kind enough to drive us to the next...

Went for lunch. Had soup and a ciabatta. Best soup and sandwich I have had in years. My husband had the burger and he loved it too. The bar area/ dining area was lovely. The staff were great and very attentive and spoke to the...

We had been unable to book accommodation as the hotel was full, but owner really helpful in recommending a local alternative. we booked a family dinner ( 12 people) atthe Northern Sands which was excellent. Good food, friendly service. Other hotel guests were attending the...

We were staying at the hotel and prebooked  dinner for the 2 nights we were there. Breakfast had a large selection. We had the Haddock and poached egg the first morning, no runny yoke. Salmon and scrambled eggs the next.  Plenty of salmon and good...

Visited the Northern Sands before visiting Dunnet Bay Distillery which is located next door. The menu caters for vegetarians, vegans and people on gluten free diets which suited our group of friends who have diverse dietary requirements. The food was lovely and satisfied everyone in...

Goats cheese tartlet for starters was delicious, hubby’s belly pork starter was good. Main course. Hubby had haggis stuffed chicken wrapped in pancetta. Lacklustre sides, but okay. The real gripe was my dinner. Chicken masala curry. It was awful, like a supermarket one with microwave...

A nice but average meal in the marquee. Staff not terribly attentive to this outside area so the need for visits to the bar ( but the marquee was to deter this?)

I didn't stay here however got take away meal. (They were full to sit in) I got their gluten free fish and chips which was excellent. My partner got their steak and said it fell apart in her mouth which is rare for restaurant cooked...

Phoned to book a table for an evening meal however there was no space. Those of you who are coeliac will know the worries of eating out! We were then offered a takeaway and it did not disappoint! Wow! Ordered the gluten free fish and...

We came for dinner last Thursday, we had a stop-over at the campsite along the road & phoned a bit last minute but thankfully managed to book a table for the five of us! We ended up trying quite a few dishes from the menu...

Stopped off for an evening meal after a nice day out in the area. We sat outside and the hotel had a dedicated area ensuring everyone was safe with appropriate social distancing. I had Barnsley chop for main and crumble for dessert. The food was...

We stopped off here for lunch whilst doing the NC500 after it was recommended to us. It did not disappoint! I would also recommend this hands down. The staff are lovely and welcoming, polite and friendly. We were seated straight away, despite not having booked....

Stopped for lunch here. The hotel looks less appealing from outside but inside is very warm clean cosy and pretty modern, so don’t be put off. The fish and chips we had were very fresh and we had the choice of breaded haddock rather than...

Stopped in to watch the England - Croatia game, host was very accommodating. Ordered some food and the kitchen staff adapted a gorgeous pasta dish to make it vegan, even adding vegan Parmesan. It’s definitely worth a visit, the choice of ales is fantastic, the...

There are few places to eat for dinner on the North Coast. This is one of them, and I'd not return. I had the special beef korma... which was beef with out-of-a-jar- sauce. The worst thing was the music being played. I'm not prudish, but...

Food is fab.....both had delicious mussels to start and Scrabster Haddock,1 battered 1 breadcrumbed with real chips peas and tartare sauce as mains ....would highly recommend ....excellent service by Ross, well run, covid aware ...do not miss if you are in the area

Keith the manager has that commitment and attention to detail that make an average hotel a special place to eat and sleep

We had dinner - good service (from Abigail) - nice decor and good quality meal. We both had two courses and two soft drinks - the bill was £50. The Cullen skink starter was ok the mushroom starter was good. We both had the haddock...

Went for a bar lunch and was pleasantly surprised how good the food was. The staff made us very welcome and couldn’t do enough. We will definitely be back and I highly recommend a visit.

We visited here for dinner when staying locally. The Scrabster haddock was delicious, definitely the best fish and chip meal we had had in a restaurant. The staff were also lovely and the place spotlessly clean.

We are staying nearby and we lunched as a couple there yesterday and as a family tonight The fish pie at lunch yesterday wash delightful and my wife loved the mac n cheese Tonight two of us had the Cullen skink and the battered Scrabster...

It's such a shame.This place started out so well. The first two times we went the food and service were excellent. The third time the chips weren't cooked. This time the food wasn't particularly good at all even for pub food. We left £100 lighter...

All Covid measures in place in this hotel which is right next to Dunnet Bay Distillery. The staff are well trained and very friendly? The menu offers wide choice of food for people with special diets. The veggie burger was homemade, very tasty and excellent.

We visited for an evening meal whilst staying over at Dunnet B&B Escapes. Cullen skink starter and local fish and chips were very good. Reasonable prices. Good COVID-19 adherence.

We stopped before going to the beach for a bite of lunchthe dining room was well spaced out, we ordered sandwiches on white bread, it was home made crusty loaf about 25mm thick & to die for. Service was good & very high tect card system

Brought my dad over for a birthday lunch, all 3 of us had different items from the menu, and all 3 of us loved it! The Cullen skink was fantastic as was the soup of the day, the masala was a firm winner, the macaroni cheese was delicious and the haddock was cooked to perfection. Make sure you save room for pudding, as the sticky toffee pudding and the cheesecake were both so good! All in all, if you want a place to eat that uses brilliant local ingredients and have very friendly staff, you won’t go wrong here.

A cosy restaurant for a lunch/high tea. Great selection of sandwiches, cakes and scones, of course. Unfortunately it was too windy to sit out on the benches.

We visited the Northern Dands after driving 300 miles of the NC500. Even during the current C-19 restrictions, the restaurant and staff made everyone welcome and safe. The bar service and restaurant service are brilliant. We had fish and chips which was locally caught haddock in a GF batter. The Orkney pale ale is superb. Katie, our waitress was charming and attentive. This is a great place to stop and stay. Be safe... S

Geen uitgebreide kaart maar toch smakelijk gegeten. Heerlijke soep, goede beefburger. Aardige bediening. Alles netjes volgens covid-19-maatregels!

On a recent visit we managed to get an outside table.The Hotel has obviously spent on a large Marquee and washroom facilities, excellent.Given that the staff have a fair bit of walking between the tables now our order was taken fairly quickly.Food was very good and very reasonable.Recommended.

We were staying at a nearby B&B and our hosts recommend here for dinner. The food was good plain pub type food. Nothing fancy but nice enough.

Food was good and service was good, but if you change the wine ordered, you better tell that to customer, Yes it was another Rose, but not the one weordered... with a basic training these should be obvious things to tell to customer, but most of the staff seemed to be young student or so.Place seems to be busy at it is a very rare one around here, and there are some B&B´s around.

There aren’t many places to eat along the northern coast of the UK. Unfortunately, the sample menu on the website and what was on offer didn’t bear much resemblance to each other. My burger could have been anything and the Hunter chicken was standard fare. A glass of Malbec was pricey and large came without any choice. Service good but food disappointing.

My husband & I were staying in Mey & the Hotel restaurant was one of the recommended places to eat locally. We visited twice & in both occasions very please with the service & the food. Would definitely recommend.

Lovely stay at this hotel with very friendly staff. Had dinner and breakfast at this hotel and had no complaints.

We had a great meal with a pint of guiness a very friendly place average prices great food recommended

Good wholesome food. Prompt service. Probably the best evening meal option on this part of the Scottish northern coast

In the area because of it's remoteness there isn't a massive choice of hotels, but the Northern sands Hotel is a very good the staff are very friendly, they seem a very close knit team, the Hotel is very modern, recently refurbished, so very clean and functional, the food was good in very large portions, the bar has a good selection of beers wines & spirits. I was a solo traveller touring on a motorcycle, and as a very nice touch, at no extra cost was upgraded to a room with a double bed, lovely service.

Popped in for coffee one morning returned for lunch the same day then had an evening meal a few days later. On our return visits we were greeted like regulars. The barmaid/waitress Jacquie was very chatty and patient with my husband who also likes to talk. Food was excellent.

Visited on a Saturday evening. Staff were lovely and food was very good. Good choice on menu including a specials menu.

Visited this hotel after a trip to the distillery next door. A really nice, recently refurbished, hotel/ bar/ restaurant, very nice inside with helpful and friendly staff particularly Julie who looked after us. We ordered fish and chips which was excellent,

A very well presented hotel and restaurant, having had a complete makeover some two years ago. We called in for an evening meal in April 2019, and enjoyed good service and good food. The only thing that let it down was the vegetables. The broccoli served with the salmon, was past its best (and rather yellow in colour), and the lamb rump, whilst of excellent quality and beautifully cooked, came with no green vegetables at all. The drinks were on the expensive side, but otherwise the value was average.

We popped into the northern sands hotel as we were passing Dunnet. We received a warm cheery welcome from the waitress, and she looked after us throughout our meal very well, it was a perfect choice menu for me, price is affordable for everyone. Meal was of good quality, plentiful, tasty, and hot . The hotel has a luxurious as well as cosy feel. I highly recommend going along, you won't be dissapointed, Thankyou to all the staff , I'll be back very very soon X

Warm welcome to their tastefully decorated lounge for lunch on a blustery day before visiting Rock Rose gin distillery next door. Good selection on the menu and well prepared good quality food. Outstanding piece of haddock!

We came in to have dinner and were told that we had to wait for an hour for a table. Because there was no other restaurant nereby we decided to wait. After a few minutes in the small bar we were brought to our table in a half empty restaurant? There was a group of about 20 and only one other table with people. The restaurant was recently refurbished and looked fresh and clean but we missed some ambiance. The acoustics was bad. The noise of the one group (and they weren't that noisy) filled the whole restaurant. I rate the restaurant 4 stars because of the excellent food. The gammon steak and breaded haddock were very good

This wasn’t the first place where we found a pleasant bar area, versus a totally soulless dining one… besides that, the dining room itself was very noisy, because of the many people in it…

We stopped here for a light lunch and although at first as we entered we felt it “a bit posh”, when we walked in to the bar we received the most friendliest of welcomes. We both chose a Scottish favourite - Cullen Skink, which arrived piping hot and accompanied by ‘doorsteps’ of bread. The Cullen Skink was excellent and was probably one of the best we have tasted.

The menu is basic but the food was really tasty and generous size portions, staff were really helpful and attentive.

Personale gentile, cibo nella media. Cenato qui perché in questa parte della Scozia i ristoranti chiudono presto. Se non ci fossero un paio di alberghi con servizio ristorante come questo, si farebbe la fame. Preso Burger Classic, Seafood pie e menu burger bimbi per un totale di 30 sterline.

This building and restaurant has been refurbished recently and it has made a lovely change to the restaurant. The food was great and so was the service.

We ate twice in here ,absolutely superb food in a lovely location and lovely decorated hotel,food was stunning and very reasonably priced and great service , definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a great meal in the area .

we hebben er 2x gegeten, was beide keren prima. de eerste keer was er voor ons gereserveerd, dat is er ook wel nodig, was vol. de volgende avond hadden we niet gereserveerd, maar de serveerster herkende ons en heeft er voor gezorgd dat we toch konden eten wel wat achteraf, maar dat was prima.

We had both meat and fish. All was good. Dessert and beer excellent. The furniture very informal but the staff friendly.