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.

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.

The Clava Cairns was a short drive after our visit to the Culloden Battlefield…read more After turning off the main road the last bit was single track but short. Entrance was free and good signage were posted to introduce visitors to these thousands of years old structures that likely were the burial chambers of some VIPs. The Cairns also were well known for their reference/inspiration in the Outlander series especially the split stone that transported the main character back in time. Two of the cairns could be entered while the third was a fully enclosed ring cairn.

Have you watched the Outlander series? Clava Cairns just outside of Inverness in Scotland is said…read moreto have been an inspiration for the series. What is Clara Cairns? It is a cemetery from prehistoric times. It is about 4,000 years old from the Bronze Age. We visited on a very very very rainy day. Stayed for a short time to take some pics and check out the place a bit. It is free to enter and is open year round.

Castle looking other Inverness across the river. Nice Castle and lots of history. Interesting. They…read moreare doing some renovations right now. If your in the area might want to check it out or at least view it from river walk.

Due to extensive renovation projects and remodelling the castle and grounds were closed to the…read morepublic in 2021. So, we could only see the site from a distance. The site is scheduled to re-open to the public in 2025. Fun fact, an illustration of the castle is featured on the reverse side of a £50 note was introduced in 2005 and issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland, which

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the castle and wandering the gardens next to it. We spent at…read moreleast an hour going up and down stairs to see the bedrooms, living quarters, art, and modernized kitchen. The audio tour, available in other languages, was especially helpful. At the end of the tour, when we handed back our audio device, we got our picture next to a Scotsman. He was a little stiff, but that's probably why he let us pose with him!

We toured the gardens first. They're quite beautiful even tho the maze was closed and no longer…read moreaccessible to the public. Then we did the audio tour of the castle. There were many interesting rooms but the most interesting one for me was the dungeon. The areas I visited did not have a lived in feel altho much of the castle is off limits to the public. The gardens are really much better than the interior simply for their stunning masses of color and quirky objects around the corner and down the lanes. We had lunch in the small cafe. There's also a gift shop at the end of the audio tour. It's worth a visit if you're in the area.

This is an outstanding historic site, with wonderfully preserved buildings, most of which is an…read moreactive military base but a few are open to access. An audio guide is included in admission and adds to the understanding. The museum of the Highlands regiments is outstanding, well organized and featuring artifacts like banners from Waterloo and items captured in engagements around the British Empire. The site is beautiful as well, for walking the ramparts and looking for dolphins.

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.

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.

Most people come here to see the flight of 5 locks along the Caledonian Canal. It's a staircase…read morelock system that lifts the vessel up and out of the canal to a higher elevation of a nearby tributary. It works the same way by lowering them into the canal on the way back. We did catch a view of the locks as we passed over on the A82. It wasn't part of our tour due to the season. It's not operational in parts of autumn and all through December. Keep that in mind if you have your heart set on seeing how it all works. We were in Fort Augustus strictly to see the view of Loch Ness that is up the road from this attraction. The viewing point is just off of Oich Road, and it's a beauty. It sits at the mouth of the lake and directly in between the River Oich and the Caledonian Canal. It's where Nessie has been spotted, although she's obviously been all over the lake. Our guide even encountered a huge splash of water in this area during one of his tours that made him a true believer. It's quite possible given how deep the lochs are here. We didn't see her, but we enjoyed a fantastic view from this vantage point. It's so peaceful, yet I can see how it would be a little eerie at night. The sun was just starting to set. It brought a nice illumination on the lake. We hit it at a great time. There weren't as many tourists around. Only a few (including us). The town is quite small with a population under 1000. It's very walkable. There is a woollen mill and a few war memorials. There's also a place called the Clansman Centre that may be a seasonal attraction. Honestly, I think the scenery alone was worth the trip. The view of Loch Ness coupled with the Commando Memorial along the way back to Edinburgh was the perfect ending to an amazing day in the Highlands. Highly recommended!

The pretty village of Fort Augustus lies at the southern end of Loch Ness and is one of the most…read morepopular visitor destinations on the Loch. The village straddles the Caledonian Canal, the 19th-century engineering project that connects Inverness on the east coast to Fort William on the west coast. Fort Augustus is famous for being the other end of the Caledonian Canal, after the five locks that complete the journey, allowing boats to enter Loch Ness, and travel to Inverness and the sea Stretching for 60 miles, the Caledonian Canal connects Scotland's east and west coasts, running between Inverness and Fort William using a combination of lochs and man-made canals. It was built in by Scottish engineer Thomas Telford and opened in 1822. The canal was first mooted in 1773 but was not completed until 1822. It was 22 miles long and had 29 locks. The canal took 12 years to build and cost a staggering £910,000. It was never a commercial success, though it proved useful during WWI when the German navy threatened shipping off Scotland's north coast. It is now mainly used by leisure visitors. Watching boats pass through the canal on their way to and from Loch Ness is always a popular pastime and you can often find the canal locks lined with visitors. I was lucky enough to see another group of boats go through, both the locks and the swing bridge into Loch Ness

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.