Hidden Scotland
Sign in

Places to visit
in Ross and Cromarty.

It’s 20:06 in Ross and Cromarty.
Ross and Cromarty

Strathpeffer, the Black Isle and Kintail.

Ross and Cromarty runs right across the north of Scotland, from the firths of the east coast to the sea lochs of the west. On the Black Isle you'll find the Georgian streets of Cromarty, Pictish stones at Rosemarkie and dolphins off Chanonry Point. Above the old spa village of Strathpeffer, a labyrinth of standing stones sits in the woods, and behind Evanton a quiet loch lies under Ben Wyvis. Out west there's a castle on its island where three sea lochs meet, the pass over to Applecross and the white sands of Gruinard Bay. Allow plenty of time, as the roads west are slow.

BeachesWaterfallsDistilleriesMuseumsLighthousesVillagesAbbeysWalks
From our archive19 hours ago

Black Water Falls, Easter Ross.

Rapids and falls on the Black Water just north of Garve, below the old double-arched Silverbridge, with a riverside circuit through the birchwoods.

See the place
Places to visit19 hours ago

Hilton of Cadboll.

The northernmost of the three Seaboard villages on the Easter Ross coast, a fishing village above the shore, by the site of its famous Pictish cross-slab.

See the place
From our guide19 hours ago

Shandwick Stone.

On the hillside above Shandwick, looking out to sea, a tall carved slab stands inside a glass shelter. The Picts raised it around 780, and it may never have moved from where they set it. The slab is almost nine feet tall, and both faces are packed with carving: a hunting scene, strange beasts, raised bosses and a whole field of tight spirals. For centuries the fishermen of this coast used it as a landmark. A gale broke it in three in 1846. A short path leads up from the road, and the view over the bay is wonderful.

See the place
From the magazine19 hours agoThe printed copy of Issue 10Issue 10Spring / Summer 2025

Since the Black Isle Brewery, near Inverness, set about restoring wildlife on its farm, a survey has found eight red-list bird species there, the birds of highest conservation concern.

When the brewery took on the land, it had been farmed intensively. Its founder, David Gladwin, has twin passions, the environment and brewing beer, and the brewery's motto sums him up: 'Save The Planet Drink Organic'. After work to restore biodiversity and wildlife habitats on the farm, an ecological survey turned up those eight bird species, along with five species of butterfly and seven of bumblebee. The farm works with local schools too, introducing children to a working farm, where they help with the animals, dig the soil and harvest the vegetables.

See Black Isle Brewery · Ross and Cromarty
Places to visit18 hours ago

Balblair Distillery.

A distillery at Edderton on the Dornoch Firth, making whisky since 1790, with tours of its stone buildings and banded red-brick chimney.

See the place
From Issue 9 of Hidden Scotland magazineIssue 918 hours ago

A Weekend Exploring the Black Isle

Illustrator Tori Gray of Harbour Lane plans a weekend on the Black Isle: Bakhoos Bakery in Fortrose, Chanonry Point lighthouse, the Fairy Glen and Cromarty's shops and cinema.

Read the story
From our guide18 hours ago

Bealach na Bà.

This is the road to drive if you love a mountain pass. The Bealach na Bà, the Pass of the Cattle, climbs from sea level at Loch Kishorn to 626 metres in a little over nine kilometres, with gradients of one in five and tight hairpins near the top. It is single-track all the way, with passing places, so take it slowly. Motorhomes, caravans and nervous drivers should go round by the coast instead. At the summit the view runs back down the corrie and west over the sea to Skye. Then the road drops gently to Applecross and its inn by the shore.

See the place
Did you know17 hours ago

The Pink House on Loch Glass, near Evanton in Easter Ross, appeared in the finale of the first series of The Traitors.

The Pink House overlooks Loch Glass, near Ben Wyvis. In the finale of the BBC reality show, £20,000 in money bags was scattered around the loch. The walk starts from Eileanach Lodge, at the end of Glenglass road above Evanton, and is about four miles on estate tracks. The house itself is essentially a shell, with a good many broken windows.

See Loch Glass · Ross and Cromarty
Places to visit17 hours ago

Killen.

Rural and remote, this tiny hamlet can be found on the Black Isle, jutting out towards the North Sea

See the place
Did you know17 hours ago

At Chanonry Point on the Black Isle, bottlenose dolphins come in on the rising tide to hunt salmon and sea trout.

From April to August the best chance of seeing them is to arrive from low tide onwards and stay as the water rises. From September to March there is little pattern to the sightings, and far fewer of them. Parking at the point is very limited, so walk or cycle out from Fortrose or Rosemarkie, each about a mile away.

See Chanonry Point · Ross and Cromarty
Free17 hours agoRoss and CromartyRatagan Pass viewpointAttractionRoss and CromartyVictoria FallsAttractionRoss and CromartyMellon Udrigle BeachAttractionRoss and CromartyGruinard Bay ViewpointAttractionCromartyCorrieshalloch GorgeAttractionRoss and CromartyWilkhaven PointAttraction

Free to visit.

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

See all the places to visit
From the magazine16 hours agoThe printed copy of Issue 11Issue 11Autumn / Winter 2025–26

Fairburn Tower, near Muir of Ord and about half an hour's drive from Inverness, was a gutted, roofless ruin before the Landmark Trust restored it as a holiday home.

The tower was built by Murdo Mackenzie, groom to the bedchamber of King James V, after the king granted him his own piece of land in 1542. Today its walls are limewashed blush pink, it is heated by electricity from its own solar panels, and it sleeps four in two ensuite bedrooms across five floors. The sitting room on the third floor has a recreated painted ceiling by the Delgatie-based artist Paul Mowbray, full of Renaissance motifs, symbols and texts, along with Murdo's initials. If you are not staying, look out for its open days through the year.

Read the full story in Issue 11