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LOCH TORRIDON
Scotland’s Highland region, covering the northern two-thirds of the country, holds much of the mainland’s most spectacular scenery. You may be surprised at just how remote much of it still is: the vast peat bogs in the north, for example, are among the most extensive and unspoilt wilderness areas in Europe, while a handful of the west coast’s isolated crofting villages can still be reached only by boat. The only major city, Inverness, is best used as a springboard for more remote areas where you can soak in the Highlands’ classic combination of mountains, glens, lochs and rivers, surrounded on three sides by a magnificently pitted and rugged coastline.
South of Inverness, the Strathspey region, with a string of villages lying along the River Spey, is dominated by the dramatic Cairngorm mountains, an area brimming with attractive scenery and opportunities for outdoor activity. The Monadhliath mountains lie between Strathspey and Loch Ness, the largest and most famous of the necklace of lochs that make up the Great Glen, an ancient geological faultline which cuts southwest across the region from Inverness to the town of Fort William. From Fort William, beneath Scotland’s highest peak, Ben Nevis, it’s possible to branch out to some fine scenery – most conveniently the beautiful expanses of Glen Coe, but also in the direction of the appealing west coast, notably the remote and tranquil Ardnamurchan peninsula, the “Road to the Isles” to Mallaig, and the lochs and glens that lead to Kyle of Lochalsh on the most direct route to Skye. Between Kyle of Lochalsh and Ullapool, the main settlement in the northwest, lies Wester Ross, home to quintessentially west-coast scenes of sparkling sea lochs, rocky headlands and sandy beaches set against some of Scotland’s most dramatic mountains, with Skye and the Western Isles on the horizon.
The north coast, stretching from wind-lashed Cape Wrath, at the very northwest tip of the mainland, east to John O’Groats, is even more rugged, with sheer cliffs and sand-filled bays bearing the brunt of frequently fierce Atlantic storms. The main settlement on this coast is Thurso, jumping-off point for the main ferry service to Orkney.
On the fertile east coast, stretching north from Inverness to the old herring port of Wick, green fields and woodland run down to the sweeping sandy beaches of the Black Isle and the Cromarty and Dornoch firths. This region is rich with historical sites, including the Sutherland Monument by Golspie, Dornoch’s fourteenth-century sandstone cathedral and a number of places linked to the Clearances, a poignantly remembered chapter in the Highland story.
Getting around The highland region
Getting around the Highlands, particularly the remoter parts, can be tricky without your own transport. Bus services are sporadic and often cease entirely on Sunday. Most sizeable villages have a petrol station or 24hr fuel supply (typically card payment only), although these are few and far between in the west and north, so fill up early and be prepared for higher prices. Bear in mind, too, that the Highlands’ single-track roads are far from fast; remember to pull in to let drivers behind overtake.
Alamy
THE OLD FORGE PUB, KNOYDART
West Highland Railway From Glasgow to Mallaig via Fort William: the further north you travel, the more spectacular it gets.
The Cairngorms Scotland’s grandest mountain massif, a place of rare plants, wild animals, inspiring vistas and challenging outdoor activities.
Glen Coe Stunning, moody, poignant and full of history – a glorious place for hiking or to simply admire.
Knoydart Only accessible by boat or a two-day hike over the mountains, this peninsula also boasts mainland Britain’s most isolated pub, the welcoming Old Forge.
Wester Ross Scotland’s finest scenery – a heady mix of high mountains, rugged sea lochs, sweeping bays and scattered islands.
Ceilidh Place, Ullapool The best venue for modern Highland culture, with evenings of music, song and dance.
Cromarty Set on the fertile Black Isle, this charming small town boasts beautiful vernacular architecture and dramatic east-coast scenery.
HIGHLIGHTS ARE MARKED ON THE MAP
The West Highland Railway
A fixture in lists of the world’s most scenic train journeys, the brilliantly engineered West Highland Railway runs from Glasgow to Mallaig via Fort William. The line is in two sections: the southern part travels from Glasgow Queen Street station, up the banks of Loch Lomond to Crianlarich, then around Beinn Odhar on a horseshoe of viaducts to cross Rannoch Moor, where the track had to be laid on a mattress of tree roots, brushwood and thousands of tons of earth and ashes. You’re out in the wilds here, the line long having diverged from the road. The route then swings into Glen Roy, passing through the Monessie Gorge to enter Fort William.
Leg two, from Fort William to Mallaig, is even more spectacular. Shortly after leaving Fort William the railway crosses the Caledonian Canal beside Neptune’s Staircase at Benavie, before travelling along Locheil and crossing the 21-arch viaduct at Glenfinnan, where passengers get to live out Harry Potter fantasies. Then it’s on to the coast, with views of the Small Isles and Skye before journey’s end at Mallaig. You can book tickets through 
scotrail.co.uk. Between late April and October, this leg of the route is also served by the Jacobite Steam Train (westcoastrailways.co.uk).
Straddling a nexus of road and rail routes, INVERNESS is the hub of the Highlands, and an inevitable port of call if you’re exploring the region by public transport: buses and trains leave for communities right across the far north of Scotland. Though it has few conventional sights, the city has an appealing setting on the banks of the River Ness.
Castle Wynd, IV2 3EB • April–Oct Tues–Sat 10am–5pm; Nov–March Tues–Thurs noon–4pm, Fri & Sat 11am–4pm • Free • 
01463 237114, highlifehighland.com
Below Inverness Castle, the Inverness Museum and Art Gallery offers an insight into the social history of the Highlands, with treasures from the times of the Picts and Vikings, taxidermy exhibits such as “Felicity” the puma, caught in Cannich in 1980, and interactive features including an introduction to the Gaelic language. Though the castle itself is closed to the public, there are various plaques and statues in the grounds, including a small plinth marking the start of the 73-mile Great Glen Way, and a 360-degree viewpoint offers views of the city.
Six miles east of Inverness off the B9006, IV2 5EU • Visitor centre daily: April, May, Sept & Oct 9am–5.30pm; June & July 9am–6pm; Aug 9am–7pm; Nov, Dec, Feb & March 10am–4pm • £11; entrance includes an audioguide; NTS • 01463 796090, nts.org.uk/culloden
The windswept moorland of CULLODEN witnessed the last-ever battle on British soil when, on April 16, 1746, the Jacobite cause was finally subdued – a turning point in the history of the Scottish nation. Today, this historic site attracts more than 200,000 visitors annually. Your first stop should be the superb visitor centre, which hosts costumed actors and state-of-the-art audiovisual and interactive technology, all employed to tell the tragedy of Culloden through the words, songs and poetic verse of locals and soldiers who experienced it. The pièce de résistance is the powerful “battle immersion theatre” where visitors are surrounded by lifelike cinematography and the sounds of the raging, bloody fight.
Every April, on the Saturday closest to the date of the battle, there’s a small commemorative service here.
Cawdor, 14 miles northeast of Inverness, IV12 5RD • May–Oct daily 10am–5.30pm • £11.20; £6.50 for gardens & nature trails only • 01667 404401, cawdorcastle.com • Trains and buses from Inverness to Nairn (frequent; 20–45min), then pick up a taxi for the final 6 miles
Cawdor Castle, in the pretty village of CAWDOR, is intimately linked to Shakespeare’s Macbeth: the fulfilment of the witches’ prediction that Macbeth was to become thane of Cawdor sets off his tragic desire to be king. Though visitors arrive in their droves each summer, the castle, which dates from the early fourteenth century, could not have witnessed the grisly eleventh-century events on which the Bard’s drama was based. However, the immaculately restored monument – a fairy-tale affair of towers, turrets, hidden passageways, dungeons, gargoyles and crenellations whimsically shooting off from the original keep – is well worth a visit. Outside is a 1620 walled kitchen garden, a formal flower garden and a rambling 1960s wild garden.
Thirteen miles northeast of Inverness, near Ardersier, IV2 7TD • Daily: April–Sept 9.30am–5.30pm; Oct–March 10am–4pm • £9; HES • 01667 460232, historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/fort-george
Fort George, an old Hanoverian bastion with walls a mile long, is considered by military architectural historians to be one of the finest fortifications in Europe. Crowning a sandy spit that juts into the middle of the Moray Firth, it was built between 1747 and 1769 as a base for George II’s army, in case the Highlanders should attempt to rekindle the Jacobite flame. By the time of its completion, however, the uprising had been firmly quashed and the fort has been used ever since as barracks; note the armed sentries at the main entrance and the periodic crack of live gunfire from the nearby firing ranges. Walking on the northern, grass-covered casemates, which look out into the estuary, you may be lucky enough to see a pod of bottle-nosed dolphins swimming in with the tide.
The defeat of the Jacobites
It didn’t take long for Scottish opinion to turn against the Union between Scotland and England, signed in 1707, after it failed to bring Scots any tangible economic benefits. The first Jacobite rebellion of 1715, led by John Erskine, fell flat when his troops failed to take military advantage at the Battle of Sheriffmuir. A few decades later, tensions continued to simmer.
The second Jacobite rebellion had begun on August 19, 1745, with the raising of the Stuarts’ standard at Glenfinnan on the west coast. Shortly after, Edinburgh fell into Jacobite hands, and Bonnie Prince Charlie began his march on London. The ruling Hanoverians had appointed the ambitious young Duke of Cumberland to command their forces, which included troops from the Lowlands and Highlands. The duke’s pursuit, together with bad weather and lack of funds, eventually forced the Jacobite forces – mostly comprised of Highlanders – to retreat north. They ended up at Culloden, where, ill fed and exhausted after a pointless night march, they were hopelessly outnumbered by the government forces. The open, flat ground of Culloden Moor was totally unsuitable for the Highlanders’ style of courageous but undisciplined fighting, which needed steep hills and lots of cover to provide the element of surprise, and they were routed.
After the battle, in which 1500 Highlanders were slaughtered (many of them as they lay wounded on the battlefield), Bonnie Prince Charlie fled west to the hills and islands, where loyal Highlanders sheltered and protected him. He eventually escaped to France, leaving his supporters to their fate – and, in effect, ushering in the end of the clan system. The clans were disarmed, the wearing of tartan and playing of bagpipes forbidden, and the chiefs became landlords greedy for higher and higher rents. The battle also unleashed an orgy of violent reprisals on Scotland, as unruly government troops raped and pillaged their way across the region; within a century, the Highland way of life had changed beyond all recognition.
Arrival and information inverness
By plane Inverness Airport (01667 464000, hial.co.uk/inverness-airport) is at Dalcross, 7 miles east of the city. Taxis to the centre cost around £14 (try Tartan Taxis on 01463 222777).
Destinations Belfast (6 weekly; 1hr 5min); Birmingham (Mon–Fri & Sun 1 daily; 1hr 25min); Bristol (1–2 daily; 1hr 20min); Kirkwall (Mon–Sat 1–2 daily; 45min); London Gatwick (4–5 daily; 1hr 50min); Luton (1 daily; 1hr 20min); Manchester (Mon–Fri 2 daily, Sat & Sun 1 daily; 1hr 30min); Stornoway (Mon–Fri 3–4 daily, Sat & Sun 1 daily; 40min).
By train The station lies just off Academy St, northeast of the centre.
Destinations Aberdeen (Mon–Sat 11 daily; Sun 6; 2hr 10min); Aviemore (Mon–Sat 12 daily, Sun 7; 35min); Edinburgh (Mon–Sat 9 daily, Sun 5; 3hr 30min); Glasgow Queen St (Mon–Sat 3 daily; Sun 3; 3hr 20min); Kyle of Lochalsh (Mon–Sat 4 daily, Sun 2; 3hr); London King’s Cross/Euston (1 daily; 8–11hr); Thurso (Mon–Sat 4 daily, Sun 1; 3hr 45min); Wick (Mon–Sat 4 daily, Sun 1; 4hr 15min).
By bus The main bus station is just north of the train station, close to the public library.
Destinations Aberdeen (hourly; 3hr 50min); Aviemore (every 30min; 45min); Drumnadrochit (at least hourly; 30min); Fort Augustus (up to 9 daily; 1hr); Fort William (up to 9 daily; 2hr); Glasgow (5 daily; 3hr 25min–4hr); Kyle of Lochalsh (3 daily; 2hr); Nairn (every 20–30min; 45min); Perth (7 daily; 2hr 50min); Portree (3 daily; 3hr 15min); Thurso (Mon–Sat 5 daily, Sun 3; 3hr); Ullapool (2–4 daily; 1hr 25min).
Tourist office Castle Wynd (July & Aug Mon–Sat 9am–6.30pm, Sun 9.30am–6pm; outside peak season shorter hours; 01463 252401, visitscotland.com).
Bazpackers 4 Culduthel Rd, IV2 4AB 01463 717663, bazpackershostel.co.uk; map. The most cosy and relaxed of the city’s hostels, with more than thirty beds, including three doubles and two twins. Good location in an 1826 townhouse, with great views and a garden that is used for barbecues. Dorms £18, doubles £50
Cruises from Inverness
Inverness is the departure point for day-tours and cruises to nearby attractions like Loch Ness and the Moray Firth. Loch Ness cruises typically incorporate a visit to a monster exhibition at Drumnadrochit and Urquhart Castle – try Jacobite Cruises (from £32; 01463 233999, jacobite.co.uk) or Cruise Loch Ness (from £14.50; 01320 366277, cruiselochness.com).
Bught Caravan and Camping Site Bught Park, a mile south, IV3 5SR 01463 236920, invernesscaravanpark.com; map. Inverness’s main campsite, on the west bank of the river near the sports centre. Good facilities, but can get crowded in peak season. Closed Nov–March. Per person £10
Furan Guest House 100 Old Edinburgh Rd, IV2 3HT 01463 712094, furan.co.uk; map. Good-value B&B a mile south of the centre, run by former hoteliers. There is a good choice of spotless rooms and a friendly resident cat. Book direct for the best rates. £85
Glenmoriston Town House Hotel 20 Ness Bank, IV2 4SF 01463 223777, glenmoristontownhouse.com; map. A smart contemporary hotel by the riverside just a few minutes’ walk from the town centre, with muted decor and good dining at Contrast Brasserie. £181
Inverglen Guest House 7 Abertarff Rd, IV2 3NW 01463 716350, inverglenguesthouse.co.uk; map. Supremely cosy and colourful rooms in a handsome villa. Smoked Scottish salmon is on the breakfast menu, and they run photography workshops, with trips to nearby glens and castles (£180/day). £95
Loch Ness Country House Hotel 3 miles southwest of central Inverness, off A82 (Fort William Rd), IV3 8JN 01463 230512, lochnesscountryhousehotel.co.uk; map. Luxurious country-house offering Modern Scottish food, fine wines and more than two hundred malts, as well as very comfortable and spacious rooms. £86
Rocpool Reserve Culduthel Rd, IV2 4AG 01463 240089, rocpool.com; map. Just a 10min walk south of the castle, this acclaimed hotel and restaurant has minimal but luxurious rooms (white cotton bedsheets, subtle splashes of colour and jacuzzis in the high-end rooms), plus a swanky, French-inspired restaurant. £270
Leakey’s Bookshop Church St, IV1 1EY 01463 239947; map. Prise yourself away from the old books and maps at Scotland’s largest used bookshop to enjoy a cup of tea or a warming bowl of soup (£3.30) in the upstairs café. Mon–Sat 10am–5.30pm.
The Mustard Seed 16 Fraser St, IV1 1DW 01463 220220, mustardseedrestaurant.co.uk; map. Airy, welcoming restaurant with great-value Mediterranean-style lunches and tasty, à la carte dining (mains around £16). Daily noon–3pm & 5.30–10pm.
Number 27 27 Castle St, IV2 3DU 01463 241999, facebook.com/number27inverness; map. Skinny bar/restaurant with a wide range of beers (there’s a new guest ale every Sun) and hearty main meals such as baked potato with haggis and whisky sauce (£4.95). Mon–Sat noon till late, Sun 11am–11pm.
Rocpool Restaurant 1 Ness Walk, V3 5NE 01463 717274, rocpoolrestaurant.com; map. Another of the city’s excellent, smart-ish dining options, with a contemporary setting, attentive staff and deliciously rich food. Roast rump of lamb with rose harissa is £22.95. Mon–Sat noon–2.30pm & 5.45–10pm.
Velocity 1 Crown Ave, IV2 3NF 01463 419956, velocitylove.co.uk; map. A must for cycling enthusiasts (or anyone with a taste for good coffee and organic cakes), this café-cum-bicycle-workshop sits in a quiet and leafy part of town. They sell doorstep sandwiches (£4), have maps covering local cycling routes and run beer-tasting evenings. Mon–Wed, Fri & Sat 9am–5pm, Thurs 9am–9pm, Sun 11am–5pm.
Blackfriars 93–95 Academy St, IV1 1LU 01463 233881, blackfriarshighlandpub.co.uk; map. Lively pub, dating back to the late eighteenth century, where you can enjoy live folk or ceilidh music while supping a pint of real ale. Daily 11am–9pm.
Hootananny 67 Church St, IV1 1ES 01463 233651, hootananny.co.uk; map. You can enjoy excellent free ceilidhs (Sat 2.30–4.30pm) at this popular pub, plus real ale and simple bar meals (fish and chips £8.95). Mon–Thurs & Sun noon–1am, Fri & Sat noon–3am.
The Ironworks 122b Academy St, IV1 1LX 08717 894173, ironworksvenue.com; map. This large live venue is the place to come for touring bands, tribute acts, stand-up and the occasional club night.
Eden Court Theatre Near the cathedral, IV3 5SA 01463 234234, eden-court.co.uk. A major arts venue and hub for dance and theatrical performances in the Highlands. Hollywood films are also screened.
The dolphins of the Moray Firth
The Moray Firth, a great wedge-shaped bay forming the eastern coastline of the Highlands, is one of just three areas of UK waters that support a resident population of dolphins. More than a hundred of these beautiful, intelligent marine mammals live in the estuary, the most northerly breeding-ground in Europe for this particular species – the bottle-nosed dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) – and you stand a good chance of spotting a few, either from the shore or a boat.
One of the best places in Scotland, if not in Europe, to look for them is Chanonry Point, on the Black Isle – a spit of sand protruding into a narrow, deep channel, where converging currents bring fish close to the surface, and thus the dolphins close to shore; a rising tide is the most likely time to see them. Kessock Bridge, a mile north of Inverness, is another prime dolphin-spotting location, or you can go all the way down to the beach at the small village of North Kessock, underneath the road bridge.
Several companies run dolphin-spotting boat trips around the Moray Firth. However, researchers claim that the increased traffic is causing the dolphins unnecessary stress. If you decide to go on a cruise to see the dolphins – and perhaps minke whales, porpoises, seals and otters – make sure the operator is a member of the Dolphin Space Programme’s accreditation scheme (see dolphinspace.org for a list). Trips (April–Oct) are very popular, so book well in advance.
Rising high in the heather-clad hills above remote Loch Laggan, forty miles south of Inverness, the River Spey, Scotland’s second longest river, drains northeast towards the Moray Firth through one of the Highlands’ most spellbinding valleys. Famous for its ancient forests, salmon fishing and ospreys, the area around the upper section of the river, known as Strathspey, is dominated by the sculpted Cairngorms, Britain’s most extensive mountain massif, unique in supporting subarctic tundra on its high plateau. Outdoor enthusiasts flock to the area to take advantage of the superb hiking, watersports and winter snows, aided by good road and rail links from central Scotland and Inverness. A string of villages along the river provide useful bases for setting out into the wilder country, principal among them Aviemore.
AVIEMORE was first developed as a ski- and tourist resort in the mid-1960s and, over the years, fell victim to profiteering developers with scant regard for the needs of the local community. Although a facelift has removed some of the architectural eyesores of that era, the settlement remains dominated by a string of soulless shopping centres and sprawling housing estates surrounding a Victorian railway station. That said, Aviemore is well equipped with visitor facilities, and is the most convenient base for the Cairngorms.
Aviemore Station, Dalfaber Rd, PH22 1PY • July & Aug 3 daily; less regular service at other times; return trip 1hr 30min • £14.25 return • 01479 810725, strathspeyrailway.co.uk
The main attractions of Aviemore are its outdoor pursuits, though train enthusiasts are drawn to the restored Strathspey Steam Railway, which chugs the short distance (around ten miles) between Aviemore and Broomhill, just beyond Boat of Garten village.
Nine miles southeast of Aviemore, PH22 1RB • Ski season generally Dec–April, but varies depending on snowfall • 01479 861261, cairngormmountain.org • Cairn Gorm Mountain Railway Leaves from the base station by the Coire Cas car park • Daily every 20min: May–Oct 10am–4.30pm; Nov–April 9am–4.30pm; last train up 4pm • £13.50 • Ranger office Accessed via the Coire Cas car park • Daily: April–Oct 8.30am–5pm; Nov–March 8.30am–4.30pm • Free • Buses from Aviemore wind past Inverdruie, stopping at the Coire Cas car park
Though it’s on a tiny scale by continental European and North American standards, occasionally snow and sun coincide at the Cairngorm Ski Area, high above Loch Morlich in Glenmore Forest Park, to offer beginners and experts alike a great day on the pistes. The controversial (bitterly opposed by conservationists) Cairn Gorm Mountain Railway, a two-car funicular system, runs to the top of the Cairngorm Ski Area (3600ft), not far from the summit of Cairn Gorm mountain (4085ft). At the top is an exhibition/interpretation area and a café/restaurant giving spectacular views on clear days. There is no access beyond the confines of the top station unless you’re embarking on a winter skiing trip or a guided walk; anyone wanting to explore the subarctic Cairngorm plateau has to trudge up from the car park at the bottom. The base station also houses a ranger office where you can find out about various trails, check the latest weather report and – on fine days between May and October – join guided walks.
12 miles northeast of Aviemore, PH25 3HA • Reserve Daily 24hr; observation centre April–Aug daily 10am–6pm • £5 • Guided walks Late May to early Aug Wed 9.30am; 3hr • £6 • 01479 831476, rspb.org.uk • From Aviemore, cross the Spey then take the Grantown road; the reserve is signposted to the right
The RSPB Abernethy National Nature Reserve, on the northeastern edge of Loch Garten, is famous as the nesting site of the osprey. Having completely disappeared from Britain, a single pair of these exquisite white-and-brown raptors mysteriously reappeared in 1954 and built a nest in a tree half a mile or so from the loch; the birds are now well established here and elsewhere across the Highlands. The best time to visit is between April and August, when the RSPB opens an observation centre, complete with telescopes and CCTV monitoring the nest.
ARRIVAL AND information aviemore and around
By train Aviemore’s train station is on Grampian Rd, just south of the tourist office.
Destinations Edinburgh (6 daily; 3hr); Glasgow (5 daily; 2hr 50min); Inverness (Mon–Sat 12 daily, Sun 7; 35min).
By bus Buses depart from outside the train station.
Destinations Cairngorm ski area (hourly; 35min); Edinburgh (8 daily; 3–4hr); Glasgow (5 daily; 2hr 40min–3hr 20min); Grantown-on-Spey (Mon–Sat every 30min–1hr, Sun 4; 30min); Inverness (at least 11 daily; 45min).
Tourist office 7 The Parade, Grampian Rd (July & Aug Mon–Sat 9.30am–6.30pm, Sun 9.30am–6pm; outside peak season shorter hours; 01479 810930).
Alvie Stables 5 miles south of Aviemore, near Kincraig, PH22 1NE (call Ingrid on 07831 495397, alvie-estate.co.uk). Family-friendly riding centre set in superb countryside a short drive from Aviemore, offering 30min lessons and longer guided rides (£27/hr).
G2 Outdoor Plot 10, Dalfaber Industrial Estate, Aviemore, PH21 1NE 01540 651784, g2outdoor.co.uk. The experts here provide tuition in the art of telemarking or ski touring (£220 for 3 people) and summer kayaking and canyoning trips.
Glenmore Lodge National Outdoor Training Centre East end of Loch Morlich, 8 miles east of Aviemore, PH22 1QZ 01479 861256, glenmorelodge.org.uk. For a crash course in surviving Scottish winters, try a week at this superbly equipped and organized centre (complete with cosy après-ski bar). Winter and summer courses in hillwalking, mountaineering, alpine ski-mountaineering, avalanche awareness and much more.
Loch Insh Watersports Centre 6 miles up-valley near Kincraig, PH22 1RH 01540 651272, lochinsh.com. Sailing, windsurfing and canoeing trips; also rents mountain bikes (£18/day) and boats for fishing, and offers accommodation.
Mountain Spirit 98 Grampian Rd, PH22 1RH 01479 811788, bit.ly/mountainspiritaviemore. This friendly, well-stocked shop in Aviemore centre sells and rents out equipment from ski boots and poles to mountaineering gear. Daily 9am–5.30pm.
Rothiemurchus Estate Inverdruie, PH22 1QH 01479 810703, rothiemurchus.net. Success is virtually guaranteed at their stocked rainbow trout-fishing loch. A 1hr lesson followed by an hour’s fishing costs £49.
Cairngorms National Park
The Cairngorms National Park (cairngorms.co.uk) covers some 1500 square miles and incorporates the Cairngorms massif, the UK’s largest mountainscape and only sizeable plateau over 2500ft. While Aviemore and the surrounding area is the main point of entry, particularly for those planning outdoor activities, it’s also possible to access the eastern side of the park from both Deeside and Donside in Aberdeenshire. There are 52 summits higher than 2953ft in the park, as well as a quarter of Scotland’s native woodland, and a quarter of the UK’s threatened wildlife species. Vegetation ranges from one of the largest tracts of ancient Caledonian pine and birch forest remaining in Scotland at Rothiemurchus to subarctic tundra on the high plateau, where alpine flora such as starry saxifrage and the star-shaped pink flowers of moss campion peek out of the pink granite in the few months of summer when the ground is free of snow. The bird of prey you’re most likely to see is the osprey, especially at Loch Garten’s osprey observation centre (see above), or fishing on the lochs around Aviemore.
The Ski School Day Lodge, near the funicular railway base station in the Cairngorm Ski Area, PH22 1RB 01479 811066, theskischool.co.uk. A good bet for ski/board rental and lessons, not least because of its proximity to the funicular, which whizzes skiers up to the slopes. Courses mid-Dec to early April.
Aviemore Bunkhouse Dalfaber Rd, next to the Old Bridge Inn, PH22 1PU 01479 811181, aviemore-bunkhouse.com. A large modern place beside a cosy pub and walking distance from the station, with six- and eight-bed dorms, plus private rooms. Dorms £19, doubles £50
Glenmore Lodge 8 miles east of Aviemore, PH22 1QZ 01479 861256, glenmorelodge.org.uk. Specialist outdoor pursuits centre with excellent accommodation in en-suite twin rooms and self-catered lodges – guests can make use of the superb facilities, which include a pool, weights room, sauna and indoor climbing wall. Twins £83
Rothiemurchus Caravan Park Coylumbridge, 2 miles southeast of Aviemore, PH22 1QU 01479 812800, rothiemurchus.net. Relaxed site for tents and caravans, nestled among tall pine trees on the way to Loch Morlich. Per person £12
SYHA Aviemore 25 Grampian Rd, PH22 1PR 01479 810345, syha.org.uk/where-to-stay/highlands/aviemore. Aviemore’s large SYHA hostel, with its own bike store and drying room, has rather plain rooms but is within easy walking distance of the town centre. Dorms £26, twins £62
Mountain Café 111 Grampian Rd, PH22 1RH 01479 812473, mountaincafe-aviemore.co.uk. Above the Cairngorm Mountain Sports shop in the centre of town, Kiwi-run Mountain Café is reasonably priced, serving an all-day menu of wholesome snacks and freshly prepared meals for around £10. Specializes in wheat- and gluten-free food. Mon, Thurs & Fri 8.30am–5pm, Sat & Sun 8.30am–5.30pm.
Old Bridge Inn Dalfaber Rd, PH22 1PU 01479 811137, oldbridgeinn.co.uk. Fire-warmed pub that hosts regular live music sessions and serves decent dinners; the menu includes Shetland hake with braised haricot and mussel suquet for £18. Mon–Thurs & Sun noon–midnight, Fri & Sat noon–1am; kitchen daily noon–3pm & 5.30–9pm.
The Great Glen, a major geological faultline cutting diagonally across the Highlands from Fort William to Inverness, is the defining geographic feature of the north of Scotland. A huge rift valley was formed when the northwestern and southeastern sides of the fault slid in opposite directions for more than sixty miles, while the present landscape was shaped by glaciers that retreated only around 8000 BC. The glen is impressive more for its sheer scale than its beauty, but the imposing barrier of loch and mountain means that no one can travel into the northern Highlands without passing through it. With the two major service centres of the Highlands at either end it makes an obvious and rewarding route between the west and east coasts.
Of the Great Glen’s four elongated lochs, the most famous is Loch Ness, home to the mythical monster; lochs Oich, Lochy and Linnhe (the last of these a sea loch) are less renowned, though no less attractive. All four are linked by the Caledonian Canal. The southwestern end of the Great Glen is dominated by Fort William, the second-largest town in the Highland region. Situated at the heart of the Lochaber area, it’s a useful base and an excellent hub for outdoor activities. Dominating the scene to the south is Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest peak (4406ft), best approached from scenic Glen Nevis. The most famous glen of all, Glen Coe, lies on the main A82, half an hour’s drive south of Fort William. Nowadays the whole area is unashamedly given over to tourism, and Fort William is swamped by bus tours throughout the summer, but, as ever in the Highlands, within a thirty-minute drive you can be totally alone.
Twenty-three miles long, unfathomably deep, cold and often moody, Loch Ness is bounded by rugged heather-clad mountains rising steeply from a wooded shoreline with attractive glens opening up on either side. Its fame is based overwhelmingly on its legendary inhabitant Nessie, the “Loch Ness monster”, who ensures a steady flow of hopeful visitors to the settlements dotted along the loch, in particular Drumnadrochit. Nearby, the impressive ruins of Urquhart Castle – a favourite monster-spotting location – perch atop a rock on the lochside and attract a deluge of bus parties in summer. Almost as busy in high season is the village of Fort Augustus, at the more scenic southwest tip of Loch Ness, where you can watch queues of boats tackling one of the Caledonian Canal’s longest flights of locks.
Nessie
The world-famous Loch Ness monster, affectionately known as Nessie (and by aficionados as Nessiteras rhombopteryx), has been a local celebrity for some time. The first mention of a mystery creature crops up in St Adamnan’s seventh-century biography of St Columba, who allegedly calmed an aquatic animal that had attacked one of his monks. In 1934, the Daily Mail published London surgeon R.K. Wilson’s sensational photograph of the head and neck of the monster peering up out of the loch, and the hype has hardly diminished since. Encounters range from glimpses of ripples by anglers to the famous occasion in 1961 when thirty hotel guests saw a pair of humps break the water’s surface and cruise for about half a mile before submerging.
Photographic evidence is showcased in the two monster exhibitions at Drumnadrochit, but the most impressive images – including the famous black-and-white movie footage of Nessie’s humps moving across the water, and Wilson’s original head and shoulders shot – have now been exposed as fakes. Indeed, in few other places on earth has watching a rather lifeless and often grey expanse of water seemed so compelling, or have floating logs, otters and boat wakes been photographed so often and with such excitement. Yet while even high-tech sonar surveys carried out over the past two decades have failed to come up with conclusive evidence, it’s hard to dismiss Nessie as pure myth. After all, no one yet knows where the unknown layers of silt and mud at the bottom of the loch begin and end: best estimates say the loch is more than 750ft deep, deeper than much of the North Sea, while others point to the possibilities of underwater caves and undiscovered channels connected to the sea. Technological advances have also expanded the scope for Nessie-watching: the slightly barmy lochness.co.uk offers round-the-clock webcams for views across the loch, while lochnessinvestigation.org is packed with research information. The local tourist industry’s worst fear – dwindling interest – is about as unlikely as an appearance of the mysterious monster herself.
Situated above a verdant, sheltered bay of Loch Ness, fifteen miles southwest of Inverness, touristy DRUMNADROCHIT is the southern gateway to remote Glen Affric and the epicentre of Nessie hype, complete with a rash of tacky souvenir shops and two rival monster exhibitions.
On the main A82, IV63 6TU • Daily: Easter–June, Sept & Oct 9.30am–5pm; July & Aug 9.30am–6pm; Nov–Easter 10am–3.30pm • £7.95 • 01456 450573, lochness.com
Of the two major monster hubs in Drumnadrochit (the other being the Nessieland Monster Centre), the Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition is the better bet, offering an in-depth rundown of eyewitness accounts and information on various Nessie research projects. It does a good job, mixing “evidence” of the monster’s existence with frank appraisals of pictures and sightings that turned out to be hoaxes. Nessie-spotting cruises on the loch aboard Deepscan run from here; the Nessie Hunter can be booked at the nearby Nessieland Monster Centre.
Beside Loch Ness, 2 miles southeast of Drumnadrochit and just off the A82, IV63 6XJ • Daily: April–Sept 9.30am–6pm; Oct 9.30am–5pm; Nov–March 9.30am–4.30pm • £9; HES • 01456 450551, historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/urquhart-castle
Most photographs allegedly showing the monster have been taken a couple of miles southeast of Drumnadrochit, around the thirteenth-century ruined lochside Urquhart Castle. It’s one of Scotland’s classic picture-postcard ruins, crawling with tourists by day but particularly splendid when floodlit at night after the crowds have gone. In the small visitor centre, a short film highlights the turbulent history of the castle.
Arrival and information DrumnadrochiT and around
By bus Buses stop near the post office, on the A82.
Destinations Fort Augustus (up to 10 daily; 35min); Fort William (up to 9 daily; 1hr 30min); Inverness (at least hourly; 30min).
Tourist information In the middle of the main car park (July & Aug Mon–Sat 9am–6pm, Sun 10am–4pm; outside peak season shorter hours; 01456 459086).
The Benleva Kilmore Rd, Kilmore, IV63 6UH 01456 450080, benleva.co.uk. Small, basic hotel in Kilmore, a 15min walk from the monster centres of Drumnadrochit, with six en-suite rooms. £110
Fiddlers’ Just south of the village green on A82, IV63 6TU 01456 450678, fiddledrum.co.uk. Busy, friendly bar with plenty of outside seating and, it’s claimed, more than five hundred single malt whiskies. Meat-focused menu, with a couple of veggie options including a mushroom and brie burger (£12.95). Daily 12.30–2.30pm & 6–9pm.
Glenkirk B&B 330yd west of Nessieland Monster Centre along A831, IV63 6TZ 01456 450802, lochnessbandb.com. Bright, friendly B&B in a former church just a few minutes’ walk from the centre, with simple, smartly decorated bedrooms. £95
Loch Ness Backpackers Lodge Coiltie Farmhouse, Lewiston, 1 mile south of the centre of Drumnadrochit, IV63 6UJ 01456 450807, lochness-backpackers.com. For a cheap bed, head for this immaculate and friendly hostel, which has dorms, rooms and good facilities including a bar and two lounges. Coming from Drumnadrochit, follow the signs to the left. Dorms £20, doubles £52
A vast area of high peaks, remote glens and few roads lies west of Drumnadrochit, including Glen Affric, generally held as one of Scotland’s most beautiful landscapes and heaven for walkers, climbers and mountain-bikers. The approach is through the small settlement of CANNICH, fourteen miles west of Drumnadrochit on the A831.
Hemmed in by a string of Munros, Glen Affric is great for picnics and pottering, particularly on a calm and sunny day, when the still water reflects the islands and surrounding hills. From the car park at the head of the singletrack road along the glen, ten miles southwest of Cannich, there’s a selection of walks: the trail around Loch Affric will take you a good five hours but captures the glen, its wildlife and Caledonian pine and birch woods in all their remote splendour.
arrival and Departure Glen Affric
By bus From July to Sept, Ross’s Minibuses (01463 761250, ross-minibuses.co.uk) runs scheduled services to the car park at Glen Affric from Cannich (Mon, Wed & Fri 4 daily; 30min); Drumnadrochit (Mon, Wed & Fri 3 daily; 1hr 35min) and Inverness (Mon, Wed & Fri 2 daily; 2hr 10min). Its vehicles will also carry bikes if given notice.
Cannich Caravan & Camping Park Cannich centre, IV4 7LN 01456 415364, highlandcamping.co.uk. Mountain bikes can be rented (£17/day) at this pretty, shaded campsite; good facilities include a TV room. Camping pods available. Camping/person £8.50, pods £34
FORT AUGUSTUS, a tiny, busy village at the scenic southwestern tip of Loch Ness, was named after George II’s son, the chubby lad who later became the “Butcher” Duke of Cumberland of Culloden fame; today, the village is dominated by comings and goings along the Caledonian Canal, which leaves Loch Ness here. From its berth near the swing bridge, Cruise Loch Ness (2 daily; 1hr; £14.50; 01320 366277, cruiselochness.com) sails five miles up Loch Ness, using sonar technology to provide impressive, live 3D imagery of the deep.
Arrival and information Fort Augustus
By bus Frequent buses ply the A82, linking Fort Augustus with Drumnadrochit (35min) and Inverness (1hr) to the north, and Fort William, 30 miles south (1hr).
Tourist office In the car park north of the canal (July & Aug Mon–Sat 9am–6pm, Sun 10am–4pm; outside peak season shorter hours; 01320 366779). Very helpful office, with useful maps of the Great Glen Way and free walking leaflets.
Corrie Liath Market Hill, 0.5 mile south of the centre along A82, PH32 4DS 01320 366409, corrieliath.co.uk. Small, thoughtfully managed B&B whose comfortable rooms have books and DVDs for guests to enjoy. The garden has a barbecue hut for summer. £75
Morag’s Lodge Bunoich Brae, on the Loch Ness side of town, PH32 4DG 01320 366289, www.moragslodge.com. The atmosphere at this well-equipped hostel – with four- and six-bed dorms – livens up with the daily arrival of backpackers’ minibus tours. Dorms £24, doubles £60
With its stunning position on Loch Linnhe, tucked in below the snow-streaked bulk of Ben Nevis, the important regional centre of FORT WILLIAM (often known as “Fort Bill”), should be a gem. Sadly, the same lack of taste that nearly saw the town renamed “Abernevis” in the 1950s is evident in the ribbon bungalow development and dual carriageway – complete with grubby pedestrian underpass – that have wrecked the waterfront. The main street and the little squares off it are more appealing, though occupied by some decidedly tacky tourist giftshops. On Cameron Square, the idiosyncratic West Highland Museum (Jan–April & Oct–Dec Mon–Sat 10am–4pm; May, June & Sept Mon–Sat 10am–5pm; July & Aug Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 11am–5pm; free; 01397 702169, westhighlandmuseum.org.uk) covers virtually every aspect of Highland life through traditional, well-done, exhibits.
ARRIVAL AND information fort william
By train Fort Willilam is a stop on the scenic West Highland Railway from Glasgow. The train station is just across the A82 dual carriageway from the north end of the high street.
Destinations Crianlarich (Mon–Sat 4 daily, Sun 3; 1hr 45min); Glasgow Queen St (4 daily; 3hr 45min); London (1 nightly; 12hr); Mallaig (4 daily; 1hr 20min).
By bus Intercity coaches from Glasgow and Inverness stop outside the train station on MacFarlane Way.
Destinations Drumnadrochit (9 daily; 1hr 25min); Edinburgh (1 daily; 4hr); Fort Augustus (9 daily; 50min); Glasgow (8 daily; 3hr); Inverness (Mon–Sat 9 daily, Sun 6; 2hr); Mallaig (Mon–Fri 3 daily; 1hr 20min); Oban (Mon–Sat 3 daily; 1hr 30min); Portree, Skye (4 daily; 3hr).
Tourist office 15 High St (July & Aug Mon–Sat 9am–6.30pm, Sun 9am–6pm; outside peak season shorter hours; 01397 701801, visitscotland.com). Busy and very helpful tourist office stocking an excellent selection of maps and guidebooks on the Great Glen.
Calluna Connochie Rd, PH33 6JX 01397 700451, fortwilliamholiday.co.uk. Well-run self-catering and hostel accommodation a 10min walk from the centre of town, configured for individual, family and group stays. Also has laundry facilities and a bouldering wall. The owners can also organize mountaineering trips. Dorms £20, doubles £44
Great Glen Yurts 3 miles northeast of Fort William off A82 (signposted from Torlundy), PH33 6SP greatglenyurts.com. Rotund and spacious, these luxury yurts occupy a magnificently peaceful setting with views of Ben Nevis. There’s also a shepherd’s hut and wooden cabins, and an open-sided kitchen that’s great for sociable evening meals. Closed Nov–March. Shepherd’s hut £70, yurts £90, cabins £100
The Grange Grange Rd, PH33 6JF 01397 705516, grangefortwilliam.com. Top-grade accommodation in a striking old stone house, with log fires, views towards Loch Linnhe and luxurious en-suite doubles. Closed Nov–March. £180
Crannog at the Waterfront Town pier, just off the bypass on entering Fort William, PH33 6DB 01397 705589, crannog.net. Red-roofed restaurant with lochside views and fresh seafood, including Mallaig langoustine, plus a reasonable wine list (two-course lunch £15.95). The neighbouring shack sells super-cheap Cullen skink and oysters. Daily noon–2.30pm & 6–9pm.
Lime Tree Restaurant The Old Manse, Achintore Rd, PH33 6RQ 01397 701806, limetreefortwilliam.co.uk. This restaurant serves an excellent selection of contemporary Scottish food; moorland pheasant breast, say (£19.95). They also have rooms (from £100). Daily 6–9pm.
A ten-minute drive south of Fort William, GLEN NEVIS is among the Highlands’ most impressive glens: a U-shaped glacial valley hemmed in by steep bracken-covered slopes and swathes of blue-grey scree. Herds of shaggy Highland cattle graze the valley floor, where a sparkling river gushes through glades of trees.
A great low-level walk (six miles round-trip) runs from the end of the road at the top of Glen Nevis. The rocky path leads through a dramatic gorge with impressive falls and rapids, then opens out into a secret hanging valley, carpeted with wild flowers and featuring a high waterfall at the far end. Of all the walks in and around Glen Nevis, however, the ascent of Ben Nevis (4406ft), Britain’s highest summit, inevitably attracts the most attention. Despite the fact that it’s quite a slog up to the summit, and it’s by no means the most attractive mountain in Scotland, in high summer the trail is teeming with hikers, whatever the weather. It can snow round the summit any day of the year, so take the necessary precautions; in winter, of course, the mountain should be left to the experts. The most obvious route to the summit, a Victorian pony path up the whaleback south side of the mountain, built to service the observatory that once stood on the top, starts from the helpful Glen Nevis Visitor Centre (see below): allow a full day for the climb (8hr).
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION glen nevis
By bus Bus #42 runs from the high street in Fort William, past the Glen Nevis Visitor Centre, campsite and SYHA hostel to the Lower Falls car park (2 daily; 25min) 3 miles up the Glen Nevis road.
Glen Nevis Visitor Centre 1.5 miles southeast of Fort William along the Glen Nevis road (daily 8.30am–6pm; 01397 705922). Staff can give good advice on climbing the mountain; grab a free leaflet.
The Nevis Range
Seven miles northeast of Fort William by the A82, on the slopes of Aonach Mòr, one of the high mountains abutting Ben Nevis, the Nevis Range (01397 705825, nevis-range.co.uk) is Scotland’s highest winter ski area. Bus #41 runs from Fort William (Mon–Sat 4 daily, Sun 2 daily) to the base station of the country’s only gondola system (daily: Easter–June, Sept & Oct 10am–5pm; July & Aug 9.30am–6pm; early Nov & late Dec–Easter 9am–sunset; £14 return). The 1.5-mile gondola trip, rising 2000ft, gives an easy approach to some high-level walking as well as spectacular views from the terrace of the self-service restaurant at the top station. From the top of the gondola station, you can experience Britain’s only World-Cup-standard downhill mountain-bike course (mid-May to mid-Sept 10.15am–3.45pm; £14.50 includes gondola one way), a hair-raising 3km route that’s not for the faint-hearted. There are also 25 miles of waymarked off-road bike routes, known as the Witch’s Trails (open all year), on the mountainside and in the Leanachan Forest, ranging from gentle paths to cross-country scrambles. At the entrance to the lower gondola station, Nevis Cycles (daily 9am–5.30pm; 01397 705825, neviscycles.com/bike-hire) rents general mountain bikes (from £30) as well as full-suspension models for the downhill course.
Ben Nevis Inn Achintee, across the river from the visitor centre, PH33 6TE 01397 701227, ben-nevis-inn.co.uk. A basic and cosy bunkhouse (booking advised) in the basement of a lively 250-year-old pub at the start of the Ben Nevis footpath. The pub has a terrific atmosphere, and the menu – with ale-battered North Sea haddock for £11.50 – is especially tempting after a day on the mountain. Daily noon–11pm; kitchen noon–9pm. £17
SYHA Glen Nevis 1 mile past the visitor centre along the Glen Nevis road, PH33 6SY 01397 702336, syha.org.uk/where-to-stay/highlands/glen-nevis. This friendly hostel is an excellent base for walkers and has full catering, as well as a decent kitchen. It gets very busy in summer, so book ahead. Dorms £24, doubles £62
Sixteen miles south of Fort William on the A82, breathtakingly beautiful Glen Coe (literally “Valley of Weeping”) is the best known of the Highland glens: a spectacular mountain valley between velvety-green conical peaks, their tops often wreathed in cloud, their flanks streaked by cascades of rock and scree. In 1692 it was the site of a notorious massacre, in which the MacDonalds were victims of a long-standing government desire to suppress the clans. When clan chief Alastair MacDonald missed the deadline of January 1, 1692, to sign an oath of allegiance to William III, a plot was hatched to make an example of “that damnable sept”. Campbell of Glenlyon was ordered to billet his soldiers in the homes of the MacDonalds, who for ten days entertained them with traditional Highland hospitality. In the early morning of February 13, the soldiers turned on their hosts, slaying between 38 and 45, and causing more than three hundred to flee.
Beyond the small village of GLENCOE at the western end of the glen, the glen itself (a property of the National Trust for Scotland since the 1930s) is virtually uninhabited, and provides outstanding climbing and walking.
Arrival And information Glen Coe
By bus To get to the NTS visitor centre or chairlift station from Fort William’s bus station, hop on one of the Glasgow-bound Scottish Citylink coaches (up to 8 daily; 30–45min). Bus #44 from Fort William also stops at least 8 times a day (4 on Sun) at Glencoe village en route to Kinlochleven.
Tourist information The NTS visitor centre is a mile southeast of Glencoe village, with a balanced account of the massacre that took place here (Feb–Easter & Nov–Jan Thurs–Sun 10am–4pm; Easter–Oct daily 9.30am–5.30pm; 01855 811307, nts.org.uk). Book ahead for guided walks (Easter & June–Sept; £6.50).
Clachaig Inn 2.5 miles south of Glencoe on the minor road off A82, PH49 4HX 01855 811252, clachaig.com. The liveliest, best-known hotel in the area is a great place to reward your exertions with cask-conditioned ales and heaped plates of food (Highland game pie, perhaps, for £13.95); they also have 23 comfy en-suite rooms. Mon–Thurs & Sun 8am–11pm, Fri 8am–midnight, Sat 8am–11.30pm. £55
Glencoe Independent Hostel North of the river, PH49 4HX 01855 811906, glencoehostel.co.uk. Cheap and excellent independent hostel and bunkhouse in rustic whitewashed buildings, offering hot showers and a laundry service. £14
Red Squirrel 150m south of the turn-off to Glencoe Independent Hostel, PH49 4HX 01855 811256, redsquirrelcampsite.co.uk. Sylvan year-round campsite, just south of the SYHA hostel on the road to Clachaig Inn. Campfires and pets permitted. £12
The Highlands’ starkly beautiful west coast – stretching from the Morvern peninsula (opposite Mull) in the south to wind-lashed Cape Wrath in the far north – is arguably the finest part of Scotland. Serrated by fjord-like sea lochs, the long coastline is scattered with windswept white-sand beaches, cliff-girt headlands and rugged mountains sweeping up from the shoreline. When the sun shines, the sparkle of the sea, the richness of colour and the clarity of the views out to the scattered Hebrides are simply irresistible. This is the least populated part of Britain, with just two small towns and yawning tracts of moorland and desolate peat bog between crofting settlements.
Within easy reach of Inverness, the popular stretch of the coast between Kyle of Lochalsh and Ullapool features the region’s more obvious highlights: the awe-inspiring mountainscape of Torridon, Gairloch’s sandy beaches, the famous botanic gardens at Inverewe and Ullapool itself, a picturesque and bustling fishing town from where ferries leave for the Outer Hebrides. However, press on further north, or south, and you’ll get a truer sense of the isolation that makes the west coast so special. Traversed by few roads, the remote northwest corner of Scotland is wild and bleak, receiving the full force of the North Atlantic’s frequently ferocious weather. The scattered settlements of the far southwest, meanwhile, tend to be more sheltered, but they are separated by some of the most extensive wilderness areas in Britain – lonely peninsulas with evocative Gaelic names like Ardnamurchan and Knoydart.
getting around the west coast
By car Without your own vehicle, transport can be a problem. Driving is much simpler: the roads aren’t busy, though they are frequently singletrack and scattered with sheep.
By train There’s a direct train from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh and from Fort William to Mallaig.
By bus D&E Coaches offers a useful summer-only bike-carrying Inverness–Durness bus service via Ullapool and Lochinver (May & June Mon & Thurs–Sun; July–Sept Mon–Sat; 01463 222444).
The remote and sparsely populated southwest corner of the Highlands, from the empty district of Morvern to the isolated peninsula of Knoydart, is a dramatic, lonely region of mountain and moorland fringed by a rocky, indented coast whose stunning white beaches enjoy wonderful views to Mull, Skye and other islands. Its Gaelic name, Garbh-chiochan, translates as the “Rough Bounds”, implying a region geographically and spiritually apart. Even if you have a car, you should spend some time here exploring on foot; there are so few roads that some determined hiking is almost inevitable.
Shutterstock
DOLPHIN IN THE MORAY FIRTH
A nine-mile drive south of Fort William down Loch Linnhe, the five-minute ferry crossing at Corran Ferry (every 20–30min; Mon–Sat 6.30am–9.30pm, Sun 8.45am–9.30pm; car £8.20; foot passengers and bicycles free) provides the most direct point of entry for Morvern and the rugged Ardnamurchan peninsula. The most westerly point on the British mainland, the peninsula lost most of its inhabitants during the infamous Clearances and is now sparsely populated, with just a handful of tiny crofting settlements clinging to its jagged coastline. It boasts some beautiful, pristine, empty beaches – especially about three miles north of the Ardnamurchan Lighthouse at Sanna Bay, a shell-strewn strand and series of dunes that offers unforgettable vistas of the Small Isles to the north, circled by gulls, terns and guillemots. The coastal hamlet of Salen marks the turn-off for Ardnamurchan Point: from here it’s a further 25 miles of slow, scenic driving along the singletrack road which follows the northern shore of Loch Sunart. Kilchoan, a modest crofting settlement that straggles along the Sound of Mull, is Ardnamurchan’s main village.
ARRIVAL and departure Ardnamurchan peninsula
By ferry A CalMac (calmac.co.uk) car ferry operates between Tobermory (Mull) and Kilchoan (Mon–Sat 7 daily, plus May–Aug Sun 5 daily; 35min).
Ardnamurchan Campsite Ormsaigbeg, 0.5 mile beyond the Ferry Stores, PH36 4LL 01972 510766, ardnamurchanstudycentre.co.uk. Cracking views and campfires on the beach at this laudably back-to-basics campsite behind the loch – pure magic at sunset and usually spared summer midges by a breeze. Closed Oct–Easter. Per person £9
The “Road to the Isles” (road-to-the-isles.org.uk) from Fort William to Mallaig, followed by the West Highland Railway and the narrow, winding A830, traverses the mountains and glens of the Rough Bounds before breaking out onto a spectacularly scenic coast of sheltered inlets, white beaches and wonderful views to the islands of Rùm, Eigg, Muck and Skye. The area is associated with Bonnie Prince Charlie, whose adventures of 1745–46 began and ended on this stretch of coast with his first, defiant gathering of the clans at Glenfinnan, nineteen miles west of Fort William at the head of lovely Loch Shiel.
Glenfinnan Monument, PH37 4LT • Daily: April–June, Sept & Oct 10am–5pm; July & Aug 9.30am–5pm • £3.50; NTS • 01397 722250, nts.org.uk/Visit/Glenfinnan-Monument
GLENFINNAN is a poignant place, a beautiful stage for the opening scene in a brutal drama that was to change the Highlands forever. One of Scotland’s most iconic structures, the 60ft Glenfinnann Monument is crowned with a Highland clansman in full battle dress. The visitor centre (with café) opposite gives an account of the 1745 uprising through to the rout at Culloden eight months later. Nowadays just as many visitors come to see the imposing arched viaduct nearby, crossed by the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter films.
ACCOMMODATION and eating glenfinnan
Sleeping Car Glenfinnan station, PH37 4LT 01397 722295, glenfinnanstationmuseum.co.uk. A restored 1958 train coach is now a (very) mini-bunkhouse with three twin compartments (bunk beds), a family compartment and a kitchen, lounge and bathroom. The adjacent Dining Car is open for light meals, and the owners also run the neighbouring Station Museum. April–Sept daily 9am–5pm; phone ahead for evening meals. Per person £15
ARISAIG, scattered round a sandy bay at the west end of the Morar peninsula, makes a good base for exploring the coast. A bypass whizzes cars (and, more importantly, fish lorries) on their way to Mallaig, but you shouldn’t miss the slower “Alternative Coastal Route”, which runs alongside a string of stunning beaches backed by flowery machair, with barren granite hills and moorland rising up behind and wonderful seaward views of Eigg and Rùm.
MALLAIG, 47 miles west of Fort William, is seen as somewhere to go through, not to. Before the railway arrived in 1901 it consisted of a few cottages. Now, as the main embarkation point for ferries to Skye, the Small Isles and Knoydart, it’s full of visitors in season. While not especially pretty, it is a solid town given a workaday honesty by its local fishing industry – it once had one of Europe’s busiest herring ports and the harbour remains the source of its wealth.
ARRIVAL AND departure mallaig
By ferry The CalMac ticket office (01687 462403), serving passengers for Skye and the Small Isles, is near the tourist office on the harbour. Car reservations are essential in peak season. For Knoydart, Western Isles Cruises (01687 462233, westernislescruises.co.uk) sails to Inverie, on the Knoydart peninsula. Times listed are for peak season (April–Oct); check online for reduced winter timetables.
Destinations Armadale, Skye (Mon–Sat 8 daily, Sun 6; 30min); Canna (Mon, Wed & Fri–Sun 1 daily; 2hr 30min); Eigg (Mon, Thurs, Sat & Sun 1 daily; 1hr 15min); Inverie (April–Oct Mon–Fri 5 daily, Sat 4, Sun 3; 25–40min); Muck (Tues & Thurs–Sun 1 daily; 1hr 40min–2hr); Rùm (Mon, Wed & Fri–Sun 1 daily; 1hr 20min).
Cornerstone Main St, PH41 4PU 01687 462306, seafoodrestaurantmallaig.com. This simple first-floor restaurant is the locals’ choice for classic seafood – expect a daily soup and a menu of fresh fish, simply but excellently prepared and fairly priced at around £11–25. March to mid-Oct daily noon–2.45pm & 4.45–9pm.
Mallaig Backpackers Main St, PH41 4PU 01687 462764, mallaigbackpackers.co.uk. There are two mixed dorms, a small kitchen and a lounge in this relaxed, independent modern hostel. “Reception” is in the Tea Garden restaurant opposite the harbour. £20
Seaview Main St, PH41 4QS 01687 462059, seaviewguesthousemallaig.com. Snug dimensions and surprisingly smart decor – with a leaning towards modest boutique – set the tone in this central B&B with harbour views from the front. Closed Nov–Feb. £80
Flanked by Loch Nevis (“Loch of Heaven”) in the south and the fjord-like inlet of Loch Hourn (“Loch of Hell”) to the north, Knoydart peninsula’s knobbly green peaks – three of them Munros – sweep straight out of the sea, shrouded for much of the time in a pall of grey mist. To get to the heart of the peninsula, you must catch a boat from Mallaig, or else hike for a couple of days across rugged moorland and mountains and sleep rough in old stone bothies (most of which are marked on Ordnance Survey maps).
At the end of the eighteenth century, around a thousand people eked out a living from this inhospitable terrain through crofting and fishing. These days the peninsula supports around seventy, most of whom live in the hamlet of INVERIE. Nestled beside a sheltered bay on the south side of the peninsula, it has a pint-sized post office, a shop and mainland Britain’s most remote pub.
arrival and departure Knoydart peninsula
By ferry Western Isles Cruises (01687 462233, westernislescruises.co.uk) sails to Inverie from Mallaig (April–Oct Mon–Fri 5 daily, Sat 4, Sun 3; 25–40min).
Knoydart Foundation Bunkhouse 0.5 mile east of Inverie pier, PH41 4PL 01687 462163, knoydart-foundation.com. The community hostel is on an old farm near Long Beach. Dorms are large, facilities include a kitchen and laundry, and a comfy lounge with a woodburner. £18
The Old Forge Inverie, PH41 4PL 01687 462267, theoldforge.co.uk. Britain’s most isolated pub remains one of Scotland’s finer boozers, fuelled by a convivial atmosphere and wonderful sense of remoteness. The menu is all about the seafood, including hand-dived seared Loch Nevis scallops for £19.95. Easter–Oct Mon, Tues & Thurs–Sun noon–midnight.
As the main gateway to Skye, KYLE OF LOCHALSH used to be an important transit point for tourists and locals. However, with the building of the Skye Bridge in 1995, Kyle was left as merely the terminus for the train route from Inverness, with little else to offer. Of more interest is nearby Eilean Donan Castle, perched at the end of a stone causeway on the shores of Loch Duich. A few miles north of Kyle of Lochalsh is the delightful village of Plockton, a refreshing alternative to its utilitarian neighbour, with cottages grouped around a yacht-filled bay and Highland cattle wandering the streets.
ARRIVAL and departure kyle of lochalsh
By train It’s a glorious journey from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh (Mon–Sat 4 daily, Sun 2; 2hr 35min); trains stop at Plockton (15min from Kyle) en route.
By bus Reservations are recommended for all services (0870 550 5050, citylink.co.uk). Buses stop on the waterfront at the old slipway.
Destinations Fort William (7 daily; 1hr 55min); Glasgow (5 daily; 5hr 15min); Inverness (8 daily; 2hr); Kyleakin, Skye (6 daily; 5min).
Beside A87 near the village of Dornie, IV40 8DX • Daily: Feb–Easter 10am–4pm; Easter–Oct 10am–6pm; Nov & Dec 10am–4pm • £7.50 • 01599 555202, eileandonancastle.com
After Edinburgh’s fortress, Eilean Donan Castle has to be the most photographed monument in Scotland. The forbidding crenellated tower rises from the water’s edge, joined to the shore by a narrow stone bridge and with sheer mountains as a backdrop. The original castle was established in 1230 by Alexander II to protect the area from the Vikings. Later, during a Jacobite uprising in 1719, it was occupied by troops dispatched by the king of Spain to help the “Old Pretender”, James Stuart. However, when King George heard of their whereabouts, he sent frigates to take the Spaniards out, and the castle was blown up with their stocks of gunpowder. Thereafter, it lay in ruins until John Macrae-Gilstrap had it rebuilt between 1912 and 1932. Three floors, including the banqueting hall, the bedrooms and the troops’ quarters, are open to the public, with various Jacobite and clan relics also on display. You can also see one of the few working portcullises in Scotland in action (10.45am & 2.45pm).
At the seaward end of islet-studded Loch Carron lies the unbelievably picturesque village of PLOCKTON: a chocolate-box row of neatly painted cottages ranged around the curve of a tiny harbour and backed by a craggy landscape of heather and pine. It’s packed in high season with yachties – a popular regatta fills the bay over a fortnight from late July – artsy second-home owners with easels in tow, and visiting families squelching over the seabed at low tide to take a turn around the small island.
ARRival and departure plockton
By train Trains from Inverness stop in Plockton (2hr 20min; Mon–Sat 4 daily, Sun 2) before continuing on to Kyle of Lochalsh (15min).
Plockton Hotel 41 Harbour St, IV52 8TN 01599 544274, plocktonhotel.co.uk. This friendly, small hotel has rooms with cosy, contemporary-cottage decor – the best come with a view at the front. A four-room annexe on the harbour appeals for its shared kitchen as much as its cheaper rates (which still include breakfast). There’s a well-stocked pub downstairs, with a grassy beer garden overlooking the bay. Pub daily noon–midnight; kitchen Mon–Sat noon–2.15pm & 6–9pm, Sun 12.30–2.15pm & 6–9pm. Annexe £90, doubles £140
Plockton Shores 30 Harbour St, IV52 8TN 01599 544263. Metropolitan-styled café-restaurant that starts the day as a relaxed coffee and lunch stop, then shifts up a gear for Modern Scottish dishes like scallops in a lime, ginger and honey glaze (£15.95). Rotating exhibitions of local art adorn the walls. Tues–Sat 5.30–9pm, Sun 5.30–9pm; closed Tues in winter.
The western seaboard of the old county of Ross-shire, Wester Ross blends all the classic elements of Scotland’s coastal scenery – dramatic mountains, sandy beaches, whitewashed crofting cottages and shimmering island views – in spectacular fashion. Though popular with generations of adventurous Scottish holiday-makers, only one or two places feel blighted by tourist numbers, with places such as Applecross and the peninsulas north and south of Gairloch maintaining an endearing simplicity and sense of isolation. There’s some tough but wonderful hiking in the mountains around Torridon and Coigach, while boat trips out among the islands and the prolific sea- and birdlife of the coast are another draw. The main settlement is the attractive fishing town of Ullapool, port for ferry services to Stornoway in the Western Isles, but a pleasant enough place to use as a base, not least for its active social and cultural scene.
The most dramatic approach to the Applecross peninsula (the English-sounding name is a corruption of the Gaelic Apor Crosan, meaning “estuary”) is from the south, up a glacial U-shaped valley and over the infamous Bealach na Bà (literally “Pass of the Cattle”). Crossing the forbidding hills behind Kishorn, and rising to 2053ft, with a gradient and switchback bends worthy of the Alps, this route – a popular cycling piste – is hair-raising in places, and the panoramic views across the Minch to Raasay and Skye augment the experience.
The sheltered, fertile coast around APPLECROSS village, where the Irish missionary monk Maelrhuba founded a monastery in 673 AD, comes as a surprise after the bleakness of the moorland approach. Maybe it’s the journey, but Applecross feels like an idyllic place: you can wander along lanes banked with wild iris and orchids, and explore beaches and rock pools on the shore.
Loch Torridon marks the northern boundary of the Applecross peninsula, its awe-inspiring setting enhanced by the appealingly rugged mountains of Liathach and Beinn Eighe, hulks of reddish 750-million-year-old Torridonian sandstone tipped by streaks of white quartzite. Some 15,000 acres of the massif are under the protection of the National Trust for Scotland, you can learn about the local geology, flora and fauna at their Countryside Centre, by Torridon village at the head of the loch (Easter–Oct Sun–Fri 10am–5pm; free).
Arrival and departure Applecross PENINSULA
By bus Lochcarron Garage (01520 722205) operates a twice-weekly service from Applecross to Inverness (Wed & Sat; full journey 3hr 15min), with stop-offs in Lochcarron, Shieldaig and Kishorn. Services skirt the southern edge of Loch Torridon and stop off at Achnasheen. Book ahead.
Applecross Inn On the waterfront, Applecross, IV54 8LR 01520 744262, applecross.uk.com/inn. This old, family-run inn beside the sea has rooms upstairs, and a lively bar that serves divine seafood including Applecross Bay prawns (£22) or king scallops (£18). Outside, the Applecross Innside Out food cart serves quality fish and chips and ice cream in summer. Reservations recommended in season. Daily noon–11pm; kitchen noon–9pm. £130
Applecross Walled Garden Signposted northeast of the bay, Applecross, IV54 8ND 01520 744440, applecrossgarden.co.uk. Head here to enjoy delicious food in the laidback atmosphere of a Victorian walled garden. Try the decent full Scottish breakfasts (£10) or generous slices of divine home-made cake; evenings see the likes of bouillabaisse (£20) and chickpea, feta and spinach parcels (£12). March–Oct daily 8.30am–8.30pm.
SYHA Torridon Torridon village, 100yd northwest of junction with A896, IV22 2EZ 01445 791284, syha.org.uk/where-to-stay/highlands/torridon. Though the Seventies-vintage municipal building is no looker, this hostel is spacious and a popular choice with hikers and bikers thanks to its location beneath the peaks. Kitchen, laundry and drying room, plus very cheap meals daily. Closed three weeks in Jan. Dorms £21.50, twins £55
Torridon Hotel On the A896, 1.5 miles south of Torridon village, IV22 2EY 01445 791242, thetorridon.com/hotel. On the south side of Loch Torridon stands one of the area’s grandest hotels, a smart, rambling Victorian building set amid well-tended lochside grounds. £265
About eight miles north of Loch Torridon, Loch Maree, dotted with Caledonian pine-covered islands, is one of the west’s scenic highlights. It’s best visited by car and viewed from the A832 road that skirts the loch’s southern shore, passing the Beinn Eighe Nature Reserve, the UK’s oldest wildlife sanctuary. Parts of the reserve are forested with Caledonian pinewood, which once covered the whole of the country, and it is home to pine martens, wildcats, buzzards and golden eagles. A mile north of Kinlochewe, the well-run Beinn Eighe Visitor Centre (March–Oct daily 10am–5pm) on the A832, offers excellent information on the area’s rare species.
GAIRLOCH spreads around the northeastern corner of the wide sheltered bay of Loch Gairloch. During the summer, Gairloch thrives as a low-key holiday resort, with several tempting sandy beaches and excellent coastal walks within easy reach. The main supermarket and tourist office are in Achtercairn, right by the Gairloch Heritage Museum (Easter–Oct Mon–Fri 10am–5pm, Sat 11am–3pm; £4), which has eclectic, appealing displays covering geology, archeology, fishing and farming.
The area’s main attraction is its beautiful coastline, easily explored on a wildlife-spotting cruise: several operators, including Gairloch Marine Life Centre & Cruises (Easter–Oct 3 daily; 01445 712636, porpoise-gairloch.co.uk; from £20), run informative and enjoyable trips across the bay from Gairloch in search of dolphins, seals and even the odd whale. One of the most impressive stretches of coastline is around the north side of the bay, along the singletrack B8021, at BIG SAND, which has a cleaner and quieter beach than Gairloch. Three miles beyond stands the Rubha Reidh lighthouse.
Three miles south of Gairloch, a narrow singletrack lane winds west to BADACHRO, a sleepy former fishing village in a very attractive setting with a wonderful pub. Beyond Badachro, the road winds for five more miles along the shore to REDPOINT, a straggling hamlet with beautiful beaches of peach-coloured sand and great views to Raasay, Skye and the Western Isles.
Half a mile north of Poolewe on A832, IV22 2LG • Gardens Daily: Jan–March & Oct–Dec 10.30am–4pm; April 10.30am–5pm; May–Aug 9.30am–5.30pm; Sept 10am–5pm • Visitor Centre Daily: April 10.30am–5pm; May–Aug 9.30am–5.30pm; Sept 10am–5pm; Oct 10.30am–4pm • House April–Oct daily 11am–4pm • £10.50; NTS • 0844 493 2225, nts.org.uk/Visit/Inverewe
Most visitors arrive in Poolewe for Inverewe Gardens, a subtropical-style oasis of foliage that is riotously colourful compared to the wild coast. A network of paths and walkways wanders through more than a dozen gardens featuring exotic plant collections from as far afield as Chile, China, Tasmania and the Himalayas. Free guided walks set off from the visitor centre, and Osgood’s and the Bothy Café serve refreshments. Visitors can also explore the opulent Inverewe House and the Sawyer Gallery, which hosts exhibitions on the gardens and the surrounding area of Wester Ross.
ARRIVAL AND information gairloch and around
By bus Public transport is minimal and requires careful planning. Bus stops for all services are at the Old Inn, Charlestown, as well as Achtercairn and Strath.
Destinations Inverness (Mon–Sat 1 daily; also ScotBus June–Sept Mon–Sat 1 daily; 2hr 45min); Poolewe (Mon, Wed & Sat 1 daily; 15min); Ullapool (Mon, Wed, Thurs & Sat 1 daily; 1hr 10min).
Tourist information In the community centre, Gale Centre, in Achtercairn (Mon–Sat 9.30am–6pm, Sun 10.30am–5pm; 01445 712071, galeactionforum.co.uk).
Gairloch has a good choice of accommodation, but you might prefer to stay out along the road north to Melvaig or south to Redpoint.
Badachro Inn Badachro, IV21 2AA 01445 741255, badachroinn.filmdesign.org.uk. Settle onto the terrace with a plate of fresh seafood (around £11–16) at this pub by the old harbour. Inside are real ales and around fifty malts. April–Oct Mon–Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–11pm; Nov–March Wed–Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–11pm; kitchen April–Oct Mon–Fri noon–3pm & 6–9pm, Sat & Sun noon–3pm; Nov–March Wed–Fri noon–3pm & 6–9pm, Sat & Sun noon–3pm.
Mountain Coffee Company Achtercairn, IV21 2BX 01445 712316. Here’s an unusual find for a small Highlands town – a relaxed café with a global backpacker vibe. Try the coffees, mammoth scones and toasted bagels with fresh fillings, and check out the good on-site bookshop. Daily: Easter–Nov 9am–5.30pm; Dec–Easter Mon–Sat 10am–4pm.
Old Inn Charlestown, IV21 2BD 01445 712006. Flagstone floors and stone walls provide the character in this modernized coaching inn; posh-pub specials such as game casserole (£14.95), plus beers from the on-site microbrewery, provide the sustenance. Mains average £13. Easter–Nov daily 11am–11pm; kitchen 11am–9.30pm.
Sands Caravan and Camping B8021, 3.5 miles west of Gairloch, IV21 2DL 01445 712152, sandscaravanandcamping.co.uk. The best of the area’s campsites, with pitches behind the dunes for sea views. Also rents “wigwams” – actually Scandi-style cabins, sleeping up to five, with a fire-pit. Laundry facilities, plus kayak and bike rental. The cosy on-site Barn Café serves brekkie, lunch and evening meals (reserve ahead). Closed Dec–Feb. Camping £19, wigwams £42
ULLAPOOL, northwest Scotland’s principal centre of population, was founded at the height of the herring boom in 1788 by the British Fisheries Society, on a sheltered arm of land jutting into Loch Broom. The grid-plan town is still an important fishing centre, though the ferry link to Stornoway on Lewis ensures that in high season it’s swamped with visitors. Though busy, Ullapool remains a hugely appealing place and a good base for exploring the northwest Highlands.
By day, Ullapool’s attention focuses on the comings and goings of the ferry, fishing boats and smaller craft, while in the evening, yachts swing on the current, shops stay open late, and drinkers line the sea wall. In summer, trips head to the Summer Isles.
The only formal attraction in town is the award-winning Ullapool Museum, in the old parish church on West Argyle Street (Easter–Oct Mon–Sat 11am–4pm; 01854 612987; £4), which provides an insight into life in a Highland community, including crofting, fishing, local religion and emigration.
ARRIVAL AND Departure ullapool
By bus Buses stop near Ullapool’s ferry terminal and run to Durness (May, June & Sept Mon–Sat 1 daily; July & Aug 1 daily; 3hr) and Inverness (1–3 daily; 1hr 30min).
By ferry From the ferry dock along Shore St, CalMac (0870 565 0000, calmac.co.uk) sails to Stornoway on Lewis (Mon–Sat 2 daily, Sun 1; 2hr 45min).
Broomfield Holiday Park West Shore St, IV26 2UT 01854 612020, broomfieldhp.com; map. Large, good-value campsite, conveniently located within walking distance of the harbour. It’s exposed to the wind off Loch Broom, but offers great views and warm showers. £15
SYHA Ullapool Shore St, IV26 2UJ 01854 612254, yha.org.uk/where-to-stay/highlands/ullapool; map. Busy hostel bang on the seafront, where prints and murals of seaside scenes add a cheerful holiday atmosphere. There are dorms of various sizes, doubles, twins, two lounges and laundry plus lots of good information about local walks. Closed Nov–March. Dorms £20, doubles £45
Tanglewood House 1 mile south off A835, IV26 2TB 01854 612059, tanglewoodhouse.co.uk; map. Charm and character in an extraordinary, curved house full of art and antiques. Rooms are individually furnished; the best (the Green Room), with a terrace to enjoy the position above Loch Broom, is worth its extra £14. Factor in a rocky beach beneath for a dip and this is a truly memorable stay. Closed Nov–April. £96
The Ceilidh Place 14 West Argyle St, IV26 2TY 01854 612103, theceilidhplace.com; map. A popular spot for lunch, snacks and dinners – home-made burgers and fish casseroles, for example (£11.50–20) – in a pleasant bistro. They are famed for theri ceilidhs and music nights. Also has dorms (£23) and double rooms (£124). Daily 8am–1am.
The Seafood Shack West Argyle St, IV26 2TY 07876 142623, seafoodshack.co.uk; map. Much-hyped new takeaway shack serving super-fresh, beautifully prepared seafood; from moules marinières (£4.50) to tempura monkfish bites (£8.50). Tues–Sat noon–8pm, Sun noon–3pm.
West Coast Delicatessen Argyle St, IV26 2UB 01854 613450; map. Fine-food deli serving proper coffees, home-made hummus and fresh salads, tarts and cakes, plus unmissable “pakora Fridays”. For a proper fry-up, the Tea Store over the road will do the job. Mon–Sat 8.30am–5pm.
Ferry Boat Inn Shore St, IV26 2UJ 01854 612366; map. Popular with locals and their dogs, the FBI remains a choice spot to swig a pint of ale at the lochside (midges permitting) and watch the boats. You can enjoy live music here and at sister pub The Argyle round the corner. Daily 11am–11pm.
If you’ve travelled to the northwest of Scotland and come as far as Ullapool, it’s worth continuing further north into the ever more dramatic, remote and highly distinctive hills of Assynt, which marks the transition from Wester Ross into Sutherland. One of the least populated areas in Europe, this is a landscape not of mountain ranges but of extraordinary peaks rising from the moorland.
Until a road bridge swept over the mouth of lochs Glencoul and Glendhu, KYLESKU, 33 miles north of Ullapool, was the embarkation point for a ferry that was the only link from the west Highlands to north Scotland. Off the main road since the bridge’s construction in 1984, it’s now a beautiful, soporific spot, where interlocking slopes plunge into the deep waters. Marking a last hurrah before Assynt’s sharp sandstone gives way to rounded quartzite, Kylesku is popular with walkers due to its proximity to Quinag (2651ft), less a single peak than several peaks reached by a ridge walk. The easiest ascent is from a car park on the A894 a few miles south of Kylesku. Also in the area is Britain’s highest waterfall, Eas a’ Chual Aluinn (650ft), at the head of Loch Glencoul. It’s a five-mile return walk that heads east from a car park two miles south of Kylesku, or a full-day walk on a track around the north side of both lochs. Alternatively, boat tours run from the wharf in Kylesku.
Information and activities Kylesku
Tourist office The new North West Highlands Geopark visitor centre and café, The Rock Stop (daily 9am–5pm; 01971 488765, nwhgeopark.com), is based in Kylesku’s old Unapool School Building. It has information on the region, plus hot drinks and sandwiches.
Kylesku Boat Tours Gentle cruises into lochs Glendhu and Glencoul (April–Sept 2 daily, round trip 1hr 45min; £25; 01971 502231, kyleskuboattours.com).
Kylesku Hotel Kylesku centre, IV27 4HW 01971 502231, kyleskuhotel.co.uk. This small hotel, in a crisp, modern style, provides by far the best food in the area, all sourced locally – from the vegetables to the shellfish. Expect the likes of Kylesku langoustines (£20.95) or hogget curry (£17.50). The smart new wing, Willy’s Hoose, is named after a local – some rooms have a private balcony and loch views. Closed Dec & Jan. Daily noon–2.30pm & 6–9pm. £110
North of Loch Broom, and accessible via a slow, winding singletrack road off the A835, is the old crofting village ACHILTIBUIE. It’s the main settlement on the Coigach Peninsula, a narrow spit of land that juts out into the sea just north of Ullapool. The village is scattered across the hillside above a series of white-sand coves and rocks, from where a fleet of small fishing boats carries sheep, and tourists, to the enticing pastures of the Summer Isles, a cluster of islets a couple of miles offshore. Right now they are uninhabited by humans, but there are plenty of seabirds, dolphins and porpoises in residence. The largest, Tanera Mòr, made news in 2013 when it was put up for sale at £2.5m – in the end, it was bought by a hedge fund tycoon for under £2m in 2017.
Arrival and departure ACHILTIBUIE
By bus Scotbus #811 connects Ullapool’s ferry terminal with Achiltibuie (Mon–Sat 2 daily, Sun 1; 1hr 10min). Cruises to the Summer Isles (summer only, Mon–Sat; summerqueen.co.uk) run from the waterfront in Ullapool.
Sixteen miles north of Ullapool (although more than thirty by road), LOCHINVER is one of the busiest fishing harbours in Scotland, from where large trucks head off for the continent. The potholed and narrow road that leads here from Achiltibuie, passing through Inverkirkaig on the way, is unremittingly spectacular. It threads its way through a tumultuous landscape of heaving valleys, moorland and bare rock, past the distinctive, mound-shaped Suilven (2398ft).
The first village worthy of a detour on the road north is ACHMELVICH, three miles northwest of Lochinver, where a tiny bay cradles a stunning white-sand beach lapped by startlingly turquoise water. However, for total peace and quiet, head to other, equally seductive beaches beyond the headlands.
arrival and departure lochinver and around
By bus Lochinver has connections with Inverness (May, June & Sept Mon–Sat 1 daily; July & Aug 1 daily; 2hr 45min) and Ullapool (July & Aug 1–3 daily; Sept–June Mon–Sat 1–3 daily; 1hr).
The Caberfeidh Main St, near the bridge, IV27 4JZ 01571 844321, thecaberfeidh.co.uk. Run by the same owners as the nnearby, Michelin-starred Albannach. Small plates and wine by the glass bring the same superb quality but for a fraction of the price; think wild venison meatballs (£6.95) and straight-from-the-boat bouillabaisse (£5.95). River views and a roaring fire top this off as one of the Highlands’ best dining pubs. Mon 5–11pm, Tues–Sun noon–11pm; kitchen Mon 6–9pm, Tues–Sun noon–2.30pm & 6–9pm.
Lochinver Larder Main St, near bridge, IV27 4JY 01571 844356, lochinverlarder.co.uk. Sensational home-made pies, featuring exotic ingredients like wild boar and saag paneer, have made this fine bistro famous, but it offers other food too: smoked fish linguini or home-made fishcakes, perhaps (both £13.95), or langoustine in lime, ginger and chilli butter (£20). Takeaway available. Easter–Oct Mon–Sat 10am–7.45pm, Sun 10am–5.30pm; Nov–March daily 10am–4pm.
Until a few years ago, relatively few visitors travelled the length of the Highlands’ north coast; its least interesting corner, John O’Groats, has always borne the brunt of the tourists. However, with the launch of the North Coast 500 tourism initiative (northcoast500.com), this remote stretch of coast is now welcoming flocks of visitors from around the world, making it necessary to start planning a trip several months in advance to avoid having to sleep in your car – something which, according to locals, happens a fair amount these days.
Pounded by one of the world’s most ferocious seaways, Scotland’s rugged northern shore is backed by barren mountains in the west, and in the east by lochs and open rolling grasslands. Between its far ends, miles of crumbling cliffs and sheer rocky headlands shelter bays whose perfect white beaches are nearly always deserted, even in the height of summer – though, somewhat incongruously, they’re also home to Scotland’s best surfing waves.
Durness is a good jumping-off point for nearby Balnakeil beach, one of the area’s most beautiful sandy strands, and for rugged Cape Wrath, the windswept promontory at Scotland’s northwest tip. Thurso, the largest town on the north coast, is really only visited by those en route to Orkney. More enticing are the huge seabird colonies clustered in clefts and on remote stacks at Dunnet Head and Duncansby Head, east of Thurso.
Scattered around a string of sheltered sandy coves and grassy clifftops, DURNESS is the most northwesterly village on the British mainland. It straddles the turning point on the main A838 road as it swings east from the inland peat bogs of the interior to the north coast’s fertile strip of limestone machair. Durness village sits above its own sandy bay, Sango Sands, while half a mile to the east is SMOO, formerly an RAF station. Between Durness and Smoo is the village hall, whose windblown and rather forlorn community garden harbours a memorial commemorating the Beatle John Lennon, who used to come to Durness on family holidays as a child (and revisited the place in the 1960s with Yoko Ono). It’s worth pausing at Smoo to see the 200ft-long Smoo Cave (free to access; though tours deeper into the cave run Easter–Sept; £4), a gaping hole in a sheer limestone cliff formed partly by the action of the sea and partly by the small burn that flows through it.
ARRIVAL and departure durness
By bus Public transport to Durness is sparse; the key service is the D&E Coaches link (May, June & Sept Mon–Sat 1 daily; July & Aug 1 daily; 5hr 20min) from Inverness via Ullapool and Lochinver.
Cocoa Mountain Balnakeil Craft Village, a mile northwest of Durness, IV27 4PT 01971 511233, cocoamountain.co.uk. A bright modern café linked to a chocolatier – a rich bittersweet hot chocolate topped with white chocolate is the speciality. They offer snacks (£5–7), too, plus their own chocolates and truffles. Easter–Oct daily 9am–6pm.
Lazy Crofter Bunkhouse Centre of Durness, IV27 4PN 01971 511202, visitdurness.com/bunkhouse. Run by Mackay’s hotel next door, this is the finest bunkhouse on the north coast, sleeping twenty. There’s a snug cabin atmosphere and it gets extra marks for individual reading lights in the two dorms and compact (bunk-bed) twins. The terrace has sea views. Dorms £20, twins £40
Two miles southwest of Durness at KEOLDALE, a foot-passenger ferry (April–Sept daily 11am, plus June–Aug 9am; £6.50 return; 01971 511246 or 07719 678729) crosses the spectacular Kyle of Durness estuary. The ferry, which only runs when the tides allow, links with a minibus (£12 return; 07742 670196) that travels the eleven miles out to Cape Wrath, mainland Britain’s most northwesterly point. Note that nearby Garvie Island (An Garbh-eilean) is an air bombing range, and the military regularly closes the road to Cape Wrath. The headland takes its name not from the stormy seas that crash against it for most of the year, but from the Norse word hvarf, meaning “turning place” – a throwback to the days when Viking warships used it as a navigation point during raids on the Scottish coast.
Arriving from the west, the road to the pretty crofting village of TONGUE takes a wonderfully slow and circuitous route around Loch Eriboll and east over the top of A’ Mhoine moor. The village is dominated by the ruins of Castle Varrich (Caisteal Bharraich), a medieval stronghold of the Mackay clan – it’s a three-mile return walk from the centre.
Tongue itself is strewn above the east shore of the Kyle of Tongue, which you can either cross via a new causeway or by following the longer and more scenic singletrack road around its southern side. When the tide recedes, this shallow estuary becomes a mass of golden sand flats, superb on sunny days, with the sharp profiles of Ben Hope (3040ft), the most northerly Munro, and Ben Loyal (2509ft) looming like twin sentinels to the south.
Arrival and departure tongue and around
By bus Stagecoach bus #73 connects Tongue with Thurso (Mon–Fri 1 daily, Sat 2; 1hr 50min) and Bettyhill (Mon–Sat 2 daily; 35min). The buses pull up outside the Tongue Hotel, on A838.
Kyle of Tongue Hostel & Holiday Park East of Kyle of Tongue Bridge, IV27 4XH 01847 611789, tonguehostelandholidaypark.co.uk. The Duke of Sutherland’s old shooting lodge has been repurposed as a large, well-equipped hostel with spacious dorms and family rooms, plus great mountain views. It’s SYHA-affiliated, with plans to expand as a caravan park and campsite. Closed Oct to mid-April. Dorms £18, twins £39
BETTYHILL is a major crofting village set among rocky green hills 25 miles east of Tongue. The village’s splendid, sheltered Farr beach forms an unbroken arc of pure white sand between the Naver and Borgie rivers. Even more visually impressive is the River Naver’s narrow tidal estuary, west of Bettyhill, and Torrisdale beach, which ends in a smooth white spit that forms part of the Invernaver Nature Reserve.
At a junction around fifteen miles west of Thurso you can head forty miles or so south towards Helmsdale on the A897, through the fascinating blanket bog of the Flow Country, whose name comes from flói, an Old Norse word meaning “marshy ground”. At the train station at FORSINARD, fourteen miles south of Melvich and easily accessible from Thurso, Wick and the south, there is an RSPB visitor centre (Easter–Oct daily 9am–5pm; free; 01641 571225, rspb.org.uk/forsinard), which acts as the gateway to the so-called Forsinard Flows – a surprisingly rich and diverse nature reserve covering vast tracts of boggy peatland. Here you have a good chance of spotting dunlin, dippers and wading greenshanks, who use the boggy environment as a breeding ground.
Approached from the isolation of the west, THURSO feels like a metropolis. In reality, it’s a relatively small service centre visited mostly by people passing through to the adjoining port of Scrabster to catch the ferry to Orkney, or by increasing numbers of surfers attracted to the waves on the north coast. There’s little to see, but the grid-plan streets have some rather handsome Victorian architecture in the local, greyish sandstone. If you’re coming to surf, want a lesson or need to rent a board and wet suit (£20/day), head for Café Tempest on Riverside Road (see below).
High St, KW14 8AJ • May–Aug Mon–Fri 10am–6pm, Sat 10am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm; Sept–April Mon–Fri 10am–6pm, Sat 10am–5pm • Free (donations welcome) • 01847 896508, caithnesshorizons.co.uk
Caithness Horizons, a local museum in a revamped Victorian town hall, is more modern than any other museum on the north coast, with artefacts relating to the Dounreay Nuclear Power Plant, the Vikings and the Picts, as well as a paleontology collection featuring 380 million-year-old fish fossils. The centre also has a temporary exhibition gallery, a café and a gift shop.
Arrival and Departure thurso
By train Thurso station is near the town centre on Princes St.
Destinations Dingwall (Mon–Sat 4 daily, Sun 1; 3hr); Inverness (Mon–Sat 4 daily, Sun 1; 3hr 40min); Lairg (Mon–Sat 4 daily, Sun 1; 2hr); Wick (Mon–Sat 4 daily, Sun 1; 35min).
By bus Buses pass through the middle of town, stopping on the A9.
Destinations Inverness (up to 8 daily; 3–4hr); John O’ Groats (Mon–Sat every 1–2hr; 1hr); Wick (Mon–Sat every 30min–1hr, Sun 5; 35min).
By ferry Buses run from the A9 in the centre of town to the Scrabster ferry terminal, roughly 2 miles northwest of town, every hour or so. From there, ferries cross to Stromness on Orkney Mainland (2–3 daily; 90min).
Café Tempest Riverside Rd, KW14 8DE 01847 892500. Home baking, toasties and home-made burgers (£5–8) served in a harbourside café with a laidback surf-shack vibe. Bring-your-own drinks on Sat evenings during the summer (£3 corkage). Jan–March daily 10am–4pm; April–Dec Mon–Fri 10am–6pm, Sat 10am–8pm, Sun 10am–4pm.
Captain’s Galley The Harbour, Scrabster, KW14 7UJ 01847 894999, captainsgalley.co.uk. This former ice-house and salmon bothy serves the best seafood in the area; a four-course dinner, with mains including the likes of hake with saffron potatoes, costs £54. Also takeaway fish and chips using the freshest catch. Restaurant Wed–Sat 7–9pm; takeaway Tues–Sat 12.30–6.30pm.
The Marine 38 Shore St, KW14 8BN 01847 890676, themarinethurso.co.uk. Modern furnishings and tweed headboards make for a relaxed, contemporary style. More appealing than the rooms is the small conservatory off the gorgeous breakfast room, with sea views – surfers take note. £99
Despite the publicity given to John O’Groats, the most northerly point of mainland Britain is actually Dunnet Head four miles north of the sleepy village of DUNNET. It’s an evocative spot up at the Head, covered in heather and bog and with high red cliffs at the headland, marked by a Stevenson lighthouse – on a clear day, you’ll see the whole north coast spread out before you from Cape Wrath to Duncansby Head. There’s not a great deal to do in Dunnet itself, beyond popping in to Britain’s northernmost micro-distillery, the Dunnet Bay Distillers, on the A836 (May–Oct Mon–Fri 10am–4pm; tours 45min with tasting session; £6; 01847 851287, dunnetbaydistillers.co.uk).
Arrival and information Dunnet Head
By bus Bus #80 between Thurso and John O’Groats passes through Dunnet and Mey (Mon–Fri 8 daily, Sat 5).
Tourist information You can pick up information on local history and nature walks at the unmanned information centre at the northeast end of the bay (Mon–Fri & Sun: April, May & Sept 2–5.30pm; July & Aug 10.30am–5.30pm; free).
6.5 miles west of John O’Groats, KW14 8XH • Castle May–July & mid-Aug to Sept daily 10.20am–4pm • £11.50 • Grounds May–July & mid-Aug to Sept daily 10am–5pm • £6.50 • 01847 851473, castleofmey.org.uk
The Queen Mother’s former Scottish home, the Castle of Mey, is the most northerly castle on the UK mainland. It’s a modest little place, hidden behind high flagstone walls, with great views north to Orkney, and a herd of the Queen Mother’s beloved Aberdeen Angus grazing out front. She used to spend every August here, and unusually for a royal palace, it’s remarkably unstuffy inside, the walls hung with works by local amateur artists and watercolours by Prince Charles (who still visits late July/early August, when it’s closed for two weeks).
Snap-happy tourists, windswept pilgrims and exhausted cyclists convene at JOHN O’GROATS, the most northeasterly settlement on mainland Britain. Consisting of a car park, a souvenir village and not much else, the place has never quite lived up to its folkloric reputation, although a recent regeneration project has brought new life to the place with the opening of a technicolour seafront hotel and a sparkly café. There are plenty of prettier places to view the sea in north Scotland, but as one end of the Land’s End to John O’Groats tour, there’s always a happy flow of people either starting or ending a life-affirming journey here. A couple of miles to the east, Duncansby Head is a much more stimulating place to visit than John O’Groats, with its lighthouse, dramatic cliffs and well-worn coastal path.
The east coast of the Highlands, between Inverness and Wick, is nowhere near as spectacular as the west, with gently undulating moors, grassland and low cliffs where you might otherwise expect to find sea lochs and mountains. While many visitors speed up the main A9 road through this region in a headlong rush to the Orkneys’ prehistoric sites, those who choose to dally will find a wealth of brochs, cairns and standing stones, many in remarkable condition. The area around the Black Isle and the Tain was a Pictish heartland, and has yielded many important finds. Further north, from around the ninth century AD onwards, the Norse influence was more keenly felt than in any other part of mainland Britain, and dozens of Scandinavian-sounding names recall the era when this was a Viking kingdom.
The fishing heritage is a recurring theme along this coast, though there are only a handful of working boats scattered around the harbours today; the area remains one of the country’s poorest, reliant on relatively thin pickings from sheep farming, fishing and tourism. The one stretch of the east coast that’s always been relatively rich, however, is the Black Isle just over the Kessock Bridge heading north out of Inverness, whose main village, Cromarty, is the region’s undisputed highlight. Beyond the golfing resort of Dornoch, the ersatz-Loire chateau Dunrobin Castle is the main tourist attraction, a monument as much to the iniquities of the Clearances as to the eccentricities of Victorian taste.
Sandwiched between the Cromarty Firth to the north and, to the south, the Moray and Beauly firths which separate it from Inverness, the Black Isle is not an island at all, but a fertile peninsula whose rolling hills, prosperous farms and stands of deciduous woodland make it more reminiscent of Dorset or Sussex than the Highlands. It probably gained its name because of its mild climate: there’s rarely frost, which leaves the fields “black” all winter; another explanation is that the name derives from the Gaelic word for black, dubh – a possible corruption of St Duthus. On the south side of the Black Isle, near Fortrose, Chanonry Point juts into a narrow channel in the Moray Firth and is an excellent place to look for dolphins.
An appealing jumble of handsome Georgian townhouses and pretty workers’ cottages knitted together by a cat’s-cradle of lanes, CROMARTY, the Black Isle’s main settlement, is a joy to wander around. An ancient ferry crossing on the pilgrimage trail to Tain, it became a prominent port in 1772, fuelling a period of prosperity that gave Cromarty some of the Highlands’ finest Georgian houses. The railways poached that trade in the nineteenth century – a branch line to the town was begun but never completed – but the flip side of stagnation is preservation. Be sure to drop into Hugh Miller’s Birthplace Cottage and Museum (Church St; late March to Sept daily noon–5pm; free, donations welcome; NTS; 01381 600418, nts.org.uk/visit/hugh-millers-birthplace), the thatched home of Cromarty’s celebrated social reformer.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE cromarty
By bus Stagecoach buses #23 and #26 run from Inverness main bus station (Mon–Sat every 30min, Sun 5; 1hr).
By ferry The tiny four-car Nigg–Cromarty ferry (every 30min; June & Sept Mon–Sat 8am–6pm, Sun 9am–6.10pm; July & Aug Mon–Sat 8am–7.10pm, Sun 9am–7.10pm; £4.50, £9.50 with a car) is one of Britain’s smallest. Embark from the jetty near the lighthouse.
The Factor’s House Denny Rd, IV11 8YT 01381 600394, thefactorshouse.com. King-size beds, roll-top baths and fluffy bathrobes await in the three rooms of this B&B – the Urquhart is our pick – while the lounge is a peaceful spot for a drink by the fire. The dinner menu (three courses £37.50) features fresh Scottish cuisine and home-baked delights. £125
Sutor Creek 21 Bank St, IV11 8YE 01381 600855, sutorcreek.co.uk. There are few more satisfying, down-to-earth restaurants in the Highlands than this. It serves organic wines, delicious seafood and fresh wood-fired pizza cooked. Light lunches £6–10. May–Sept daily noon–9pm; Oct–April Wed 5–9pm, Thurs–Sun 11am–9pm.
North of the Cromarty Firth, the hammer-shaped Fearn peninsula can still be approached from the south by the ancient ferry crossing from Cromarty to Nigg, though to the north the link is a causeway over the Dornoch Firth, the inlet that marks the northern boundary of the peninsula.
On the southern edge of the Dornoch Firth the A9 bypasses TAIN, an attractive, old-fashioned small town of grand, whisky-coloured sandstone buildings that was the birthplace of St Duthus, an eleventh-century missionary who inspired great devotion in the Middle Ages. The main attraction is the Glenmorangie whisky distillery, where the highly rated malt is produced (01862 892477; tours April, May, Sept & Oct Mon–Sat 10am–3pm hourly; June–Aug daily 10am–4pm every 30min; Nov–March 10am or 2pm by appointment; £7; book ahead); it lies beside the A9 on the north side of town.
DORNOCH, a genteel and appealing town eight miles north of Tain, lies on a flattish headland overlooking the Dornoch Firth. A middle-class holiday resort, with solid Edwardian hotels, trees and flowers in profusion and miles of sandy beaches giving good views across the estuary to the Fearn peninsula, Dornoch is renowned for its championship golf course, Scotland’s most northerly first-class course.
Arrival and departure Dornoch
By bus Stagecoach’s Inverness–Thurso service (via Helmsdale) stops at Dornoch.
Destinations Inverness (5 daily; 1hr 10min); Thurso (Mon–Sat 4 daily, Sun 3; 1hr 45min).
Dornoch Castle Hotel Castle St, IV25 3SD 01862 810216, dornochcastlehotel.com. This fifteenth-century hotel, in the Bishop’s Palace on the main square, has a decent restaurant and a cosy old-fashioned bar with a roaring log fire. Choose from comfy but bland rooms facing the “Old Courtyard”; spacious superior rooms (from £185) with pillow chocolates and whisky miniatures; or a deluxe room in the turreted tower (from £235). Daily 6–9pm. £120
The straggling red-sandstone town of GOLSPIE, whose status as an administrative centre does little to relieve its dullness, sits ten miles north of Dornoch on the A9. It is, however, the jumping-off point for some brilliant mountain biking: the fabulous Highland Wildcat Trails (highlandwildcat.com) are within the forested hills just half a mile to the west. The easy to severe (colour-coded) trails include a huge descent from the summit of Ben Bhraggie to sea level and a ride past the Sutherland monument, erected in memory of the landowner who oversaw the eviction of thousands of his tenants during the Clearances.
A9, 1 mile north of Golspie, KW10 6SF • March–May, Sept & Oct Mon–Sat 10.30am–4.30pm, Sun noon–4.30pm (no falconry Sun); June–Aug daily 10.30am–5pm (falconry daily) • £11 • 01408 633177, dunrobincastle.co.uk • Dunrobin Castle is a summer stop on the Inverness–Thurso line (April–Oct Mon–Sat 3 daily; 2hr 15min from Inverness, 1hr 35min from Thurso)
Mountain biking aside, the main reason to stop at Golspie is to look around Dunrobin Castle, overlooking the sea north of town. This fairy-tale confection of turrets and pointed roofs – modelled by the architect Sir Charles Barry (designer of the Houses of Parliament) on a Loire chateau – is the seat of the infamous Sutherland family, at one time Europe’s biggest landowners, with a staggering 1.3 million acres, and the principal driving force behind the Clearances in this area. The castle has 189 furnished rooms, but as a visitor you’ll only be able to see a fraction of them. Staring up at the pile from its elaborate formal gardens, it’s worth remembering that such extravagance was paid for by uprooting literally thousands of crofters from the surrounding glens.
Arrival and departure Golspie
By bus Stagecoach’s Inverness–Thurso service stops at Golspie.
Destinations Inverness (Mon–Sat 5 daily, Sun 4; 1hr 25min); Thurso (Mon–Sat 5 daily, Sun 4; 1hr 35min).
HELMSDALE, eleven scenic miles north along the A9 from Golspie, is an old herring port, founded in the nineteenth century to house the evicted inhabitants of Strath Kildonan, which lies behind it. The Strath was the unlikely location of a gold rush in the 1860s, and a few determined prospectors still pan the Kildonan Burn. The story of the area’s gold hunters is told in the Timespan Heritage Centre, beside the river (daily: April–Oct 10am–5pm; Nov–March reduced hours; £4; 01431 821327, timespan.org.uk), along with tales of Viking raids, witch-burning, Clearances and fishing.
Just north of Helmsdale, the A9 begins its long haul up the Ord of Caithness, a busy, winding pass. Once over the pass, the landscape changes dramatically as heather-clad moors give way to miles of treeless green grazing lands, peppered with derelict crofts and latticed by long dry-stone walls. As you come over the pass, look out for signs to the ruined village of Badbea, a ten-minute walk from the car park at the side of the A9. Built by tenants cleared from nearby Ousdale, the settlement entered a slow decline and is now abandoned, its ruined hovels showing what hardship the crofters had to endure: the cottages stood so near the windy cliff edge that children had to be tethered to prevent them from being blown into the sea.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE Helmsdale
By bus From Golspie, buses run to a stop beside the roundabout in the centre of the town, right near the river (Mon–Fri 3 daily; 30min).
Since it was founded by Vikings as Vik (meaning “bay”), WICK has lived by the sea. It’s actually two towns: Wick proper and, south across the river, Pultneytown, created by the British Fisheries Society in 1806 to encourage evicted crofters to take up fishing. By the mid-nineteenth century, Wick was the busiest herring port in Europe, with a fleet of more than 1100 boats exporting fish to Russia, Scandinavia and the West Indian slave plantations. The demise of its fishing trade has left Wick down at heel, reduced to a mere transport hub. Yet the huge harbour in Pultneytown and a walk around the surrounding area – scruffy rows of fishermen’s cottages, derelict net-mending sheds and stores – gives an insight into the scale of the former fishing trade.
Bank Row, Pultneytown, KW1 5EY • Easter–Oct Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, last entry 3.45pm • £4 • 01955 605393, wickheritage.org
The volunteer-maintained Wick Heritage Centre is the best place to learn about Wick’s fishing heyday. Deceptively labyrinthine, it contains a fascinating array of artefacts, including fully rigged boats, models of the sea-faring vessels and reconstructed period rooms, plus a superb archive of photographs captured by three generations of a local family between 1863 and 1975.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE wick
By plane Wick John O’Groats Airport (01955 602215, wickairport.com), just north of town, has flights to and from Edinburgh (Mon, Wed–Fri & Sun 1 daily; 1hr) and Aberdeen (Mon–Fri 3 daily; 35min) with Flybe/Loganair and Eastern Airways respectively.
By train The train station is immediately south and west of the central bridge. Trains from Inverness (Mon–Sat 3 daily; 4hr 20min) make a long but scenic journey via Lairg, Helmsdale and then the Flow Country inland.
By bus Local buses depart from just south and west of the central bridge. They run to John O’Groats then Thurso; long-distance routes to and from Inverness involve a coordinated change at Dunbeath.
Destinations Inverness (Mon–Sat 6 daily, Sun 4; 3hr); John O’ Groats (Mon–Fri 7 daily, Sat 5; 35min); Thurso (Mon–Sat approx hourly, Sun 5; 30–35min).
Bord de l’Eau Market St, KW1 4AR 01955 604400. This riverside bistro offers a little slice of France, with a changing menu of Gaelic and seafood dishes, plus some French classics (£16–20). The best seats are in the airy conservatory. Tues–Sat noon–2pm & 6–9pm, Sun 6–9pm.
Mackays Union St, KW1 5ED 01955 602323, mackayshotel.co.uk. The oversized headboards, streamlined oak furnishings and iPod docks make this Wick’s prime accommodation option. The first- and second-floor rooms are best. Its acclaimed No.1 Bistro serves the likes of lemon- and garlic-roasted chicken with Moroccan spices, plus superb fish and chips (mains average £14). Daily 8am–9pm. £122
