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The spur, UK

Stay in Dunnet: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Dunnet

Watch this spot We email you when The spur is worth the trip.

Dunnet Beach - 1975
The spur. Photo: Helmut Zozmann, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About The spur

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces NW (303°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (123°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–13 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 850 m out (1 in 83). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 8°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 13°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, March and April, with about 1 good days in 7; in June, July and August, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Dunnet, 2.4 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 12°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 18 h 10 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to INV, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB).

    See flights ORD → INV · Skyscanner from about £370 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 2 h 30 from the airport to The spur.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in DunnetAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Dunnet · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Dunnet · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

The spur on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

No forecast for The spur yet: it refreshes every three hours.

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly ORD to INV, changing at DUB, then 2h 30 by road. About 18h 10 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf, if the swell comes

    No forecast yet. Typical for the time of year: good on 1% of days.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf, if the swell comes

    No forecast yet. Typical for the time of year: good on 1% of days.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf, if the swell comes

    No forecast yet. Typical for the time of year: good on 1% of days.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf, if the swell comes

    No forecast yet. Typical for the time of year: good on 1% of days.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf, if the swell comes

    No forecast yet. Typical for the time of year: good on 1% of days.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to INV, changing at DUB, then 2h 30 by road. About 18h 10 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Dunnet each day: Dunnet Bay, The spur.

The trip from Dunnet, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,100–£2,040 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to INV, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£370–£765
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£105–£175
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£250–£420
Food7 days eating out£240–£445
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£100–£170
Total£1,100–£2,040

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.