Destination: Highland Council Part 1
The destination of Scotland’s Highland Council is so large that it needs to be broken up into four parts. Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands. It is the largest local government area in the United Kingdom. I will just be covering the areas through which we are traveling.
Part 1 is going to mainly cover Inverness. I’ll also include some of the surrounding area that I might actually get to see. We will start with a few places between Moray and the Old Town of Inverness.
From Moray to Inverness
These are the main things that are on my wish list to see in this area. In the lower right corner of the Google map is the Ardclach Bell Tower. It has an interesting history. It was probably built by Alexander Brodie in 1655 as a watchtower-cum-prison. The little belfry was likely added later with the construction of the parish kirk.
Cawdor Castle and Gardens are in the middle of the Google map. It is a traditional Scottish Tower Castle built in the late 14th century and constructed around the legendary holly tree. Cawdor boasts three very different gardens. Each garden has their own unique history and appearance.
In the upper left corner of the map is Fort George. It is another place that is free to visit with a Historic Environment Scotland Explorer Pass. Within this Historic Scotland site is the Highlanders’ Museum. Fort George was built after the Battle of Culloden and named for King George II. In the late 1700s, it became a recruiting base and training camp for the British Army. Between 1881 and 1964, the fort served as the depot of the Seaforth Highlanders. Now Fort George is home to the Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland.
Looking to the bottom left of the map, Clava Cairns are part of one, if not two, Bronze Age cemeteries. They are one of about 50 similar cairns found only in the region of the Moray Firth and Inverness. The form of these burial monuments uniquely combines aspects of ring cairns, passage graves, and stone circles.
This list wouldn’t be complete without the Culloden Battlefield. The National Trust for Scotland visitor centre has a 360-degree battle immersion theatre, which puts you right in the heart of the action of the Battle of Culloden. There are panoramic views from the roof garden.
You can also see the restored 18th-century Leanach Cottage. The best part is that there are Heiland coos grazing on the battlefield. At least for those of us who are a wee bit obsessed with the hairy critters!
On to the Old Town of Inverness
Every time I look at Inverness on Google maps, I find more interesting things to see. The good news is that they are all in walking distance. The bad news is that I won’t be there long enough to see everything! A good place to start is the VisitScotland Inverness iCentre. It is only minutes from all of the following places. VisitScotland also has a list of 11 Amazing Activities to Do & See in Inverness.
If you want a nice walk along the river, you can start at the Flora MacDonald Marker & Statue. A 1 minute stroll away is the newly reopened Inverness Castle and an opportunity to really learn about Scottish history. 2 minutes away is Inverness Museum and Art Gallery. A short 4 minutes trek farther down Church Street is Abertarff House Museum, built in 1593. It’s the oldest house in Inverness.
It’s a 3 minute jaunt from Abertarff House to The Victorian Market. I’ve been told that this is a fun, must go experience! There’s a Food and Drink Hall, Market Arcade, and Queensgate Arcade. Don’t miss seeing the Falcon Square Market Cross while you are there.
Going back to Church Street, it’s another 3 minute walk to Leaky’s Bookshop. Leakey’s is Scotland’s largest second-hand bookshop and a place any booklover must go. If you want to include the Visitor’s Centre on this walk, it’s on Bridge Street between the Inverness Museum and The Victorian Market.
Moving to the Other Side of Ness River
One of the places that I found while having fun on Google maps is Mcleod’s Fish & Chips. It has excellent ratings.
Mcleod’s Fish & Chips is across Waterloo Bridge on the other side of River Ness. They write the name of the boat that caught the fish on the takeaway box. The fish is that fresh!
A mile away from the Chippie is the Knocknagael Boar Stone, a large Pictish carving dating to about AD 600. It resides at the Highland Council’s headquarters.
Nature and Wildlife at the Edge of the City
About a mile north of Mcleod’s Fish & Chips, overlooking the Moray Firth, is Carnac Point. The same distance, going left instead of right at the Y, is Merkinch Local Nature Reserve (North end). It is actually on the Beauly Firth. You can download a PDF map for paths and trails . On the other side of Ness River is Dolphin Spirit Inverness with wildlife watching boat tours on the Moray Firth.
Nessie Adventures
A necessary part of going to Scotland is looking for Flessie and Ogopogo‘s cousin, Nessie. Drumnadrochit has the Loch Ness Centre museum. You can also go to Loch Ness Nessieland for ‘A monster adventure on the shores of Loch Ness’.
Actually, Drumnadrochit seems like a delightful village to visit!
If you want to include Urquhart Castle in your Loch Ness tour, there are the Jacobite Loch Ness Cruises. This is one of the tours that we had booked for the 2020 trip.
Heiland Coo Tearooms & Gorgeous Waterfalls
I can’t blame this on Google maps. Instagram is to blame! There isn’t just one tearoom close to a waterfall, there are two. Just before you get to Drumnadrochit is Drumbuie Farm B&B and Quila Cridhe Tearoom. It is a wee tearoom, hairy coo experience, working farm and B&B. Just a few miles beyond are the Falls of Divach.
Feedback on the Quila Cridhe Tearoom. A friend visited and said that she enjoyed getting to feed the cows. They charge 5 pounds for a small bag of day old bread and scones to feed their cows. Of course, it gets scarfed quickly, but it’s so much fun that you are scurrying back in to spend another 5 pounds to repeat the pleasure. Marketing genius! Unfortunately, you can’t miss the huge painting of a ‘necked leddy’ as you go in and out. So this is not such a kid, or family, friendly option.
On the other side of Loch Ness are Falls of Foyers. The Camerons Tearoom & Farm Shop is just a wee minute down the road from the Falls. Camerons Tearoom serves delicious, locally sourced food and celebrates all things coorie in the Highlands. If you are looking for lodging, you can even stay there at Camerons Cottage.
Another Scottish Highlands Food Option
In the Eat + Drink Your Way Around Scotland Workshop, Yvette, the Wayfaring Kiwi, told us about Downright Gabbler in Beauly. It is a gourmet restaurant that will entertain you with Highland stories! If you want to walk off a little dinner before getting back into the car, take the easy 3 minute walk to Beauly Priory. This circa 1200s surviving abbey church is open year around, free to visit and right on the Beauly River.
By the way, if you are remotely thinking about a trip to Scotland, I highly recommend getting the Wayfaring Kiwi newsletter. Yvette puts together excellent workshops that are very informative and fun! I’ve also gotten great tips from her Facebook group: Scotland Travel Tips. In fact, there was just a recommendation for Cafe 1 in Inverness.
Before We Go, Just a Few More!
You could spend a good portion of a day at the Inverness Botanic Gardens and Café. However, it is surrounded by many other places to see and things to do! For example, you can visit the General’s Well, Ness Islands Railway Ltd, Concrete Hippos, or the Circle of Wise which is on Ness Islands. The area is also surround by parks and golf courses. Inverness is a city with something for everyone! I hope that you enjoyed the tour through Inverness in part 1 of Destination: Highland Council.
All of the images came from Pixabay. A special thanks to photographers: dassel for Culloden Cabin, Efraimstochter for Culloden Scotland, Anchesenamon for Culloden Moor, Kasman for Scotland Inverness, shilmar for Clava Cairn Resting Place, WolfBlur for Inverness St. Marys, Bruce777 for ScottishCastleUrquhartCastle, GregMontani for ScotlandLochNess, and Miller_Eszter for Urquhart Castle, garten-gg for Highland Cattle Cow
