The Scottish Highlands have captured travellers’ imaginations since Sir Walter Scott began setting his wildly evocative historical novels here. What those first Victorian tourists discovered was a vast, virtually empty wilderness, graced with steely lochs, mighty hills rising from wiry heather-sprung peat bogs, and swathes of pine forest roamed by red deer.
This jaw-dropping landscape has been a star attraction for centuries. And it still is, partly thanks to a road trip, the North Coast 500, dubbed Scotland’s Route 66, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last year.
Of course, there is also a famously unsolved monster-mystery; and a TV show or two. Between Outlander and The Traitors, Scottish castles are also at the top of many itineraries. And one more has just opened its doors.
Until recently, Inverness, the capital of the Highlands and a small city on the banks of the River Ness, has essentially been the springboard for exploring the major sites on its outskirts. Head east and you have the National Trust for Scotland’s moving Culloden Battlefield site, where Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites were defeated by government forces in 1776.
Head west and you’ll find the rugged waters of Loch Ness, the romantic ruins of Urquhart Castle on its shore. Now, however, Inverness Castle, built in the same Scots-Baronial style as the city’s law courts, has been turned into a showcase for the Highlands – a multi-million-pound project celebrating the region’s history and cultural heritage.
Five Must-Sees
IINVERNESS
Perched above the river, Inverness’s stately sandstone fortress is now a world-class attraction. The recently opened Inverness Castle Experience (invernesscastle.scot) has plenty of wow factor. The South Tower is designed as an interactive journey, with visitors led by a seanchaidh (or traditional storyteller) through a series of rooms exploring the region’s culture, communities, landscape and heritage. The visit culminates in a spectacular, immersive show. In the North Tower, more traditional exhibition spaces include a gallery housing a Tapestry of the Highlands, created by 600 local stitchers.
Just below the castle, Browns Gallery (browns-gallery.com), established by artist Gordon Brown, hosts a series of exhibitions showcasing the most exciting contemporary Scottish artists. For traditional Scottish fine art, Scottish Flair (scottishflair.com), on the riverside, specialises in Edwardian and Victorian paintings.
Leakey’s (leakeysbookshop.com) is the biggest second-hand bookshop in Scotland, located in a cavernous 18th-century church. Head 10 minutes south and you’ll discover Antiques & Architectural Salvage at Daviot: Mike Moor’s antiques and architectural salvage yard, where three giant hangars are crammed with grandfather clocks, wrought-iron benches, old chimney pots and vintage clothing (facebook.com/ScottishHighlandAntiques).
BEAULY
Meander westwards along the Beauly Firth, the first stretch of the North Coast 500 (northcoast500.com), to the pretty village of Beauly, 20 minutes away. Named ‘Beau Lieu’ or ‘beautiful place’ by the French monks who founded a now-ruined priory here in the 13th century, it’s a Highland honeypot.
Along the high street, Iain Marr Antiques (iain-marr-antiques.com) is a dazzling vault of silver, crystal and porcelain, while Campbell’s of Beauly (campbellsofbeauly.com) is a historic – and rather legendary – traditional tweed and tailoring outfitters (the royal family have headed here for their tweeds since 1924). Today, its original wooden shelving and cabinets are piled high with cashmere jumpers and blankets as well as the beloved tweeds, which have been sold here since 1858.
On the nearby Belladrum estate, an old steading (farmstead) has been turned into creative studios for makers and artists, including Wild Gorse (wild-gorse.co.uk): Julia Kirk’s flower studio, café and Circa Botanica store. Here, Sarah Marr of Iain Marr Antiques has also curated collectables, from delicate cranberry glass to old pharmacy jars. In another small settlement, Kilmorack, Kilmorack Gallery (kilmorackgallery.co.uk) is situated in an 18th-century church and is the setting for a series of regular art and sculpture exhibitions.
THE BLACK ISLE
A ferry used to be the only way to access The Black Isle from Inverness, but in the 1980s a bridge was built to connect the two. Isle is a misnomer, however. In fact, this is a lush, green, fertile farming peninsula sandwiched between the Cromarty and Beauly firths, and ringed by a string of picturesque coastal villages.
Swing by the Black Isle Brewery, a rustic microbrewery on an organic farm, for a free tour (blackislebrewery.com). Then curve around the coast, stopping off in Fortrose for coffee and cake to-go from sourdough bakery Bakhoos (bakhoosbakery.com), before making your way to Chanonry Point to spot bottlenose dolphins. Rosemarkie has a long, family-friendly beach and a tiny museum dedicated to Pictish art and local history (groamhouse.org.uk).
Continue to Cromarty, with its narrow lanes and perfectly preserved 18th-century merchants houses. Here you’ll find the Cromarty Pottery (cromarty-pottery.com), antique store Gardiner and Gardiner (helengardinerantiques.com), the fascinating Cromarty Courthouse Museum (cromarty-courthouse.org.uk) and fossil-hunter and geologist Hugh Miller’s Birthplace Cottage and Museum (nts.org.uk).
DORNOCH
Once a Royal Borough, this honey-toned historic town is on the coast an hour north of Inverness. These days it is famous for its golf and sweeping, dune-backed beach. Madonna and Guy Ritchie christened their son Rocco in the 13th-century cathedral (dornoch-cathedral.com), whose stained-glass windows are dedicated to philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.
The pretty, tree-fringed streets strung with independent stores are perfect for a morning’s mooching. In the old Carnegie Courthouse you’ll find an outpost of tweed outfitters, Campbell’s of Beauly. If you’re keen to attend a whisky-tasting session, head to Carnegie Whisky Cellars (carnegiewhiskycellars.co.uk), whose shelves are stocked with more than 450 malts.
Down the street is Castle Close Antiques (castle-close-antiques.com) – an emporium of porcelain and pottery, silverware, paintings and furniture. If you’re peckish, grab a lobster roll or haddock wrap from seafood shack The Highland Larder (@thehighlandlarder) by the beach.
DUNROBIN CASTLE, GOLSPIE
More French château than sturdy Scottish fortress, Dunrobin Castle (dunrobincastle.co.uk), the ancestral home of the Dukes of Sutherland since the 14th century, is a conical-turreted, fairy-tale confection. On the north-east coast, just over an hour from Inverness and on the edge of the village of Golspie, it’s the largest of Scotland’s great houses, with 189 rooms.
Those open to the public are a visual feast of military memorabilia, taxidermy, family heirlooms and portraits on wood-panelled walls. The exquisite formal Victorian gardens are one of the highlights. Designed by Charles Barry in the mid-19th century, the parterres and fountains were inspired by those at Versailles.
Eat and Stay
BLACK ISLE BREWERY BAR, Inverness
There’s a cool, relaxed feel to the bar at this hip microbrewery, with huge farmhouse tables, organic beer flights and delicious wood-fired pizzas (many of the ingredients for which are grown on the brewery’s farm). Upstairs there’s a roof garden with wooden shed-booths strung with fairy lights (blackislebrewery.com).
NEWHALL MAINS, The Black Isle
This 18th-century ‘mains’ building (a golden-stoned quadrangle once housing farm workers) is now a gourmet hotel. Awarded a Michelin Key in 2024, its restaurant, Spruce, serves a Sunday roast slow-cooked over the Argentinian asado grill. Chef Matt Heeley dishes up seasonal menus, with dishes such as hand-dived Orkney scallops in a shellfish bisque, and Highland venison with parsley root and smoked turnip (newhall-mains.com).
Accommodation
HOOTS HOTEL, Inverness
The top two floors of legendary live music venue, Hootananny’s, have been converted into Hoots Hotel. Its seven sumptuous boutique rooms were created by designer Isobel Barnes. Think vibrant Fermoie textile-covered headboards, an eclectic mix of antique desks, chairs and chaise longues, and leather luggage racks auctioned off by The Dorchester in London. Double rooms from £130. (hootanannyinverness.co.uk)
ALDOURIE ESTATE, Dores
Bed down in the grounds of Aldourie Castle (aldourie.scot) on the shore of Loch Ness in one of the recently renovated cottages on the 500-acre estate. Aldourie is part of Wildland (wildland.scot), a collection of 13 estates across Scotland, which are spearheading a 200-year rewilding programme. Gatehouse Cottage (sleeps four) is a mini-castle with its turret and ochre exterior, beams, roaring fire and pared-back Scandinavian interiors. From £470 per night.
