Great hall for all types of occasions. It is used alot for weddings, birthday parties etc. It has a…read morestage too, so if you want to have a band playing at your wedding or party then this is the place to book. It is avaliable for a reasonable price too.

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 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.

Beautiful old cathedral…read more If you're here and you have time to stop in. See all the other photos posted. It is kept up somewhat but reminds you of a small town old cathedral. Ye tho i kneel Head bowed Yet heart unsealed Lifted high In prayer A moment for me A moment for thee A word of grace In this sacred place Blessed is thee Who takes a moment Prays Word passed A moment of grace Bless us all Blessings

We passed by this on our way to cross the bridge to Johnston's Wool. It's a ruin but still very…read morebeautiful. Feel *free* to stroll around the ground, or if you are a history buff, pay the admission for more info and closer look. The cathedral has been around since the 12th century! The grounds are well maintained.

We visited Craigievar Castle as part of a round trip from Stonehaven to Huntly Castle, the Castle…read moreis very nice, the Tour was interesting and the Guide give some good insight about the history and the different rooms

I love the style of this wee castle. I'd love to build a tower like it to live in.read more

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.

I spotted the War Memorial on the hillside overlooking the water when exploring Dunnottar Castle…read more Once spotted, I decided to make time so that when I was done exploring the castle I would try and make it out and back before closing for the day, 6 p.m. After done exploring the castle and the corresponding beach beneath it, I was on the trail at 5:30 p.m. and unsure of the distance to the memorial, so I walked with occasional running spurts to the site. I marveled at the joy of running in the greenery. However, I also realized I was out of shape on this heritage travel trip I was taking through Scotland (in July 2019). It had been a while since I ran a sub-5 minute mile (2012), but my zest for speed was reawakened (my personal best now, at 30 years of age in May 2023, is 4 minutes and 41.27 seconds). While making my way to the memorial I saw various insects and birds, though none of the famous Scotland red squirrels. Pondering this, I also started thinking about if it was time for me to find a new spirit animal, perhaps a Russian hamster... they run 10 kilometers (approximately 6.2 miles) during the night. While my mind, and occasionally my body, raced towards the memorial, I did not lose sight of it and the trail led directly to the memorial site. The memorial honors local people who died in various wars in the 20th century (1900s). The entrance was straightforward to find from the trail, admission was free, and the memorial itself was open to the environment. I liked the design, which helped me spot it from afar. Scurrying back to my car I arrived about a minute or two before closing.

The Stonehaven War Memorial is extremely atmospheric all the year round. It dominates the views to…read morethe south of the town as I think is only fitting for something commemorating those who gave their lives in the service of their country. When I was in my teens and lived in Stonehaven they used to hold the town's Remembrance Service up at the memorial every November which made the impact of the service even greater as it really brought it home to you that those who had died had been a part of the town and the landscape in all its beauty. It's free to enter the Memorial. There's a steep walk which is more than rewarded by the view, but this means that it may not be a suitable destination for those of limited mobility.

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