Sights in Highlands & Northern Islands
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Urquhart Castle
Commanding a brilliant location 1.5 miles east of Drumnadrochit, with outstanding views (on a clear day), Urquhart Castle is a popular Nessie-watching hotspot. A huge visitor centre (most of which is beneath ground level) includes a video theatre (with a dramatic ‘unveiling’ of the castle at the end of the film) and displays of medieval items discovered in the castle.
The castle was repeatedly sacked and rebuilt (and sacked and rebuilt) over the centuries; in 1692 it was blown up to prevent the Jacobites from using it. The five-storey tower house at the northern point is the most impressive remaining fragment and offers wonderful views across the water. The site…
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Taversoe Tuick
Taversoe Tuick is an intriguing burial cairn constructed on two levels, with separate entrances – perhaps a joint tomb for different families, a semi-detached solution to a shortage of afterlife housing. You can squeeze into the cairn and descend a steel ladder to explore both levels, but there’s not much space.
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Dunrobin Castle
One mile north of Golspie is magnificent Dunrobin Castle, the largest house in the Highlands. Although it dates back to 1275, most of what you see was built in French style between 1845 and 1850. One of the homes of the earls and dukes of Sutherland, it’s richly furnished and offers an intriguing insight into the aristocratic lifestyle.
In spite of its beauty, Dunrobin inspires mixed feelings among local people. The castle was once the seat of the first Duke of Sutherland, notorious for his part in some of the cruellest episodes of the Highland Clearances. The duke’s estate was once the largest privately owned area of land in Europe, covering 6070 square kilometres, and…
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Tomb of the Eagles
Near Burwick, this is the result of a local farmer finding two significant archaeological sites on his land. The first is a Bronze Age stone building with a firepit, indoor well, and plenty of seating; a communal cooking site or the original Orkney pub? Beyond, in a spectacular clifftop position, the Neolithic tomb (wheel yourself in prone on a trolley) is an elaborate stone construction which held the remains of up to 340 people who died some five millennia ago. Before you head out to the sites, an excellent personal explanation is given to you at the visitor centre; you meet a few spooky skulls and can handle some of the artefacts found. It's about a mile's airy walk to…
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St Magnus Cathedral
Founded in 1137 and constructed from local red sandstone, fabulous St Magnus Cathedral is Kirkwall’s centrepiece. The powerful atmosphere of an ancient faith pervades the impressive interior. Lyrical and melodramatic epitaphs of the dead line the walls and emphasise the serious business of 17th- and 18th-century bereavement.
Earl Rognvald Brusason commissioned the cathedral in the name of his martyred uncle, Magnus Erlendsson, who was killed by Earl Hakon Paulsson on Egilsay in 1117. Work began in 1137, but the building is actually the result of 300 years of construction and alteration.
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Callanish Standing Stones
The Callanish Standing Stones, 15 miles west of Stornoway on the A858 road, form one of the most complete stone circles in Britain and are one of the most atmospheric prehistoric sites anywhere. Its ageless mystery, impressive scale and undeniable beauty leave a lasting impression. Sited on a wild and secluded promontory overlooking Loch Roag, 13 large stones of beautifully banded gneiss are arranged, as if in worship, around a 4.5m-tall central monolith. Some 40 smaller stones radiate from the circle in the shape of a cross, with the remains of a chambered tomb at the centre. Dating from 3800 to 5000 years ago, the stones are roughly contemporary with the pyramids of…
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Shetland Museum
This modern museum is an impressive recollection of 5000 years’ worth of culture, people and their interaction with this ancient landscape. Comprehensive but never dull, the display covers everything from the archipelago’s geology to its fishing industry, via a great section on local mythology – find out about the scary nyuggles (ghostly horses), or use the patented machine for detecting trows (fairies). Pictish carvings and replica jewellery are among the finest pieces here; the museum also includes a working lighthouse mechanism, small art gallery, and a boat-building workshop, where you can watch carpenters restoring and re-creating traditional Shetland fishing…
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Arnol Blackhouse
One of Scotland’s most evocative historic buildings, the Arnol Blackhouse is not so much a museum as a perfectly preserved fragment of a lost world. Built in 1885, this traditional blackhouse – a combined byre, barn and home – was inhabited until 1964 and has not been changed since the last inhabitant moved out.
The staff faithfully rekindle the central peat fire every morning so you can experience the distinctive peat-reek; there’s no chimney, and the smoke finds its own way out through the turf roof, windows and door – spend too long inside and you might feel like you’ve been kippered! The museum is just off the A858, about 3 miles west of Barvas.
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Ring of Brodgar
Situated about a mile north of Stenness, along the road towards Skara Brae, is this wide circle of standing stones, some over 5m tall. Last of the three Stenness monuments to be built (2500–2000 BC), it remains a most atmospheric location. Twenty-one of the original 60 stones still stand among the heather. These mysterious giants, their curious shapes mutilated by years of climatic onslaught, fire the imagination – what were they for? On a grey day with dark clouds thudding low across the sky, the stones look secretive and seem to be almost sneering at the jostling summer crowds. Free guided tours leave from the carpark at 1pm from June to August.
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Eilean Donan Castle
Photogenically sited at the entrance to Loch Duich, Eilean Donan is one of Scotland’s most evocative castles, and must be represented in millions of photo albums. It’s on an offshore islet, elegantly linked to the mainland by a stone-arched bridge. It’s very much a re-creation inside, with an excellent introductory exhibition.
Keep an eye out for the photos of castle scenes from the movie Highlander; there’s also a sword used at the battle of Culloden in 1746. The castle was bombarded into ruins by government ships in 1719 when Jacobite forces were defeated at the Battle of Glenshiel; it was rebuilt between 1912 and 1932.
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Ness Islands
The main attraction in Inverness is a leisurely stroll along the river to the Ness Islands. Planted with mature Scots pine, fir, beech and sycamore, and linked to the river banks and each other by elegant Victorian footbridges, the islands make an appealing picnic spot.
They're a 20-minute walk south of the castle – head upstream on either side of the river (the start of the Great Glen Way), and return on the opposite bank. On the way you'll pass the red-sandstone towers of St Andrew's Cathedral, dating from 1869, and the modern Eden Court Theatre, which hosts regular art exhibits, both on the west bank.
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Ruthven Barracks
Ruthven Barracks was one of four garrisons built by the British government after the first Jacobite rebellion of 1715, as part of a Hanoverian scheme to take control of the Highlands. Ironically, the barracks were last occupied by Jacobite troops awaiting the return of Bonnie Prince Charlie after the Battle of Culloden.
Learning of his defeat and subsequent flight, they set fire to the barracks before taking to the glens (the building is still roofless). Perched dramatically on a river terrace and clearly visible from the main A9 road near Kingussie, the ruins are spectacularly floodlit at night.
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Highland Wildlife Park
This park features a drive-through safari park and animal enclosures offering the chance to view rarely-seen native wildlife, such as wildcats, capercaillies, pine martens, white-tailed sea eagles and red squirrels, as well as species that once roamed the Scottish hills but have long since disappeared, including the wolf, lynx, wild boar, beaver and European bison.
Visitors without cars get driven around by staff (at no extra cost). Last entry is two hours before closing. The park is near Kincraig, 6 miles southwest of Aviemore.
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Maes Howe
Egypt has the pyramids, Scotland has Maes Howe. Constructed about 5000 years ago, it’s the a Stone Age tomb built from enormous sandstone blocks, some of which weighed many tons and were brought from several miles away. Though nothing is known about who was interred here, the scope of the project suggests it was a structure of great significance.
Creeping down the long stone passageway to the central chamber, over 6.7m high and 3.5m wide, you begin to sense the indescribable gulf of years that separate us from the architects of this mysterious place.
No remains were found when the tomb was excavated in the 19th century, so it’s not known how many people were originally…
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Aros Experience
On the southern edge of Portree, the Aros Experience is a combined visitor centre, book and gift shop, restaurant, theatre and cinema. The visitor centre offers a look at some fascinating, live CCTV images from local sea-eagle and heron nests, and a wide-screen video of Skye’s impressive scenery (it’s worth waiting for the aerial shots of the Cuillin).
The centre is a useful rainy-day retreat, with an indoor, soft play area for children.
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Highland Park Distillery
South of the centre, this distillery, where they malt their own barley, is great to visit. You can see the barley and the peat kiln used to dry it on the excellent, well-informed hour-long tour (hourly May to August, and weekdays at 2pm and 3pm September to April).The standard 12-year-old is a soft, balanced malt, great for novices and aficionados alike; the 18-year-old is among the world’s finest drams. This and older whiskies can be tasted on more specialised tours (£35 and £75), which you can prearrange.
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Tarbat Discovery Centre
The intriguing Tarbat Discovery Centre has some excellent carved Pictish stones. The exhibition includes the church’s spooky crypt. When ‘crop circles’ appeared in aerial photos a few years ago, the foundations of an Iron Age settlement were discovered around the village church; ongoing investigation revealed a Pictish monastery and evidence of production of illuminated manuscripts.
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Caithness Horizons
This museum brings much of the history and lore of Caithness to life through its excellent displays. A couple of fine Pictish cross-slabs greet the visitor downstairs; the main exhibition is a wide-ranging look at local history using plenty of audiovisuals – check out the wistful account of the now-abandoned island of Stroma for an emotional slice of social history. There’s also a gallery space, an exhibition on the Dounreay nuclear reactor and a cafe.
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Cairngorms National Park
The Cairngorms National Park encompasses the highest landmass in Britain – a broad mountain plateau, riven only by the deep valleys of the Lairig Ghru and Loch Avon, with an average altitude of over 1000m and including five of the six highest summits in the UK.
This wild mountain landscape of granite and heather has a sub-Arctic climate and supports rare alpine tundra vegetation and high-altitude bird species, such as snow buntings, ptarmigans and dotterels.
The harsh mountain environment gives way lower down to scenic glens softened by beautiful open forests of native Scots pine, home to rare animals and birds such as pine martens, wildcats, red squirrels, ospreys,…
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Highland Folk Museum
The open-air Highland Folk Museum comprises a collection of historical buildings and relics revealing many aspects of Highland culture and lifestyle. Laid out like a farming township, it has a community of traditional thatch-roofed cottages, a sawmill, a schoolhouse, a shepherd’s bothy (hut) and a rural post office. Actors in period costume give demonstrations of woodcarving, spinning and peat-fire baking. You’ll need at least two to three hours to make the most of a visit here.
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Lews Castle
The Baronial mansion across the harbour from Stornoway town centre was built in the 1840s for the Matheson family, then owners of Lewis. The beautiful wooded grounds, criss-crossed with walking trails, are open to the public and host the Hebridean Celtic Festival.
The castle was gifted to the community by Lord Leverhulme in 1923 and was home to the local college for 40 years, but has lain empty since 1997 (the college now occupies modern buildings in the castle grounds); it is now slated for development as a museum and hotel.
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Strathnaver Museum
Housed in an old church, this museum tells the sad story of the Strathnaver Clearances through posters written by local kids. The museum contains memorabilia of Clan Mackay, various items of crofting equipment and a 'St Kilda mailboat', a small wooden boat-shaped container bearing a letter that was used by St Kildans to send messages to the mainland.
Outside the back door of the church is the Farr Stone, a fine carved Pictish cross-slab.
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Orkney Marine Life Aquarium
This aquarium showcases the fascinating collection of marine animals found in Scapa Flow and Orcadian coastal waters. There’s a rock pool that allows up-close-and-personal inspections of local creatures – great for kids. Injured seals that have been nursed back to health can be viewed in open-air pools. Turn left off the A961 just after crossing to South Ronaldsay, coming from Kirkwall.
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Tankerness House & Orkney Museum
This fine restored merchant’s house gives an intriguing glimpse into Orkney’s archaeological treasure chest, starting from the first settlers, who arrived over 5000 years ago. Exhibits include Pictish stones, ‘bone’ pins and Iron Age jewellery. The highlight is the photo archive downstairs, which offers snapshots of a technologically distant past. Keep an eye out for the temporary exhibitions.
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Caledonian Canal
At Fort Augustus, boats using the Caledonian Canal are raised and lowered 13m by a ‘ladder’ of five consecutive locks. It’s fun to watch, and the neatly landscaped canal banks are a great place to soak up the sun or compare accents with fellow tourists. The Caledonian Canal Heritage Centre, beside the lowest lock, showcases the history of the canal.
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