Inverness Leisure Centre or the Aquadome has the distinct advantage that it's the only public pool…read morein Inverness. There are two pool areas - one for the serious swimmers and the fun pool. The fun pool has a toddler area, a jacuzzi, flumes, wave machine and outdoor pool. There are loads of changing rooms including at least ten family changing rooms. It can get really busy at peak times and you often have to wait for an available changing room, but you can use the giant body dryer room thingy to keep warm and get you all dry (you can fit a family in it). The most cost effective way to use all the facilities in Inverness Leisure is to get a Hi-Life card - only £20 a month for the whole family. There is also a climbing wall in the building.

A fantastic sports centre, this features an aquadome with a competition pool, as well as a 'mucking…read moreabout pool', and a sauna and steam room upstairs. Next door is the sports area, with a large hall which can be hired for badminton, football etc.

An excellent addition to the facilities for kids under 3 in and around Inverness…read more Runaround is essentially just a large hall with toys for the kids and tea for the parents/carers, but due to the complete lack of play areas for kids it becomes the place to be! The size of the hall allows plenty of space for toddlers to burn of their excess energy and there is a seperate safe area for babies. It's set up so the kids play in the middle (the dance floor) and the seats and tables are all around the edge so you can always see your kids but far enough away that you can have a conversation. It's an ideal venue for mums meeting up or going alone with kids (they provide the latest magazines).

Runaround was a god send for me when I was looking after my nephew and niece. I'd drop my niece off…read moreat school and take my nephew to Runaround to burn off all the energy he seems to always have. Independently run little business, it is a great additional for all youngsters as it gives them the opportunity to meet with other children there age and to mix, and expand on there developing skills. There are lots of toys laid out for the children to play with, even a bouncy castle, which my nephew adores. Granted he usuallly sits inside and watches peter pan on the televison they have, but hey if he's having fun then i'm happy! The room is the function room therefore is a large space and is big enough for lots of children to come and play. Parents can sit at the sides without having to worry about the kids running away as safety measures are in place with child gates. so they can sit back and relax/have a natter with the other mums/dads/aunts/uncles/granny's and let there child have fun. There are also a selection of magazines/books available for you to browse through. There is refreshments available for a small charge, but there is a great selection to choose for even for the kids. I was very impressed when I first went, and would definately recommend it to anyone who has young toddlers. Runaround operates three days a week and is a great addition for the youngsters of Dingwall, especially as there is limited things for them to do.

I like cryptids and one of the most famous ones is the Loch Ness Monster. You won't be able to see…read morethe Monster but you are guaranteed to see a long 23 mile lake, black water, and a cute town with Loch Ness Monster souvenirs and theming. We were here 10 years ago and enjoyed it enough to come back. If you go on a cruise the windows of the cruise ship have a tiny Loch Ness Monster sticker so every picture you take will have the cryptid! Unfortunately, they were sold out this time and we were not able to get onto the ships. Caledonian Canal: Connects this Loch with others. We got really lucky this trip and were able to see the Canal in action, with waters lowering and doorways opening for 2 boats going to Loch Ness. This is located in the town area of Loch Ness. Loch Ness: From the canals walk straight down on the left side. There are no public bathroom at the end but there is a sign you can take pictures at that says "Loch Ness". If you are not on a boat ride the walk is short and the area at the end is small but its worth it to take a picture at the sign and get a close up view of the lake. The spring is gorgeous with vibrant yellow Gorse flowers blooming, it brightens up the gloom a bit and gives the landscape some special of color.

It's probably more well known than it really should be. The real monster here is the marketing…read moresymbol it has become for this area of Scotland. It's lovely, but so is the entire region, there's nothing particularly awe inspiring. Urquhart Castle on the shore is certainly worth a look, whether from water or land; Fort Augustus at the southern end is a nice village that's touristy without being unpleasant.

This place is excellent for a day out, they have a varied selection of animals like llamas,…read morewallabies, deer as well as your usual goats, birds and ducks etc. The park is well laid out and your able to feed the animals some food you can buy in the shop. There is also a small petting paddock where you can get up close and personal with ducks, rabbits and even a deer if your patient. Although as you walk through the park the majority of the animals come to you anyway especially if you have a bag of food in your pocket. They have a lot of unusual animals you wouldn't expect, a play park for the kids and picnic tables and it all makes for a great day out. There is a cafe and gift shop, which is reasonably priced, the facilities are clean and the staff are always friendly and helpful. If you're in the area you need to go and see this place.

It's a great place for toddlers since you can pet lots of animals. Although don't forget your buggy…read moresince the walk is quite long and once your on the trail it's not that straightforward to come out of it. The picnic and play area facilities are good and there is an indoor barn area if the weather is not great.

Popular with young teens, this offers various amusements which keep the kids entertained. The usual…read moreamusements that you'd expect to see at a theme park are here, with some decent prizes (the teddys in the grab machines are generally the latest TV/Film characters). Staff don't tend to be particularly friendly, but you can hardly blame them, sitting in a booth with pre-teens screaming all day!

This place is great. We needed a new driver shaft to replace Callaway Epic one broken by the…read moreairlines. We walked in, friendly greeting, two golf pros waiting to help us. We left 15 minutes later with reshafted and regripped driver. Lots of brands of clubs, bags, shoes, clothing, etc. Theraguns and range finders. This place knows the good golf stuff. Coming to Scotland, we didn't want to just make do. So glad we chose this place!

Amazing customer service! Stumbled on to this little restaurant (located at the golf course) on…read moreour first trip to Scotland, 2007. Had the most amazing Crème Brûlée (the way it is supposed to taste) and when I made it back in 2009, was disappointed to find it no longer on the menu (traveled 7k miles for that dessert!) Was told that if I gave a few days notice, they would have it made for me the next time I came. In 2015, I took them up on that offer! Called on Monday before leaving the states, and when I made it there for lunch on Friday, had a case of it waiting for me. Oh my! Master baker Charlie Cuthbert did an outstanding job, and of course the staff was accommodating and friendly (and was even able to advise us regarding ferry out of Scrabster.) We enjoyed every bite with our friends that we shared the Crème Brûlée with, and had lunch at the Fairways one more time before we had to go home. Friendly, affordable and comfortable (I was traveling with teenaged and young adult children), we absolutely recommend Fairways Golf Course restaurant if you make it to Inverness.

Fairways, as well as being a really nice golf club, also contains a very quaint little restaurant…read moreand bar. The restaurant serves a lot of snack foods, but also some very tasty main courses. The club as a whole has a very nice community feel to it, and you're guaranteed a warm reception. The bar continues that warm feel, and the locals and regulars all make you feel very welcome. A big screen TV is welcome on match day. The prices are fairly cheap for a golfing club, as well as the restaurant prices. The golf circuit itself is very pleasant, up in the hills overlooking the city, but is not without its challenges, as any course on a hill would be. The club features a putting green for practise while you wait, and also a spacious driving range to practise your swing.

Amazing Road Trip We…read morewere travelling England, Scotland and Ireland for a few weeks by car with our doggy. Northern Scotland of course was high on our to-do list. We weren't able to do the whole way, only about 2/3 of it (Inverness - whole East Coast - John O'Groats - Thurso - and a bit further than Durness). But the part we did was amazing - beyong any words. I've done some good Road Trips before. The Route 66. The US / Mexican Border. Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway). Australia (Uluru - South Coast - East Coast) and more. And this here belongs to the very top Road Trips I know. The landscape is simply amazing. Every few minutes you feel the urge to stop, get out of the car and take in the wonderful views. You could do that - if you have a bunch of weeks time. We took about 5-6 days for our part of the NC 500 and we still felt it flew by so fast. After Thurso the main road becomes a one-lane. That's for both directions! There are enough spaces though to let other cars pass....about every 100-200 meters. Most drivers are very respectful too. Sometimes some Caravan Drivers acted like they own the road though. Besides that it's a fantastic ride - almost a rollercoaster somtimes :) So many lovely towns, views, vista points and landmarks. Some that we think you shouldn't miss: Inverness: lovely town, good shopping Wick: a good lunch stop Duncansby Head: one of the most amazing landscapes we've ever seen, great walks - way better than Dunnet Head Thurso: nice town, also a good base for exploring the area The Road to Dunnet Head: great views, nice small lakes, Dunnet head itself is a bit disappointing Dunnet Bay: huge (and empty) beach, pet-friendly, great views Kyle Of Tongue: amazing views, backed by many mountains Durness and Sango Bay: good stop for lunch, lovely Beach The stretch between Thurso and Durness were for us the most impressive. Fantastic all the way. The landscape along Loch Eriboll is also magical. It's a wonder this Road Trip is not more popular. There is some traffic, yes. But still not much. But that's a good thing! Better keep it secret....oh, I shouldn't have written this review then :)