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Out and About
The city of Inverness is the main settlement in the Highlands of Scotland. It is the hub of the transport network which connects all parts of the Highlands with the rest of the UK. With a wide range of shops, restaurants, bars and cafes, an excellent theatre, cinema, sports facilities, busy nightlife and a comprehensive programme of cultural events there is always plenty to do!
The city’s location makes it an ideal base for touring: to the south and west is the mountainous heart of the Highlands, gashed by the Great Glen and its three inland lochs, the largest of which is Loch Ness; to the east is a sheltered coastal strip along the edge of the Moray Firth; while to the north lie the Black Isle, the Cromarty Firth and Easter Ross.
In Dunvegan, there are always plenty of brochures for visitor attractions, and the Tourist Information Centre above Bridge Street is only a short walk away down the hill. Please do take a little time out to describe the things that have fascinated you, so that other guests will have the opportunity to enjoy these too – and if your experience has been less than good, leave a tactful note as a word to the wise!
Here are a just a few places to whet your appetite:
Cawdor Castle
Home to the Thanes of Cawdor, made famous in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, this fairytale fortification dates back to the 14th century. As well as tours of the interior accompanied by a dry, witty guide penned by the 6th Earl of Cawdor, there are magnificent gardens including a Tibetan garden and the Big Wood with an extraordinary number of rare lichens. An experience not to be missed!
Open May to September. Approx 12 miles east of Inverness
Benromach Distillery
Visit Benromach Distillery website
The distillery was bought in 1993 by Gordon & MacPhail, a private firm of malt whisky specialists, after it had lain silent for 10 years. They refurbished and reopened it in 1998. It has an excellent malt whisky centre, staffed by friendly, helpful people who have a wealth of knowledge. Try Benromach Golden Promise – buttery, a hint of citrus, delicately smoky, sweet and smooth!
Open all year round – – check times. Approx 27 miles east of Inverness on A96
Culloden Moor Battlefield
Visit Culloden Moor Battlefield website
Famous as the site of the last hand-to-hand battle fought on British soil, and an event which changed Scotland’s history. A new visitor centre was opened at the end of 2007 which tells the story of the short, ferocious and bloody conflict between the Jacobites and the government troops, giving insight into the religious and political issues which divided British society at the time, and reporting the views of each side. A vivid lesson in history!
Visitor Centre Open February to December. Approx 6 miles east of Inverness
Plodda Falls
One of the most beautiful waterfalls in Scotland is located in the Guisachan Forest, where ancient Caledonian pinewoods are mixed with old estate plantings of Douglas fir, larch and giant redwoods. Take the A82 southwest from Inverness to Drumnadrochit, then the A831 towards Cannich. Just before Cannich, turn left following the signs to the conservation village of Tomich. Plodda Falls is about 3.5 miles beyond Tomich village.
Open all year round – check weather conditions. Approx 32 miles southwest of Inverness
Ecoventures
Bank St, Cromarty IV11 8YE
01381 600323
Just a fantastic day out! You’re not guaranteed to see dolphins, but Sarah and her team will do their very best to ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable trip out from Cromarty harbour into the Moray Firth to those places where dolphins are most frequently seen. If you’re really lucky you may see other wildlife too! Check the website to see what’s been seen locally – – basking sharks and minke whales are among the occasional visitors!
Ecoventures is close to Cromarty harbour – – about 24 miles from Inverness, or an hour’s leisurely drive.
Clava Cairns – – near Culloden Battlefield
Very few of the hundreds of thousands of visitors who go to Culloden have ever wandered another mile to the southeast of the battlefield. What they have missed are three distinctive burial cairns about 4,000 years old – and every bit as evocative as the battlefield itself – set in a wooded area. They are distinguished by being within a ‘kerb’ – a ring of large containing boulders some of which remain upright.
Open all year round. Approx 7 miles east of Inverness
Ness Islands
No visit to Dunvegan could be complete without a morning, afternoon or evening ‘constitutional’ – and one of the most enjoyable walks is through the Ness Islands. Leave the house and cross at the traffic lights. Turn left past the Castle Tavern into View Place, then right onto Castle Road and then left in front of Ness Bank Church. Walk south along the riverbank, heading upstream away from the city centre for about 1 mile until you come to the entrance to the Ness Islands. Explore the islands, enjoy the ‘shoogly’ Victorian suspension bridges which carry you across to the opposite bank, then turn right and walk back towards the city centre. Depending on your timescale, you can cross back at the Infirmary suspension bridge opposite the War Memorial, or continue downstream to cross the Grieg Street suspension bridge and turn upstream again until you reach Ness bank Church once more. The shorter route is just over 2 miles; the longer about 3 miles – but it can take a relatively long time to complete if you enjoy a beer in the pub on the way back!
Open all year round.
The Mustard Seed
16 Fraser Street, Inverness Visit The Mustard Seed website
The Mustard Seed Restaurant is on the south bank of the River Ness, set in a stunning conversion of a disused church building. It has carefully preserved much of the character and fabric of the original building and enhanced its ambience by the clever use of modern fixtures and fittings. However, the reason to go there is less about the architecture than the food. The menu is imaginative, the staff friendly and attentive and the wine list is great – but most of all the food is fresh and reasonably priced! Well worth a visit – and it’s only a short walk home!
Open all year round.
