Top Things to do in Scottish Highlands
Top Hotels in Scottish Highlands
- 1. The Onich Hotel
- 2. Premier Inn Inverness Centre River Ness
- 3. Travelodge Inverness Fairways
- 4. The Garrison Hotel
- 5. Best Western Inverness Palace Hotel & Spa
- 6. Ness Walk Hotel
- 7. The Morar Hotel
- 8. Craigmonie Hotel Inverness by Compass Hospitality
- 9. Premier Inn Inverness East hotel
- 10. Premier Inn Thurso hotel
10 Ancient Ruins in Scottish Highlands That You Shouldn't Miss
The moody, romantic Scottish Highlands start at Loch Lomond just north of Glasgow. Comprising a slew of mountain ranges, this sparsely populated land is best seen by train on the West Highland Line. Mountains, lochs, bright heather and rhododendrons give way to white sand beaches and rugged coves as the train nears Mallaig. For a more active take on the region, hike the West Highland Way or visit the Trossachs National Park. Ben Nevis, a popular climbing spot, looms over the town of Fort William.
Restaurants in Scottish Highlands
1. Ousdale Broch
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 3 reviews
Reviewed By catemarshall - Thurso, United Kingdom
We loved our trip to Ousdale Broch on a cold, snowy January afternoon. The parking area is safely off the main A9. The path to the ancient site is well maintained, with excellent information boards and benches to rest (which we used on the walk uphill back to the car park). The views are stunning! The Broch has been carefully and respectfully restored by Caithness Broch Project. The kids loved exploring the Broch, although young children need close supervision on some sections of the path close to steep drops on one side. We will definitely be back!
2. Clava Cairns
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 680 reviews
Mysterious ancient ruins and burial chambers similar to Stonehenge.
Reviewed By I3351YCmaryg
I learned about this place by chance, from a taxi driver the night before. It is a hidden gem at the back of Culloden Moor battlefield - you can walk to it (about 30mins) or a few minutes drive. We were there in late autumn and the glorious colours added to the beauty. There were only 3 other people there, so very quiet which added to the almost mystical aura. There's 3 large stone structures, thought to be ancient burial sites and one smaller one so you can see it all and read the very informative boards in about 30 mins. Well worth a visit. It's free of charge with a donation for upkeep box.
3. Corrimony Chambered Cairn
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 165 reviews
Reviewed By Getaway21242946528 - Palm Harbor, United States
We love seeing the old sites from ancient civilizations, so this one was a quick stop after Urquhart Castle. A 15 minute drive with a slight detour on our way back to Inverness took us to a small car park about 150 yards away from the Cairn that is simply on the edge of the road. An amazing, almost intact cairn dating 4,000 years old.
4. Ruthven Barracks
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 268 reviews
Reviewed By hannahp788
A great place to let off steam with dogs/kids and explore the ruins, with a short walk to the top. Good views and interesting history with boards to read. Ideal for a short stop as you go past.
5. Cairn O‘Get
6. Brochs at Glenelg - Dun Telve & Dun Troddan
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 114 reviews
Reviewed By ZanderAustralia - Fort Lauderdale, United States
A few minutes drive from Glenelg Inn up a little glen, the brochs are something to behold. One can imagine a thriving community living in these hills thousands of years ago. There are a few information boards that describe how the structures functioned as homes for the Picts and their livestock. Well worth a stop.
7. Dun Dornaigil Broch
8. Castle Tioram
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 43 reviews
Reviewed By traveldoc65 - Cockermouth, United Kingdom
This is one of my favourite spots on the Ardnamurchan peninsula. The castle itself it quite small and dates back to the 12-13th century and was the seat of the Clanranald branch of Clan Donald.Great for sunset castle photos. Except at high tide it is possible to walk over and around but not inside the castle. There is a car park at the end of the Dorlin Road .Heading north on the A861 out of Acharacle the road is on the left just after crossing Shiel Bridge and before the road veers to the right up towards Mingarry Park. This is a bumpy narrow single track road and I would encourage those in large vans not to venture down here unless you are able to reverse around bends into small passing places. This is a great and popular picnic spot.There are no amenities.There is a linear walk around the shoreline of Loch Moidart called the Silver Walk which ends here from the Ardmolich car park on Drynie Hill.
9. Old St Peter's Church
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 26 reviews
Reviewed By ITRT
One of the first stops on our tour was Old St. Peter’s Kirk (church) in Thurso. The remains of what was once one of the best religious buildings from the Middle Ages. Today most of it is in ruins except for the window that was carved out of a single slab of stone. You can also see where lepers sat during services. There is a wall with hooks used to secure sinners for a length of time depending on their sin. This wall bore the brunt of the bitter cold winds. In one corner is a watch house built to deter body snatchers who sold corpses to medical schools. Some of the marker stones in the church graveyard show skulls, crossbones, angels as well as emblems representing the deceased individual’s trade.
10. Craig Phadrig
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 8 reviews
Reviewed By 728naomim - Glasgow, United Kingdom
We came here for a quick walk on a sunny afternoon - path is well established the whole way, not too difficult a walk and views at the top were definitely worth it!
