A Day Ashore in Invergordon
Off the ship and into the Highlands: Invergordon’s painted walls on foot, a gorge in the woods above Evanton, Glenmorangie and Tain, and Inverness and Culloden by bus.
Words by Hidden Scotland
Invergordon, on the Cromarty Firth, welcomes cruise ships from April to October. Ships tie up alongside, so there is no tender, and the town centre is a five to ten minute walk from the quay. The Invergordon Tourism Alliance has a cabin on the quayside with printed maps of the town and its mural trail.
For further afield, the Stagecoach 925 bus to Inverness leaves from the port’s own car park, and local buses run to the nearby railway stations. Ships’ own coaches pick up opposite the main gate.
01 · Invergordon
The Invergordon Mural Trail
Invergordon has painted its history on its walls. Local volunteers set out in 2002 to turn the gable ends of the town into an open-air gallery, and in 2007 it became Scotland’s first community mural trail. Each of its large murals, by professional artists, tells a piece of the town’s story. The cabin on the quay has the trail’s map, and there is a free app with a guided tour.
Stay near The Invergordon Mural Trail
Our places to stay, nearest first
02 · Evanton
Black Rock Gorge
From the village of Evanton, a path climbs through quiet woods beside a river to a footbridge over a slot of rock so deep and narrow that the water at the bottom is only a pale thread in the dark. Its walls are hung with moss and ferns, and it was used as a setting in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The walk is short, but the paths can be muddy and great care is needed near the edge, so keep to the footbridges.
03 · Tain
Glenmorangie Distillery
Just outside Tain, where the A9 sweeps down to cross the Dornoch Firth, Glenmorangie has made whisky since 1843. Its stills are the thing to see: at over twenty-six feet they are the tallest in Scotland, every one copied from the second-hand London gin stills the first distillers bought.
Stay near Glenmorangie Distillery
Our places to stay, nearest first
04 · Tain
Tain Museum
For centuries Tain was one of the great pilgrim destinations of the north, drawn by the relics of its own saint, St Duthac. The museum, in the churchyard of St Duthus Collegiate Church, follows the saint and the pilgrims who came to his shrine, King James IV among them, at least eighteen times.
Stay near Tain Museum
Our places to stay, nearest first05 · Inverness
Inverness Castle
The 925 bus runs from the port to Inverness, the capital of the Highlands. On its hill above the River Ness, the red sandstone castle is the landmark of the city, and the Inverness Castle Experience inside tells the story of the Highlands. From the terrace on the South Tower there is a panorama over the city and the river. A day in Inverness has the rest of the city.
Stay near Inverness Castle
Our places to stay, nearest first
Tigh na Coille Cottage
Dores
Factors Cottage
Dores
Gatehouse Cottage
Dores
South Bothy
Ivy Cottage
Dores
Garden Cottage
DoresNewhall Mains
Balblair
06 · East of Inverness
Culloden
On 16 April 1746, on this open moor east of Inverness, the last Jacobite Rising came to its end in the last pitched battle fought on British soil. The National Trust for Scotland’s visitor centre tells the story from both sides. It is the furthest of these from the ship, so leave plenty of time to get back.
Stay near Culloden
Our places to stay, nearest firstTigh na Coille Cottage
DoresFactors Cottage
DoresGatehouse Cottage
DoresSouth Bothy
Ivy Cottage
DoresGarden Cottage
DoresBoath Cabin
NairnNewhall Mains
Balblair
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