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Walks and nature
in Ross and Cromarty.

It’s 20:07 in Ross and Cromarty.
Ross and Cromarty

Firth dolphins and Loch Maree's islands.

Nature in Ross and Cromarty runs from the firths to the mountains. On the Black Isle, the beach at Rosemarkie looks out over the Moray Firth, where bottlenose dolphins fish close to the shore off Chanonry Point. At Cromarty, researchers in Alan Stevenson's old lighthouse study the dolphins, seals and seabirds of the firth. Across the water, the mural trail in Invergordon makes a good town walk. In the west, Loch Maree stretches away between the mountains, scattered with wooded islands of old Caledonian forest. Bring binoculars, and watch the water on an incoming tide.

Black Rock Gorge→
Loch Maree→
Struie Hill Viewpoint→
Loch Glass→
RSPB Udale Bay→
Invergordon Mural Trail→
Falls of Rogie→
Fairy Glen, Rosemarkie→
From our guide18 hours ago

RSPB Udale Bay.

On the south shore of the Cromarty Firth near Jemimaville, a wide, shallow bay empties at low tide into a great spread of mud, sand and saltmarsh. It is one of the richest feeding grounds for birds on the firth, and the RSPB looks after it. The hide stands right by the road, a simple timber building with benches and long windows onto the bay. Bring binoculars for the wildfowl and wading birds, and look for lapwing, snipe and redshank in the wet fields behind. There are no toilets, so plan a stop in Cromarty, five miles further on.

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Free16 hours agoRoss and CromartyFalls of RogieAttractionRoss and CromartyFairy Glen, RosemarkieAttractionRoss and CromartyLoch GlassAttractionEaster RossStruie Hill ViewpointAttractionRoss and CromartyRSPB Udale BayAttractionCromartyCorrieshalloch GorgeAttraction

Free to visit.

Beaches, waterfalls, viewpoints and stones: nothing to pay and nobody to ask.

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Newly discovered15 hours agoThe Black IsleHighland Mobile SaunaActivityThe Black IsleFortrose HarbourAttractionThe Black IsleThe Fishertown InnBarThe Black IsleRosemarkie Beach CaféCafeThe Black IsleThe AndersonBarThe Black IsleCromarty CinemaAttraction

Some good places to go, newly added to the site.

The newest places on our pages in Ross and Cromarty.

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From our guide13 hours ago

Struie Hill Viewpoint.

The Struie road, the B9176, climbs over the moors from Alness towards Bonar Bridge, and near the top there is a lay-by with low stone walls and a view indicator. It is known as the Million Dollar View, and it is easy to see why. The land falls away over heather and pines to the Dornoch Firth, winding inland between wooded hills, with the Kyle of Sutherland running on beyond. On a clear day the hills of Sutherland roll away to the north. Come early in the morning or in the evening, when the light lies low along the water.

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Lunch12 hours agoThe Black IsleGather for the Sunday Asado BBQ1.9 milesThe Black IsleOrder a Seasonal Picnic Hamper from the Kitchen1.9 milesSutherlandSutor Creek Café5.0 miles

Lunch near Invergordon Mural Trail.

The three good places closest to it: Gather for the Sunday Asado BBQ, Order a Seasonal Picnic Hamper from the Kitchen and Sutor Creek Café.

See Invergordon Mural Trail
Place of the day10 hours ago

Fairy Glen, Rosemarkie.

A steep, wooded glen above Rosemarkie on the Black Isle, an RSPB reserve, where a path follows the burn to two waterfalls tumbling into pools.

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Autumn7 hours ago

What Falls of Rogie looks like in autumn.

A tumbling waterfall on the Black Water near Contin, crossed by a suspension bridge, where wild salmon leap the falls in autumn.

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From our guide2 hours ago

Loch Maree.

Between Kinlochewe and Poolewe, Loch Maree stretches for about twelve miles under steep mountains, with the road running beside it through old pinewoods. The loch is scattered with more than sixty islands, many wooded with fragments of the ancient Caledonian forest, where black-throated divers nest. One of them, Isle Maree, has been a holy place for centuries. Its old wishing tree is studded with coins pushed in by visitors, and Queen Victoria came in 1877. The islands are protected, so enjoy them from the shore. The Victoria Falls are a short walk from the road.

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From our guide1 hour ago

Black Rock Gorge.

From the village of Evanton, a path climbs through quiet woods beside the river. Step onto the first footbridge, look down, and the ground drops away into a slot of rock so deep and narrow that the water is only a pale thread in the dark. This is Black Rock Gorge. Its walls are hung with moss and ferns, and it appeared in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The walk is short, but the paths can be muddy and the edges are sheer, so keep to the bridges and hold on to children. Come in autumn for the colour.

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