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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.