Iceberg Glass is a very cool glass blowing shop right on the coast of Loch Ness…read more They have pieces of art of all sorts, like small statues, necklaces and other jewelry, mirrors with mosaic glass edges, and even little souvenirs like magnets and keychains. So if you couldn't tell from the list of items available, not every single item in Iceberg Glass is made by the glassblower, but those intricate items that are - those are the pieces to really go for! We even got to see the glassblower at work behind a glass partition, which was so cool. I picked out a glass blown necklace that was a deep red and so beautiful. They also have some items that are probably more for the local patrons vs. trying to bring them home in your luggage if you're a tourist - like incense, candles, and oil lamps (I think that's what the one I saw was, anyway). Iceberg Glass is a treasure of a shop, where you can get local, artisan pieces which would be great for a thoughtful gift, souvenir, or just a nice piece of art for yourself

Now this is a unique gift to bring home. Located in Fort Augustus, this charming little glass…read moreblowing shop was amazing. Visiting this shop is not merely shopping but an experience watching glass blowing and creative art. Iceberg Glass Blowing Shop had a live glassblowing demonstration. Watching the skilled artists transform molten glass into exquisite works of art like jewelry is amazing. I'm obsessed. The staff at the shop are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about their work. They are eager to share the history and techniques of glassblowing, answering any questions. I bought my mom the cutest earrings. Loved this!

House of Bruar was one of those unexpected road-trip delights. My spouse had been told we had to…read morestop, while our third travel companion and I were... let's say, skeptical. But we ended up pulling in for breakfast and a browse, and we walked out grinning. There's both a coffee bar and a sit-down cafe; we opted for the cafe, which was perfectly fine for a quick bite before wandering the shops. But the real fun was exploring the place itself. House of Bruar is part country store, part upscale gift shop, part museum of Things You Didn't Know You Needed. You can find everything from cashmere to kitchen tools, with price points ranging from impulse-buy to aspirational. We mostly window-shopped, but it was genuinely enjoyable - lots to look at, and beautifully presented. We did, however, make sure to raid the food section. They have an impressive selection of snacks, condiments, sweets, and treats, and picking out a handful of goodies to nibble on for the rest of our road trip was one of the highlights of the stop. In the end, the skeptic duo had to admit: this recommendation was a good one. If you're passing through, House of Bruar is well worth a visit - even if you just come for breakfast and a wander.

Fantastic place to stop for some upscale gourmet market finds, high end clothing shops and outdoor…read moremarket stands. The cakes are beautiful, a wide variety of gluten free options. They had just about every kind of cake and tart you can think of. Very fresh and delicious. Coffee bar, ice creams, fresh milk dispenser, fresh pressed orange juice. Beautiful setting in an all glass atrium. I tried the gluten free lemon and elderflower cake with a flat white. It was amazing. I would recommend stopping for brunch or lunch. There is a waterfall within walking distance that you should check out.

I lived near the predecessor of this glass art, craft and factory showroom in Perth which was…read morealways one of the pieces of local colour I took visitors by. Since this was the first trip back to the UK since meeting the wife it was time to go again. Their new place is only about 25 miles from the old one but is far smaller, maybe 1/3 the retail space. Even better though the access to the craftsfolk is no longer behind a wall, glass and almost totally insulated from the sound but occurs a foot or two away from behind the metal railing. If you are missing Phoenix heat at this time you will probably feel right at home:) There's a restaurant, gift shop and other crafts shops, like jewelry and ceramics nearby so it's easy to spend 1/2 a day here, I suggest spending the next half at that nearby Glen Turret distillery for another kind of glass appreciation:) There's a video presentation on glass making and the company history, kinda lo-tech. E.G., they have to come start the video :) There are hands on glass painting areas and what turned out to be a lot of fun for the wife the chance to make your own glass paperweight. (They may not be complete the same day so having it mailed on could be necessary ) I love their output and while I am not remotely a serious collector ( seriously don't have the serious money to keep up with it) these beat out any tourist trinket you can take back.

We brought our son (21) and daughter (16) to Caithness Glass Blowing to make their own…read morepaperweights. We weren't sure what to expect, but we were met by smiles and such sincere patience and guidance from Cullen, our glass-blowing master. He showed our son and daughter the ropes and helped them create masterpieces and memories they won't soon forget. Thank you to everyone at Caithness for making our visit an extra-special one!

A must visit while visiting Iona. It's interesting to visit a place where many Scottish Kings…read moreincluding Macbeth are buried. I also got to attend services at the Abbey one evening which was very nice and welcoming. 5 Stars!

We spent a day in Iona visiting the abbey and nunnery. The weather cooperated and it was mostly…read morecloudy with just spots of rain. It's a short walk to the nunnery and abbey from the dock where the ferry dropped us off. The nunnery is on the way to the abbey and is mostly in ruins. It's still worth a stop to understand the history, although you can't go inside. If you're lucky you might even see some hairy coos on the walk to the abbey. The abbey is having some work done so there was scaffolding on one side. But the architecture is still stunning. It's in a beautiful location. The interior is serene and tranquil. This was on our must-see list during our Scotland visit and it was wonderful to spend the hours here.