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Black Isle Area
The Black Isle, a peninsula bordered by the Moray, Beauly and Cromarty Firths, is a nature-lover's paradise but also has several picturesque villages and many prehistoric sites. Just over the Kessock Bridge is a dolphin and seal centre - the Moray Firth being the home-ground of about 100 bottle-nosed dolphins and many seals - and a RSPB observation area for red kites. The Clootie Well near Munlochy on the A832 is where rags are hung from the branches of a tree to bring good luck and health. Avoch and Rosemarkie are picturesque villages and Pictish stones are displayed in Rosemarkie's Groam House Museum. Chanonry Point at Fortrose is the best viewing point for observing the bottle-nosed dolphins and seals in the Moray Firth. Cromarty, at the northern tip of the Black Isle, is a most attractive small town with old fishermen's cottages and large Georgian houses. The town has a museum, an old Courthouse, an art gallery and the old church featured in the TV series Restoration Village. There are also boat trips to observe the dolphins, seals and birds.
Strathpeffer, west of the Black Isle about 5 miles west of Dingwall on the A834, developed as a spa town in Victorian times and 'the waters' can still be sampled at the restored Pump Room. The restored Victorian train station houses craft shops and the Highland Museum of Childhood.
The Dornoch Firth Area
This area encompasses the Tain peninsula, north of the Cromarty Firth, and the area around the Dornoch Firth. The small town of Tain is Scotland's oldest royal burgh and the Tain Through Time centre depicts its history including as a place of pilgrimage to the birthplace of the 11th century missionary St. Duthus. A popular attraction is the Glenmorangie Distillery & Visitor Centre. The village of Portmahomack, near the tip of the Tain peninsula, has an interesting Discovery Centre about the local Picts and Pictish stones.
Lairg is an attractive village lying inland, 11 miles north of Bonar Bridge on the A836 at the southern tip of Loch Shin. A few miles to the south of the village are the Falls of Shin providing a spectacular view of salmon leaping the falls to spawn upstream (June to September).
Dornoch, off the A9 on the northern shore of the Dornoch Firth, has an internationally famous golf course, a 13th century cathedral and 16th century Bishop's Palace. Dornoch is where the last burning of a witch in Scotland took place in 1722.
Information
There is a tourist office at the northern end of the Kessock Bridge on Black Isle, in the square in Strathpeffer, in Lairg and Dornoch. Hotels and restaurants in the area include: the Royal Hotel and Cromarty Arms in Cromarty; the Station Hotel in Avoch; the Plough Inn at Rosemarkie; a large choice within Strathpeffer; the St Duthus Hotel, Morangie House Hotel, Royal Hotel and Mansfield House Hotel in Tain; the Caledonian Hotel and Oyster Catcher restaurant in Portmahomack; and the Dornoch Castle Hotel, Mallin House Hotel, Luigi's and 2 Quail Restaurant in Dornoch.
Sleeps: 2, Bedrooms: 1
In the beautiful wooded and pond-dotted grounds of the fairytale Kinkell Castle stands Kinkell Cottage, once an artist's studio which has now been imaginatively converted by its owner, an internationally renowned artist and sculptor, to form a unique, extremely comfortable and very special romantic hideaway.
Sleeps: 2, Bedrooms: 1
Struan is a 200-year old cottage on a 17 acre private peninsula on the shores of the Dornoch Firth near Bonar Bridge. Completely self-contained, and semi-detached from Mid Fearn House, it is cosy and comfortable and has fine views across the lawns to the Firth beyond.
Sleeps: 2 (3) , Studio
Situated at Mid Fearn which rims the Dornoch Firth in one of the most attractive areas of northern Scotland. A cosy little studio hideaway for two people, it stands among trees and behind it a gurgling burn runs down in a series of rocky pools and waterfalls.
Sleeps: 3 (4) , Bedrooms: 2
is a snug and delightful cottage situated a few yards from the Moray Firth on Chanonry Point (arguably the dolphin-watching centre of the world!) - a mile from the town of Fortrose (good level of facilities), just north of Inverness.
Sleeps: 4, Bedrooms: 2
In a lovely open situation, just north of Inverness, and with wonderful open views across to the mountains, Herdsman's Cottage is a most sympathetic and delightful conversion of a former steading, which combines traditional charm with a very high degree of modern comfort.
Sleeps: 4, Bedrooms: 2
Fabulously situated right above the Cromarty Firth, 16 miles north of Inverness, and with breathtaking views across the water to the Black Isle beyond, Kiltearn Cottage is as comfortable inside as its surroundings are spectacular. And if this were not enough, it is also ideally placed for exploring north to John O' Groats south to Loch Ness, and west to the north west coast.
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