Morning at Eagle Brae

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The day begins at Eagle Brae, where breakfast is best taken in your own cabin before heading out. Most guests arrange a food hamper in advance, stocked with Highland produce such as bacon, eggs, smoked salmon, and fresh bread. The kitchens are well equipped, so it’s easy to cook without needing to leave the estate.

If you prefer to keep things simple, make coffee and step out onto the deck before the drive east. The cabins look out across Strathglass, and you’ll often spot red deer or Highland cattle in the fields nearby. Short trails around the estate are worth a quick stroll before you set off – the Meadow Walk circles the pastures, while the Hydro Weir path gives a clear view back across the cabins.

Once ready, drive twenty minutes toward Beauly for your first food stop. The plan is to start with coffee and supplies at Corner on the Square, a café and deli at the heart of the village.

Corner on the Square, Beauly

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Your first food stop is Corner on the Square, right on Beauly’s market square opposite the priory ruins. This café and deli has become a fixture in the Highlands for good reason. The menu keeps things straightforward: soups made fresh daily, filled rolls, and salads using local ingredients. The coffee is excellent, and the cakes and scones are the kind you’ll want to take with you for later.

The deli side of the business is worth browsing as well. Counters are stacked with Highland cheeses, chutneys, smoked fish, and fresh bread. It’s a good place to pick up picnic supplies or treats to take back to Eagle Brae. Staff are used to travellers passing through, so everything is well packed for the road if you don’t plan to eat in.

Corner on the Square is popular, so expect it to be busy at lunchtime. If you’re early, a coffee and cake is an easy way to pause before carrying on. From here, you can cross the square for a quick look at the priory ruins, or head straight on to the next food stop, Robertson’s The Larder, just outside Beauly.

Robertson’s The Larder, Beauly

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Just outside Beauly, Robertson’s The Larder is worth the short detour. It’s a farm shop that has grown into a local fixture, selling produce and goods from across the Highlands. The counters are stocked with Highland beef, venison, and lamb, alongside cheeses, chutneys, and smoked fish. Seasonal fruit and vegetables come in from nearby farms, and the bakery shelves are usually filled with pies, breads, and traybakes.

This is the kind of stop that works both as part of the day and for later. Pick up something portable if you want a picnic on the Black Isle, or stock up for dinner back at Eagle Brae. The shop also carries gift items and local preserves, which make good take-home reminders.

It’s a practical visit more than a long stop – twenty minutes is usually enough to look through the shelves and decide what you want to carry with you. Once finished, the route turns east, crossing onto the Black Isle and heading toward Munlochy for the next stop at Black Isle Brewery.

Black Isle Brewery, Munlochy

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Continue east onto the Black Isle to reach Black Isle Brewery at Munlochy. This organic brewery has built its reputation on sustainable farming as much as on its beer. The brewery runs its own fields, growing barley without chemicals, and the by-products from brewing are used to feed livestock. That closed-loop approach gives the place a different feel from larger operations.

Inside, the visitor bar offers tastings of their core range – pale ales, porters, lagers – alongside seasonal specials. The staff are knowledgeable without being formal, and they’ll guide you through the beers with an emphasis on how ingredients and methods affect the taste. If you find a favourite, bottles and cans are available to take away, and the shop often carries limited runs you won’t find elsewhere.

The stop doesn’t need to take long, but it adds another layer to the day, showing how Highland producers are rethinking traditional crafts. Once finished, continue north to Cromarty for seafood by the harbour.

Seafood Lunch at Sutor Creek, Cromarty

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Carry on to the tip of the Black Isle and the harbour town of Cromarty. For lunch, head to Sutor Creek Café, a well-regarded spot that balances seafood dishes with its own wood-fired pizzas. The menu changes daily, depending on what’s been landed or sourced nearby, but expect dishes such as mussels, fish chowder, or platters of smoked salmon and shellfish. If you’re travelling with a group, the pizzas are generous and make a good option to share.

The café is small and popular, so it’s best to book in advance if you’re planning this stop as your main meal of the day. The setting by the harbour makes it a relaxed place to pause, with boats and seabirds often in view from the windows. It’s the kind of restaurant that feels local but still delivers the quality you’d expect in a place that draws visitors from further afield.

Once lunch is finished, Cromarty itself is worth a short wander. Narrow streets, painted cottages, and independent shops make it one of the most attractive towns in the area.

Afternoon Stroll in Cromarty

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After lunch, take time to walk through Cromarty, one of the most characterful towns on the Black Isle. The narrow streets are lined with 18th- and 19th-century cottages, many painted in pastel shades, and the town still feels closely tied to the sea. Small independent shops and galleries are dotted around the harbour area and the High Street. Here you can pick up local preserves, baked goods, or handmade crafts to take home.

The Cromarty Courthouse Museum gives a short but worthwhile look at the town’s history, but it’s just as easy to wander without a set plan. The shoreline itself is worth a look before you leave. From the harbour you can see across the firth, with the Sutors of Cromarty rising at the entrance – two headlands that guard the mouth of the bay.

It doesn’t take long to cover the town on foot, and it’s a good way to walk off lunch before the return drive. From here, the route turns back toward Strathglass and Eagle Brae, where the day can end with dinner in your cabin.

Cromarty Brewing Company

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Before leaving the Black Isle, make a quick detour inland to the Cromarty Brewing Company. This family-run brewery has built a reputation for small-batch craft beers that range from crisp lagers to hop-forward IPAs. Best known for their flagship pale ale Happy Chappy, they also produce seasonal releases that experiment with style and flavour. The shop and taproom are open for tastings, and staff are happy to talk through what makes each beer distinctive. It’s a relaxed, no-frills visit, and a good chance to pick up bottles or cans to take back to Eagle Brae. The stop fits neatly after exploring Cromarty itself and adds another dimension to the day’s food and drink theme, contrasting with the farm-driven ethos of Black Isle Brewery earlier in the route.

Evening at Eagle Brae

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The day ends back at Eagle Brae, where dinner is best enjoyed in the quiet of your own cabin. By now you’ll likely have gathered supplies from Beauly and Cromarty – cheeses, smoked fish, chutneys, and perhaps a few bottles from Black Isle Brewery or Cromarty Brewing Company. The kitchens are fully equipped, so it’s easy to put together a relaxed supper with what you’ve picked up along the way.

For those who prefer something prepared, Eagle Brae offers homemade dishes that can be pre-ordered in advance. Venison curry, Highland stews, and pies are delivered ready to heat in the oven, giving you a meal that fits the surroundings without any extra effort. The freezer at reception also holds a stock of ready-made options if you decide later in the day.

With food on the table, a fire in the log burner, and a beer or glass of wine in hand, the evening is your own. It’s a simple, fitting end to a day of eating and drinking through the Highlands, bringing the best of markets, cafés, and seafood back to the stillness of Strathglass.