Corrieshalloch Gorge is surprising. You park up in a dry little car park and start making your way…read moreinto the trees below you. Thats right, the trees below you. As you descend, you hear the sound of water. They as you look across, you realise, the ground has dropped away. If you didn't know any better, from the shape of the rock, you would think the gorge was man made, but it isn't. It's the result of glacial carving (think a rockier version of the Grand Canyon, or better still, Cheddar Gorge). The sheer depth of the gorge takes your breath away as you stand on a gently swinging suspension bridge overlooking the Measnach(sp?) falls before carrying on your walk to the viewpoint jutting out over the gorge below. From there you can walk back up the steep incline, or take the gentler amble to the left of the suspension bridge back up to the car park above. It's a lovely detour on an amble around the area and well worth stopping to take a look.

We only had about 90 minutes at Dunrobin, and cannot say enough good about it. The house was…read moredelightful, the staff friendly, and the history within *ALL* of these walls was staggering. Really wonderful. The grounds would have been worth the price of admission all on their own, and at the time of our trip (June) it was perfect to spend the last open hours at the house and then walk through the gardens for another 30 to 60 minutes. There was much more to explore, and we would have loved to spend more time!

I love this place!! It's an amazing adventure!…read more Dunrobin is an impressive castle, with a magnificent setting. I fell in love with this place!! Dunrobin Castle is North of Inverness, 1/2 mile from the town of Golspie. There is plenty of parking. Dunrobin Castle is the largest in the Northern Highlands with 189 rooms. Dunrobin Castle is also one of Britain's oldest continuously inhabited houses dating back to the early 1300s! The Castle, which resembles a French château, was used as a naval hospital during the First World War and as a boys' boarding school.   Dunrobin Castle is open from 1st April to 31st October.   Perched on a high terrace above walled gardens, Dunrobin Castle, with fairytale spires and turrets, rises above the North Sea like an illustration from a storybook. This place is overwhelmingly spectacular. It's breathtaking!   There are few places in the world to match the mountains, moors and beaches of Sutherland. The combination of color and texture is quite magical.   The name Dun Robin means Robin's Hill or Fort in Gaelic.   It was encased by a series of additions from the 16th century onwards. In 1785 a large extension was constructed. Remarkably this early keep still survives, much altered, within the complex of these later extensions, making Dunrobin one of the oldest inhabited houses in Scotland. We were there at the perfect time and got to enjoy a falconry show. It was spectacular! Watching those birds of prey at work was amazing. Falconry was originally developed as a means of hunting fast or difficult prey as food for the table, and is still practiced for this purpose in many parts of the world today.   To train one of these fierce and fabulous birds is a long and difficult process and requires patience, expertise and dedication. Dunrobin Castle does a great job of showcasing this ancient art. I highly recommend this as one of your stops if you're ever in this area of Scotland! October 2023

If you're ever in Cromarty you must go and visit the pirates graveyard.. It's not signposted but if…read moreyou ask any local they will show you the way. It's up a slight hill you can walk to it easily, if you drive you need to just pull in at the side of the road to park. The graves date from the 1600's and each gravestone is uniquely decorated with boats, skull and crossbones, egg timers and bells.. Which are all related to the sea and as many believe pirates. There is also a crypt in the middle, I get a bit freaked out by this, but have peaked in from the doorway.. There is a beautiful erieness about the place, the way the light casts shadows through the trees can lead to some amazing photographs.

Climbing Fyrish is a must if you are in the Ross-shire area. It's a short drive from Alness and…read morethere is a small car park at the bottom. The walk isn't that tough, it has a few steep bits at times. The paths are well maintained and the views just get better and better the higher you get. On a clear day from the top you can see to Sutherland and Inverness. The monument at the top is like your prize.. It's great to stand beside and get your photo with the view in the background. There's a few ways down, one goes through the wooded area at the back and the other is the way you came up. It's a must do if you are visiting the area and it is free. For more info on the history of the monument then please look at the tip I have put on the page.

What an awesome giant functioning fort!!! I really had low expectations thinking it was going to be…read moreboring but I truly enjoyed the audio guide and being able to see all the historic items throughout the fort. The place was giant and we spent a few hours here so plan accordingly. We didn't get lucky with the dolphins but it was a gorgeous Scottish day and I was thankful for that. Quick breezy at the top.

Google maps originally directed us to drive inside the fort but there was a dedicated visitor…read moreparking lot out in front. Inside the fort we decided to head to the back to start our visit. A small and beautiful chapel was located there and well worth a look inside. The demi-bastions were the highlight with panoramic views of the water, Moray of Firth, and Inverness in the distance. Not all of the buildings in the fort were accessible to visitors and were marked accordingly. Highlights for us included the following: Historic barrack rooms were setup to show conditions and how soldiers (and those lucky enough to have their families) lived. A museum delved into the history of the Seaforth Highlanders and even had a room where one could try on traditional Scottish wear such as kilts. The Lego mini figures with their unique Scottish clothing were a hit with the kids but they were all sold out in the gift shop. The Grand Magazine held a huge display of rifles, satchels and swords. Eventhough it was a little bit of a drive to get there, the fort was in very good condition and accessible to visit.

A great landmark if you like lighthouses. its supposed to be good for dolphin spotting too. Also…read morethe Brahan Seer monument.

Very popular with tourists, locals and dog walkers, Chanonry Point, On the banks of Rosemarky…read moreBeach, is by far the best place for spotting dolphins in the Moray Firth. Also used by scientists, who frequent lighthouse next to the beach, Chanonry Point juts out far enough into the water that the dolphins swim mere feet away from you. The dolphins tend to put on a show, performing jumps out of the water while swimming around in groups of up to 3 or 4, while the seals are also visible bobbing in the water nearby. Ice-cream vans also appear in the car park, offering refreshments to those hoping to spot a dolphin.

Boner Bridge is the bridge that connects Ardgay to the village of Boner Bridge.. Lovely views from…read morethe bridge..

Brodie Castle was one of our Highlights during our Scotland Trip, the castle has so many…read moreinteresting rooms and sights and our guide (nice lady) from the National Trust of Scotland was so amazing, we really enjoyed the visit and tour

A wonderful place, amazing tour guide of the home. So many winders and beautiful art work, portrait…read moreof the family and more, well worth seeing, great history

Waterfalls are as plentiful as Whisky in Isle of Skye, we saw many unmarked falls driving but made…read moreit a point to seek this one out. Because of the constant rain you can always see this small waterfall going directly into the ocean from the cliffs. You get the balsat columns forming the pleats of kilt rock in the background and this waterfall in the front. Kilt Rock is very similar to devils tower though there are wilder and more extreme basalt columns in other places on this planet. Unfortunately, what most pictures don't show is there is a fence blocking off most of the cliff and the pictures I took and the ones posted here is about the only angle you can safely get. I'm not sure if there are boat rides but that would be the only other way to see this from a different perspective. The whole fence is lined with people so you may have to wait for the best angle. What we thought would be a longer exploration ended up a pretty short stop.

This review is for the liquid, Mealt Falls that cascades over a cliff of solid rocks situated…read morecloser to the viewpoint shared for viewing the solid Kilt Rock. The water falls over a grassy cliff into the rocks/water below. When I visited on Sunday 14 July 2019, the parking was pretty packed, but the viewing area had fairly good turnover, so waiting was not too long. Fortunately, I got here in a calmer pulse of activity, when I left there were a number of vehicles circling. Near the viewpoint area there was a bagpiper playing music, which I quite enjoyed. I could still hear other people around me talking, but as a solo traveler I decided to think of the music as my audial companion. The falls itself is straightforward to spot and even in July had good water flow. Various seabirds flew past. Making my way back to the car, I decided to take a path through a grassy area and discovered what I might best describe as a urination station - toilet paper swabs everywhere in one corner. Tiny mounds of poop speckled in the grass. Flies buzzing in the yellow liquid in the grass... However, as the Mealt Falls viewing area was located atop sea cliffs, the wind carried most of the smell away. The area served as a reminder that there was no restroom at the falls.

This is a really charming little place (if you get to go in on a little boat, even better), I came…read morehere on my jaunt around the NC500, and it's worth the little walk down and the break in your journey. It's quite large, with little offshoots, and rather pretty. Don't wear your best shoes though, crossing the opening could get you soggy feet.