Have any of you visited the Scottish Highlands?

I'm planning to go to Inverness for a few days next weekend and I'm wondering where else to visit while I'm there. I'm going with my bf and we'll be driving up with our car so going to remote places wouldn't be a problem. The only place we have planned to visit so far is Loch Ness :tongue:

If any of you have been, give me a shout on places/attractions you recommend :smile:

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Reply 1

ChaoticButterfly

20

There is a castle somewhere.

Reply 2

vortex_199

11

Oh God I want to go so bad. Top of the list for next summer.

I am currently reading Outlander, set in the Highlands, and it's safe to say I'm obsessed.

Visit Castle Leod. Looks pretty good.

Reply 3

theblackparade

2

Cawdor Castle (not sure if it's open this time of year)
Landmark
Urquhart castle
Brodie castle
Culloden battlefield
Fort George
Ullapool (road there and place itself is beautiful)
Dolphins on moray firth?
Funicular at Cairngorms
Pluscarden Abbey (still functioning and has real monks)

Sorry that's all I can think of atm

Reply 4

Rum Ham

OP

20

Original post by theblackparade

Cawdor Castle (not sure if it's open this time of year)
Landmark
Urquhart castle
Brodie castle
Culloden battlefield
Fort George
Ullapool (road there and place itself is beautiful)
Dolphins on moray firth?
Funicular at Cairngorms
Pluscarden Abbey (still functioning and has real monks)

Sorry that's all I can think of atm

Wow thanks for all the suggestions! I'll Google them all now :smile:

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Reply 5

It's_Ailie

11

If it's only a few days to Inverness then this isn't the best idea for this visit but at some thee point you simply HAVE to go to Skye. Oh my god. It is amazing. I'm lucky enough to live in Scotland at the edge of the highlands and have grandparents and cousins right in the heart of it all up north, so I've got all that right there, but Skye is something else, it's unreal. Although you're best to go if you enjoy walking, that's the best way to experience it. Highland suggestion umm... Do the walk up mount cairngorm (4th highest mountain in Britain but the walk isn't too difficult). If you do this then follow the main big path up from the funicular until you see this tiny one coming off it, like stone steps going up the hill, and take that one the rest of the way up. Personally I think that way is a far better walk - you get views over the other side and it's just more interesting than following the road all the way up. It will take you up to one peak and then you walk down a dpi and back up to mount cairngorm. Then you can walk down the other side, stop at the top of the funicular at the cafe if you want to and then take the funicular down or walk down the big path. And when you get back down go to aviemore, you have to go to the mountain café. Seriously. It is AMAZING. it's above an outdoor shop. If you go there after a walk have cake and drinks - the cakes are unreal. Or you could go for breakfast, the breakfast are also fantastic. And I highly recommend the spice hot chocolate! Just go. Please. Oh there's another walk close to aviemore that is quite out of this world - the green loch. It is exactly as the name describes.

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Reply 6

Profesh

20

[video="youtube;f1CB-D1TtXc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1CB-D1TtXc[/video]

Reply 7

Rum Ham

OP

20

Original post by It's_Ailie

If it's only a few days to Inverness then this isn't the best idea for this visit but at some thee point you simply HAVE to go to Skye. Oh my god. It is amazing. I'm lucky enough to live in Scotland at the edge of the highlands and have grandparents and cousins right in the heart of it all up north, so I've got all that right there, but Skye is something else, it's unreal. Although you're best to go if you enjoy walking, that's the best way to experience it. Highland suggestion umm... Do the walk up mount cairngorm (4th highest mountain in Britain but the walk isn't too difficult). If you do this then follow the main big path up from the funicular until you see this tiny one coming off it, like stone steps going up the hill, and take that one the rest of the way up. Personally I think that way is a far better walk - you get views over the other side and it's just more interesting than following the road all the way up. It will take you up to one peak and then you walk down a dpi and back up to mount cairngorm. Then you can walk down the other side, stop at the top of the funicular at the cafe if you want to and then take the funicular down or walk down the big path. And when you get back down go to aviemore, you have to go to the mountain café. Seriously. It is AMAZING. it's above an outdoor shop. If you go there after a walk have cake and drinks - the cakes are unreal. Or you could go for breakfast, the breakfast are also fantastic. And I highly recommend the spice hot chocolate! Just go. Please. Oh there's another walk close to aviemore that is quite out of this world - the green loch. It is exactly as the name describes.

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Wow thanks, this was a really informative post :smile:

I would love to go to Skye but I think we may keep that for another weekend away so we could spend our entire time there. I'm from Ayr and the furthest up in Scotland I've ever been is Edinburgh so I'm really looking forward to going to the highlands. Aviemore is definitely on our list, I think we'll be keeping that for the way back down home.

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Reply 8

vortex_199

11

Original post by Profesh

[video="youtube;f1CB-D1TtXc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1CB-D1TtXc[/video]

The best! Though I'm sure it's not **** being Scottish, it's absolutely awesome (I'm not Scottish but I presume).

Reply 9

Rum Ham

OP

20

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Really looking forward to going :smile:

just not super excited about nearly 4 hour drive!

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Reply 10

ChaoticButterfly

20

For future plans the Outer Hebrides are pretty cool and wild.

Reply 11

Rum Ham

OP

20

Yeah I plan to go to the Outer Hebrides at some point :smile:

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Reply 12

Rum Ham

OP

20

Just read that its to be raining heavily every day while we are there. Great :/ should have went in the summer instead.

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Reply 13

It's_Ailie

11

Original post by Spock's Socks

Just read that its to be raining heavily every day while we are there. Great :/ should have went in the summer instead.

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I must say the weather right now is atrocious. I'm a couple of hours out of Inverness so it might not be the exact same there, but dress warm and waterproof! Hope it's not too bad for you though

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Reply 14

Rum Ham

OP

20

Original post by It's_Ailie

I must say the weather right now is atrocious. I'm a couple of hours out of Inverness so it might not be the exact same there, but dress warm and waterproof! Hope it's not too bad for you though

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I'm just getting over the flu so maybe its not best to go when its gonna be constantly wet and cold, especially since we were going to camp :s-smilie:

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Reply 15

It's_Ailie

11

Original post by Spock's Socks

I'm just getting over the flu so maybe its not best to go when its gonna be constantly wet and cold, especially since we were going to camp :s-smilie:

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You could book a hotel instead, you can probably get premier inn or something for not too much. You could camp but if you're ill you might not be very comfortable... When I did my DofE expedition most of my group got I'll with a flu type thing and I'm sure all of us would agree camping + flu don't mix. But if you're recovering you might be fine, probably best to get a hotel though. Especially if you're going to be out in the cold/wet all day it will be nice to get inside. Buuut it's up to you, I don't think you should cancel your trip altogether though. Even if you have to delay it you should still go!

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Reply 16

Rum Ham

OP

20

Couldn't go this weekend. I got over the flu on Friday pretty much and then my bf came down with it! Typical! :frown:

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Reply 17

muffingg

18

Original post by Spock's Socks

Couldn't go this weekend. I got over the flu on Friday pretty much and then my bf came down with it! Typical! :frown:

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Sad to hear this, but on the other hand I'm able to give som of my advice should you get another chance to go. During summer 2013 I went from Nottingham to the Scottish Highlands on one of the most memorable road trips ever.

We had this interest of visitng the most remote places. So we went to Applecross, which is on the West Boarder. The road there is extremely scenic and really really remote but a fun place to visit. Other than that, we went to Dalness, the place where certain scenes from Skyfall were shot. Then there is the road A82, which is just mindblowing to drive through. We were more of a road trip group, so we preferred going to scenic drives rather than specific locations, but some of the places we went to, included:

* A82 Road between the A85 junction and Fort William
* Loch Ness
* Castle Stalker
* Bealach Na Ba (the Applecross Road)
* Eilean Donnan Castle
* Fort William (Ben Nevis, Nevis Range Gondola Experience, Jacobite Steam Train, Neptune's Staircase)
* Camped in the middle of nowhere (near Eilean Donnan Castle)

Some photos here:

Spoiler

Reply 18

RF_PineMarten

18

I'd really like to go up there at some point to see the Caledonian pine forests. Might get to the RSPB reserve at Abernethy forest. Not sure when I'll ever have the time or the money though.