I’ve seen Dunnottar on the map and on various cottage listings but I had never been there. That changed quickly when I started following Interlake Tourism’s social media feeds and caught a glimpse of the Dunnottar Pier. The spectacular photos painted a very enticing picture and I just had to see it in person.
The Village of Dunnottar is a cottage community roughly 70km North of Winnipeg along the ever casual and scenic highway 9, then East on 323 or 225 (riders choice). A short ride up to the lakefront that runs along the shores of Lake Winnipeg. With an exceptional cottage community and multiple sandy beaches to cool your feet it is a nice treat.
The Dunnottar Pier is a listed stop on the Interlake Manitoba by Motorcycle challenge and the evening photos of the pier are what really drew me in for a visit. But there is more than one pier. I visited two and counted several more along with a few beaches (Matlock and Whytewold and others). Some public spaces and some private, all fairly easy to identify.
The main Dunnottar Pier has no real “beach” to enjoy, more of a rocky shore line (especially with the low water this year) but it is easily accessible for a selfie stop with parking, swings for fun, a bench and some shade on a hot day. The other piers are deeper within the cottage area, off the main cottage road.
The Dunnottar area is not just a long walk on a short pier though. The beaches are small but nice and the water is shallow and refreshing. Well worth the stop to splash around and cool off when it is 35 degrees and sunny. The Dunnottar area feels to me like a hidden gem for motorcycle riders as there were plenty of motorcycles to be found. At the cottages and the beaches. Even the unmarked beach at the end of a gravel road had a pretty sweet collection of Harley’s soaking up the summer sun (owners too, I presume).
There is an intriguing Ukrainian restaurant called Julia’s if you need to fuel up for the next leg of your journey. I have an Irish name but a Ukrainian appetite so it made me hungry just seeing it, and not the kind of restaurant I expect to find in a beach community. Sadly I was unable to stop in and get my grub on when I visited but I’ve made a mental note to come back and try it out.
It was hot and sunny when I came to Dunnottar Pier and the water was awesome but I left before dusk so I’ll need to come back for that experience too. A couple great reasons to come back to Dunnottar Pier, if you ask me.
