Northern Highlands
The Northern Highlands is awash with places to see and things to do! It has some of the most amazing seascapes and mountain peaks that the Highlands has to offer.
On leaving the city of Inverness it’s not long before you come across the rolling hills of The Black Isle.
The Black Isle area includes the town of Cromarty and the villages of Culbokie, Muir of Ord, Munlochy, Avoch, Rosemarkie, Fortrose and Conon Bridge. It is a peninsula surrounded on three sides by water – the Cromarty Firth to the north, the Beauly Firth to the south and the Moray Firth to the east. Being surrounded by water means it is a great place to see local sealife and Chanonry Point, near Fortrose is one of the best places to catch a glimpse of the Moray Firth Dolphins. Lying right on the edge of The Black Isle you will find the village of Muir of Ord that is host to the annual Black Isle Show, one of the largest agricultural shows in Scotland! Just north of The Black Isle you will come across the market town of Dingwall, also home to Ross County Football Club and a few miles from there the former spa town of Strathpeffer where you will find the lovingly restored Strathpeffer Pavilion that now hosts a whole range of concerts, weddings and events.
Heading west, you will find yourself in Wester Ross, home to spectacular mountains, picturesque villages, white sand beaches, local markets, world famous gardens, an abundance of wildlife, fantastic coastal roads and all the peace and tranquillity you could wish for! An ideal place to base yourself to enjoy all of this is the village of Gairloch. Gairloch has a great variety of hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, shops and attractions as well as stunning beaches and well laid out walks. The harbour, located just as you come into Gairloch on the A835 has a great selection of boat tour operators offering a wide variety of wildlife, whale watching, fishing and high speed RIB tours out into Loch Gairloch and beyond. Just outside of Gairloch, in the village of Poolewe you will find the world famous Inverewe Gardens with an impressive show of exotic plants and native woodland.
Other popular villages to visit in Wester Ross include Shieldaig, Torridon, Lochcarron, Applecross and Ullapool to name but a few. As you head north from Wester Ross you will come across many more spectacular landscapes and awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping scenery in the Caithness and Sutherland area of the Northern Highlands. The landscape in this area is very rugged and sparsely populated but that does mean you can find plenty of corners of solitude tucked away. And just like Wester Ross, you will find no end of attractions and activities in this area to keep all the family occupied! The area is famous for its fishing and water activities as well as having the North-West Highlands Geopark, rich and diverse in landscapes, habitats and wildlife.
Interesting facts about the area:
The rocks in the Torridon Hills – Beinn Alligin, Beinn Eighe and Liathach are amongst the oldest rocks on the planet, estimated to be between 1200 and 3000 million years old.
Searches in the bone caves of Inchnadamph have revealed the remains of Lynx, brown and polar bears that once roamed the area.
The Flow Country is a large internationally recognised expanse of peat land and wet land covering about 4,000 square kilometres.
Thurso is the northern most location on the planet to host a professional surfing event where wave and wind conditions can match the north shore of Hawaii.
The Black Isle area includes the town of Cromarty and the villages of Culbokie, Muir of Ord, Munlochy, Avoch, Rosemarkie, Fortrose and Conon Bridge. It is a peninsula surrounded on three sides by water – the Cromarty Firth to the north, the Beauly Firth to the south and the Moray Firth to the east. Being surrounded by water means it is a great place to see local sealife and Chanonry Point, near Fortrose is one of the best places to catch a glimpse of the Moray Firth Dolphins. Lying right on the edge of The Black Isle you will find the village of Muir of Ord that is host to the annual Black Isle Show, one of the largest agricultural shows in Scotland! Just north of The Black Isle you will come across the market town of Dingwall, also home to Ross County Football Club and a few miles from there the former spa town of Strathpeffer where you will find the lovingly restored Strathpeffer Pavilion that now hosts a whole range of concerts, weddings and events.
Heading west, you will find yourself in Wester Ross, home to spectacular mountains, picturesque villages, white sand beaches, local markets, world famous gardens, an abundance of wildlife, fantastic coastal roads and all the peace and tranquillity you could wish for! An ideal place to base yourself to enjoy all of this is the village of Gairloch. Gairloch has a great variety of hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, shops and attractions as well as stunning beaches and well laid out walks. The harbour, located just as you come into Gairloch on the A835 has a great selection of boat tour operators offering a wide variety of wildlife, whale watching, fishing and high speed RIB tours out into Loch Gairloch and beyond. Just outside of Gairloch, in the village of Poolewe you will find the world famous Inverewe Gardens with an impressive show of exotic plants and native woodland.
Other popular villages to visit in Wester Ross include Shieldaig, Torridon, Lochcarron, Applecross and Ullapool to name but a few. As you head north from Wester Ross you will come across many more spectacular landscapes and awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping scenery in the Caithness and Sutherland area of the Northern Highlands. The landscape in this area is very rugged and sparsely populated but that does mean you can find plenty of corners of solitude tucked away. And just like Wester Ross, you will find no end of attractions and activities in this area to keep all the family occupied! The area is famous for its fishing and water activities as well as having the North-West Highlands Geopark, rich and diverse in landscapes, habitats and wildlife.
Interesting facts about the area:
The rocks in the Torridon Hills – Beinn Alligin, Beinn Eighe and Liathach are amongst the oldest rocks on the planet, estimated to be between 1200 and 3000 million years old.
Searches in the bone caves of Inchnadamph have revealed the remains of Lynx, brown and polar bears that once roamed the area.
The Flow Country is a large internationally recognised expanse of peat land and wet land covering about 4,000 square kilometres.
Thurso is the northern most location on the planet to host a professional surfing event where wave and wind conditions can match the north shore of Hawaii.
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