Glenmorangie Distillery

Glenmorangie Distillery has been legally distilling whisky since 1843. It is clearly Scotland’s favourite because it is the biggest single malt whisky seller on the domestic market. You could take a tour and enjoy a dram. As a result you will learn about the secret recipe, the unique water source and the famed sixteen men of Tain.

Dornoch

The very pretty town of Dornoch is located at the mouth of the Dornoch Firth. The buildings are an attractive honey-coloured stone, and the gardens are a blaze of colour through the summer. The centre of Dornoch is dominated by the cathedral – a magnificent building erected in 1224 by Gilbert de Moravia. It contains the organ in which police found paparazzi hiding, in 2000, prior to the christening of Guy Ritchie and Madonna’s son Rocco. The town has a great range of craft and gift shops as well as the beach and a famous golf course.

Dunrobin Castle

This huge castle is the home of the Earls of Sutherland, and one of the Great Houses of the North. The entry fee for the castle also covers a stunning falconry display in the grounds at 11.30am. Morning Coffee can also be taken within the castle. It also starred as Corrydale in the TV mini-series of Winter Solstice.

Whaligoe Steps

There were said to be 365 of these steps, originally. But in the many hundreds of years since their construction, some 30 or so have been lost. Taking these flights zig-zagging down the 250ft cliff face to the little ruined fishing station at the foot can be a pulse pounding event. We’d also have to confess that the climb back up again can be pulse-pounding too, but for different reasons.

Hill O Many Stanes

While the Hill O Many Stanes has only small stones, it is their sheer number that is impressive. Over 200 small thin stones stand arranged in at least 22 rows. These rows run north-south and radiate from a rocky knoll. This 4,000 year old monument is a memorable visit because of the rarity of this type of site and the mystery surrounding it’s function. Best guesses surmise that it might have had an astronomical purpose.

Wick

We first hear of Wick in the Norse sagas written around 1140. Its name is Norse, and comes from Vik which simply means Bay. King James V1 made it into a Royal Burgh in 1589 – in other words he gave it a charter with various permissions and requirements- for example regular markets and fairs, and the town served as Caithness’ main administrative centre for about 500 years.

Castle of Mey

Castle of Mey became famous as the Queen Mother’s summer home. When she first saw it, in 1952 it was in a terrible state. There were no bathrooms, and no electricity, and much of the heat from the massive peatfires in the fireplaces was escaping through yawning holes in the roof. Nonetheless the Queen Mother lovingly restored both castle and Gardens, and even though she has since passed on, the trust that she set up in 1996 still continues, and they open the castle to the public during the summer months.

Dunnet Bay Distillery or Castletown

Dunnet Bay Distillery won the Scottish Gin Distillery of the year award in 2019. They produce exceptional Gins and Vodkas infused with hand-foraged botanicals. You can take a tour at the distillery, and they have a very attractive shop too.                                                                                                                                                                                                          Castletown was once the capital of the Caithness flagstone industry. The sandstone rock splits perfectly into flagstones. By 1900 there was a workforce of 500 in Castletown alone, and 1,000 across Caithness. The Harbour here is completely constructed from flagstones – and if you ever go for a walk in the City of Westminster, look below your feet – you will be walking on Caithness Flag. Then in 1920 concrete was developed, and that, as they say, was the end of that.

Thurso

Thurso was originally a Viking town, the name meaning Thor’s River, and was later the principal sea-port in the north. From it, as long ago as the 13^th century, great quantities of malt and meal (oats and barley) were annually shipped for the Baltic, from which wood and iron were imported in return.

Strathnaver Museum

Strathnaver Museum is located in the old parish church in Bettyhill. It is a fascinating stop, primarily telling the tragic story of the Highland Clearances. There are many other displays within its walls in addition, however. We enjoy the displays on the Picts, and in a totally different field the information on the ecology of the Peatlands. However there are also fine displays about crofting life in general and about Clan Mackay in particular.

Tongue

Tongue is an attractive village on the Kyle of Tongue on the north coast. Being located in a limestone area, the surroundings are a little like a fertile oasis on the north coast – green fields and native woodland. The Vikings settled here and may have built nearby Castle Varrich. The village and castle then became the main centre of power for Clan Mackay. Tongue remained isolated from the national road network until 1828. Prior to that it’s only links were by sea.

Smoo Cave

Smoo, a Norse name meaning creek or cleft, has the the largest entrance of any sea-cave in Britain. Its vast interior is floodlit and the innermost depths can only be explored by boat. Recent excavations show that the cave was in use 6000 years ago by the earliest settlers in the north. A river thunders 25 metres through the roof of the second chamber into a deep pool, and the third chamber is full of stalagtites.

Durness

Durness is the most north-westerly village in the UK. The name is Norse – Drya Ness, meaning wolf-cape, as this area was, in the past, the haunt of wolf packs. John Lennon of Beatles fame had an auntie in Durness and there is a garden in his memory near the village hall. Durness is also the home of Scotland’s most northerly golf course, where the ninth hole is a 155 yard drive across an inlet of the Atlantic.

Kylesku Bridge

Kylesku Bridge, dating from 1984, is an award winner which replaces the earlier car ferry. We photostop at the viewpoint here, because as well as the amazing outlook, there is a memorial to XIIth Submarine Flotilla. They were a unit of “X-craft” and “Chariot” miniature submarines which trained in “these wild and beautiful waters” from 1943.

The Rock Stop

The Rock Stop (with free Geopark exhibition) is our next halt. The displays focus on the regional geology and landscape, although it also covers flora and fauna. We enjoy a stop here because of the well stocked craft shop and cafe.

Ardvreck Castle

Ardvreck Castle, the seat of the MacLeods of Assynt, dates from the 1400’s. When the Mackenzies captured Assynt they built the more comfortable Calda House. Both are now tumbledown ruins by Loch Assynt, laden with tales of siege, betrayal, fire and ghosts. So we are happy to share these stories with you.

Knockan Crag

Knockan Crag National Nature Reserve offers walks along trails that are an expedition into deep time. You will find impressive art installations along the path, and also the clue that resulted in one of the world’s greatest geological mysteries being solved.

Ullapool

Ullapool is a beautiful planned port and fishing town founded in 1788. Photographers love it because the white-washed cottages contrast beautifully with the blue of the sea and the dark red sandstone of the surrounding mountains. Our tour will include a panoramic of the town before departing south.

Corrieshalloch Gorge

Corrieshalloch Gorge is a famous canyon where the Falls of Measach tumble 46 metres (150 feet) into the abyss. A forest walk takes you to the suspension bridge and, farther on, a superb photo viewing platform. The path leads you through a wonderland of rare mosses, worts and ferns flourishing due to the waterfall’s nourishing spray.

Inverewe Gardens

Inverewe Gardens, created by Osgood Mackenzie from 1870, are one of the main visits of the day; due to being a must-see for all garden lovers. There are 50 acres of sub-tropical wonderland and as a result there are exotics and specimens from all around the world, such as Chile, the Himalayas, New Zealand and China. There is also a shop, restaurant and visitor centre onsite.

Gairloch

Gairloch is our final stop, and it has options. You could take a walk along the beach to the ruins of an Iron Age Fort or alternatively visit the local museum. If you enjoy spending time at pretty harbours then Gairloch fits the bill. A couple of the boat operators also list all of the wildlife seen, day-by-day, over the preceding month.

Torridon and Beinn Eighe

The mountain landscapes here are incredible, built from sandstones that are 750 million years old. Great Peaks like Liathach (the Grey One) and Beinn Alligan (Jewel Mountain) rear skyward, and Beinn Eighe (File Mountain) lies just up the valley. The cover of indigenous Caledonian Pine Forest supporting a wide variety of flora and fauna helped the establishment of a National Nature Reserve. As a result important plant colonies, rare mosses and lichens, and the elusive pine marten and golden eagle have all continued to thrive. Torridon has a Deer Centre, a possible Viking parliament site and a National Trust for Scotland Countryside Centre.

Bealach na Ba and Applecross

The most spectacular road in the country, the Bealach, climbs from sea level to over 2,000 feet in under 6 miles. It hairpins and switchbacks its way up through a mountain pass at gradiants of 20%. As a result it has been used as a setting in films and TV series. On the other side of the pass we find the seaside village of Applecross (ancient religious sanctuary) and the picturesque Applecross Inn.