Historically, "the grim barrier of the Ord guaranteed its [i.e. Caithness's] isolation, and travellers who passed that way were greatly impressed by the experience."James Miller, Caithness. Skilton & Shaw, 1979. Page 97. It was described in the 1880s: "The old road over it, formerly the only land ingress to Caithness, traversed the crest of its stupendous seaward precipices at a height and in a manner most appalling to both man and beast... even the present road, formed in 1811... has very stiff gradients."Francis Groome, Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland, 1882–4. Quoted in Ord of Caithness Vision of Britain, accessed 8 August 2016.
