I spent a long while in Dornie. Most of my time in the Highlands, I stayed at the Schoolhouse…read more You wouldn't believe how accommodating and pleasant everyone is here. The owner runs the tearoom and B&B and has a few helpers here and there. There are I believe, 4 room options. Two of the rooms can accommodate small families and the others are very quaint, perfect for a couple. All of the rooms have their own bathrooms, and are extremely spacious. I stayed in the room upstairs, I believe it was Room 4, and it had a queen bed and a twin bed with the best bathroom ever! What's great about this B&B, is that you can bring your own groceries in (and purchase them down the street at the local shop), and the owner provides a big kitchen all exclusively for her guests. Some people may not like this, as they expect prepared food service. But the woman who works there provides milk, cereal, bread and butter AND she has the tearoom connected to the B&B. The scones are all homemade by her, which are to die for, and has the best pastries I've ever had. They also have a barista there as well. The coffee is sublime and nothing like what people have these days. She grinds the coffee beans and has plenty of options for the perfect cuppa jo. There are also tons of options to choose from as far as tea goes as well! Once you have all of your necessities for your day, if the weather permits, you can sit out on the front of the property, and enjoy the scenic view of the loch. Along with the tearoom, joint with it is a gallery. The owner loves to showcase other artists from around Scotland and sell their work in the gallery. Please have a look at her website and see what there is to offer! She is also on facebook! The price is a smidge high for a stay, but you won't regret it and it's the best price for the area you'll be in. You are literally a 7 minute walk from Eileen Donan Castle and an even shorter walk to the Clachan (Dornie's adorable little pub). I could go on for about 5 more pages on why this is the best B&B in that area but I won't. If you're visiting the castle or just making a pit stop in Dornie, please go to the Schoolhouse Dornie!

We didn't actually get to stay here but I wanted to leave a great review because Kevin was so great…read moreduring the whole booking process. Today I had to cancel my booking due to lost luggage and a change of plan. Kevin was absolutely fabulous and understanding. Reading the other review I really wish I could have stayed there. We will definitely try and go there in the future.

This is a must when visiting Fort William. It's on the high street where the Bronze Ford is, it's…read moremuch bigger than what I expected and wish I had more time because it was fascinating. We received a lovely welcome upon arrival and guided into a great exhibit about military training, there were also bits about the bronze Ford, the old fort and even Queen Victoria and Albert and Bonnie Prince Charlie's death mask. Scottish tartan clothes and dolls and animal taxidermy and it's free to visit but donations are welcome. The gift shop is brilliant too, great books and posters and bits. Would definitely be first on my list when visiting Fort William again!

We spent a day wandering Fort William on our trip to Scotland. We had no plans when we got into…read moretown, so it was great to stumble upon this little gem. The museum is only the size of a large house, but it's jammed full of of things to look at! There's an exhibit dedicated to the old Fort William itself, a large section dedicated to the Jacobite Rebellion, as well as exhibits on military history, Highland life, and changes in the Victorian times, as well as an archaeologic exhibit. There's a fantastic coin collection, interesting displays on weaponry, and the intriguing secret portrait of Bonnie Prince Charlie. I learned as much about the West Highland area in my time at this museum as during the rest of our trip in the area. Located in the walking-only part of downtown, It's run entirely by a charity, and while entrance is free, donations are welcomed and I'd highly encourage you to contribute-- they're doing good work here.

Our day was mostly a collection of quick stops on the way to Glasgow, so our next stop was the…read moreruins of Old Inverlochy Castle, an important castle in Scottish history.

In the afternoon of Monday 15 July 2019, I ventured to the Treasures Of The Earth museum. I had…read moregone to visit Glenfinnan Viaduct and found parking to be backed up about a mile, I even measured with my rental car's odometer, and decided I wanted to do something else while I waited for it to quiet down. I was staying in Fort William, so I made my way back towards my lodging and saw signs along the road for Treasures Of The Earth, so I decided to follow them and see if it was still open. The parking lot and building were easy to find. Parking spots were available, so I parked, and made my way to the entrance. It turned out the museum was open, so I paid the fee and explored the museum. As a geologist with a specialization in mineralogy, petrology, and volcanology, I found this museum to be super neat. Different exhibits showcased different physical properties of minerals as well as the environments in which they are found. In one area, there is a fountain that had coins on the bottom when I visited. My plush, Hedgy the Hedgehog, and I made a wish to travel to Ireland at the fountain and threw our coin in. Has not happened yet, but we still have hope. At the end of my museum journey I perused the gift shop. I found a number of items to purchase both for myself and for family members back in the United States of America. Prices for some of the mineral specimens on sale were amazing. All of the workers I interacted with were well-tempered and the workers as well as other patrons while I was there were well-mannered.

Food was good, music and environment was amazing!!! Service…read morehowever was horrendous. Server forgot us several times. Took our drinks and food order and didn't return, we had to call her over after waiting 20 minutes for our drinks. She apologized for forgetting. Our food took over an hour and half and she again apologized for forgetting to put the dinner order in.

Super fun live performer Friday night. The fish and chips and pie were great; the curry was a bit…read morebland. But the vibes were impeccable. The ciders were great and sweet. We were able to walk in at 5:30 PM on a Friday, but the place was packed at 6:30 PM

Nice gallery with artists there and available. A pleasant roadside spot to stretch with easy…read moreparking available. In the heart of what seems to have quickly become a quite hoity toity enclave

My brothers and I were hoping to find some locally made souvenirs during our trip in Scotland…read more While we were on Skye we came across a booklet of local artists, saw Ellishadder Gallery's page, and decided to drive there en route to a hike we had planned up north. This business is operated out of the artist's beautiful home. She has a studio where she displays her work (pillows, blankets, etc) and the loom she uses to weave these. She also runs a cafe from her home. When we arrived she showed us how the loom works, and my brothers both ordered coffees (and were pleased that she brought out two french presses instead of the instant coffee they'd been getting everywhere else in Scotland). I ended up buying a pillow from her and my brother got a blanket. If you bought something similar in the states the pricing would be very comparable. We stuck around and chatted with Maggie (owner and operator) for awhile. It's a little off the beaten path, we were the only ones there at the time. It was a great stop and I'm really glad we dropped by.

Storehouse is a farm to table restaurant... since 2005…read more The food served at the storehouse are not only freshly made, but also homemade-style. They are loved by many locals and visitors all over. Here's something you probably won't see on the menu everyday... Cranachan Dessert. A traditional dessert that celebrates some of the highlands local ingredients... yes! The storehouse sourced most of their ingredients locally... fresh berries, cream, oats and whiskey... The oats are first toasted to bring out the nutty profile, then mixed with a shot of good old Scottish flavor, whiskey! ...combined with fresh whipped cream and sweetened with golden honey. Regardless of what you choose, whether it's homemade hot food, light sandwiches or delightful pastries over a cup of espresso treat, you'll find the experience at the storehouse is one filled with friendliness and coziness. Be sure to check out the outdoor seating with amazing views as well as the exhibit next door.

If your looking for some good food, in a lovely location with a little shop selling local produce…read moreand lovely crafty things, then this is the place for you.. I make sure I visit Storehouse whenever I'm home.. It's great for lunch or a coffee and a cake stop.. Don't be put off by the massive queue, it goes down quick and the food is worth the wait.. You get your food before your seat and at busy times they have staff ready to find a seat for you.. They offer, soup, sandwiches, salads, baked potatoes and full dinners, so defo something for everyone.. I always get a baked potatoe which comes with a good serving of salad.. Now dessert, the meringues are massive and I usually share it, or I have the lemon or raspberry posset which is so yummy.. But this does not reflect the massive selection of sweet goodies they have.. All the food is cooked fresh and on site.. You can also sit outside, it's right beside the beach and the view is beautiful.. If your lucky you might see some of the local seals.. There is also a small playing park for the kids.. After your munch you can have a wander round the wee shops.. The one inside the building has mainly food and drink, the shop outside has lots of nik knacks that are good for gifts or treats to yourself..

July & October 2024…read more While we strolling along the River Ness in Inverness, a drenching rainfall came down quickly (it's the Scottish way!). We were very close to the Eden Court Theatre so we took refuge in this large glass building. We were happy to find the restrooms and the cafe. The restrooms are large and very clean. I appreciated the hand dryers as I was able to dry my shirt and hair just a bit. There are lots of toilet stalls so no waiting. The cafe was simply perfect! We enjoyed cappuccino's and soups to warm us up. I had the potato leek soup and my partner had a vegetable soup. Soups were served with a chunk of delicious bread. You place your order at the counter and sit wherever you like. There is abundant seating that includes booths, tables and chairs. You can dine outside on their patio or on the grassy lawn. We loved it so much that we ate sandwiches there the next day. During our return trip in October, Eden Court was on the top of our list to visit again for a quick, affordable bite. We didn't see any of the shows or movies but really appreciated the delightful cafe and clean accommodations.

If I lived in Inverness, I'd be so proud of this place. I…read morewas really grateful for this place. I had to cut my holiday short because of the weather. And this was just what I needed to perk me up. I went to the bar and I went to the cinema here. They pick some good films to watch. It was just what I needed. I am also grateful to the manager of the restaurant whom I asked for recommendations for places to eat as a vegetarian. He recommended The Mustard Seed as the best place in town and the Caribbean restaurant as well, Kool Runnings. The cinema has a really great rake, so you can see the screen from wherever you are sitting with no worries about who will sit in front of you. The seats are really comfy and not too comfy. Good sound too.

Great boat tour with Loch Ness by Jacobite! We enjoyed the views, especially of the Urquhart…read moreCastle! And being able to see the depth of the loch underneath us and the trajectory of the boat on the monitors as the boat moved about the very deep loch was interesting. The narration was informative and helped us learn more about the loch and its history. The legend of Nessie was leaned into, in a fun way!

We took this ride as part of our Highland Tours trip…read more After shopping at the gift shop we made our way under the bridge to the dock. You have some great views from here but it just gets better. The boat has both in and outside seating. We did go outside to the front to take some pictures but spent most of the time inside as it was about 45 degrees. The ride from Inverness to Urquhart castle is 1/2 hour. The boat ride which includes admission to the castle (one way) was 20 GBP & well worth it. The Whisky hot chocolate is a must try! Well worth it given the multiple breathtaking views as well the chance to search for Nessie

When we pulled into the parking lot, we were told we needed to go back the village center to get a…read moreticket. We didn't find where we needed to go, so I decided to look online and luckily there were tickets available. I wish the parking attendant told us to do that in the first place. The ruins are one of the largest in Scotland. The castle was built in the 13th to 16th centuries and used until 1692. It's situated on a headland with panoramic views overlooking Loch Ness. The grounds were bigger than expected. We were able to find some souvenirs at the gift shop afterwards. We also ate at the cafe, which was decent. I'm glad we came early as it started to rain quite a bit as we made our way out.

Urquhart Castle is such a site to see! If you're traveling to the Highlands, it's absolutely worth…read morethe visit, but you must book a ticket ahead of time. Urquhart Castle is located on Lock Ness between Inverness and Fort William. You can also access it if you take certain Jacobite boat tours. We had pre-purchased our tickets the morning of and clicked to include parking, which was free. This was important, because there was someone at the top of the hill when we arrived only letting those with pre-booked tickets in. We enjoyed walking the ruins and getting to view all the sites. No Nessie spotting, but quite an enjoyable visit! The midges were out in full force though and we definitely got our share of bites.