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
Top 10 Classes & Workshops in Scottish Highlands, Scotland
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. Smarty Art
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 34 reviews
Smarty Art is bursting with ceramic items to paint! Come for an enjoyable catch up with a friend or for a family morning or afternoon out, or perhaps incorporate it in a visit to relatives - bring them all along and everyone can be involved as this is one remaining activity now-a-days that all ages and genders can be involved in at the same time and really enjoy. :) Alternatively, come along and enjoy some therapeutic time out for yourself - immerse yourself in the 'now' and find mindfulness through painting - have fun and relax as well as create a beautiful item to keep, use and enjoy yourself, give away, or perhaps as a special Birthday or Anniversary gift. Baby hand or footprints are also very popular keepsakes and something to cherish for many, many years to come. Everything you need is here - from arty books and inspirational designs to spark your imagination, to a large range of coloured paints, stampers, sponges, stencils and specialty tools. We also have special effect paints which are dead easy to use and look so professional once fired, so however creative (or not!) you're feeling you can still achieve something beautiful. No booking is required - just come along, choose your item and get creative! Our friendly and helpful staff are always here for guidance or help. There's a huge selection available from different shaped mugs and plates to clocks, vases, animal shapes, ornaments and piggy banks. Check out our facebook page, leaflet or pictures posted by other people for an idea of what you can expect! As you will see, we also stock seasonal ranges so you can paint your own scary Halloween decorations, Easter trinkets, beautiful Christmas gifts or lovey-dovey Valentines tokens. Once you've finished, leave your masterpieces with us and we will fire them in our super-hot kiln so that they're the right colours, durable and shiny and have the wow factor!! Then take them home and enjoy them every day... :) If you're just here for the day, you can alternatively choose one of our popular 'take-away' kits that don't need to be fired. Hope to see you soon! :)
2. Cawdor Clay Pigeon Club
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 20 reviews
Clay pigeon shooting with sporting, skeet, down the line and compass sporting - see website for full details. September to April: open Saturdays (10:00 start) May to August: open Mondays (18:30 start)
3. Loch Ness Spirits
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 9 reviews
Loch Ness Spirits HQ (Office/Shop only) - where you can visit the home of Loch Ness Spirits, sample our products, find out more about how they are made and buy items to take away.
4. In Your Element Scotland
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 243 reviews
In Your Element is a mobile outdoor adventure activity company offering amazing outdoor adventures across Scotland, with bases in Inverness, Aviemore, Loch Tay and at Loch Lomond . We offer a range of outdoor experience for families, stag/ hen groups, corporate or charity groups including canoeing, gorge walking, archery, aerial adventure courses and much more. We're the largest canoe and kayak hire operator in Scotland, with a large fleet of boats available for individuals, small groups and adventure events. With a flexible shuttle service and comprehensive outfitting service we should be your first port of call.
Reviewed By J_Black1987 - North Ayrshire, United Kingdom
Me and my sister decided to try something different, so we thought we'd try the Segway Adventure at Loch Lomond. It took us some time to find the place. After arriving at the main car park we walked round to the shopping centre area. We were walking around for about 15 minutes looking for the place and checked the maps and it wasn't marked on it. We asked some people for directions, but no one seemed to know where In Your Element or the 'Segway place' was. At this point we were feeling a little panicked thinking we might miss out if there's a group of people waiting to head out. We called the number on their website and they directed us - it's located on the shore next to the canoes and bikes, behind the Sea Life Aquarium. If you get lost just ask in at TreeZone for directions as they appear to be part of the same company. When we finally arrived, we were greeted with a warm welcome. It was just me, my sister, and the instructor. We were pleasantly surprised there wasn't a big group. The instructor went over all the safety information and showed us how to use the Segways. We then had a little practice and when we were comfortable we went round to another practice area with hills. We practiced going down a hill a couple of times and then he took us over to a bigger hill where me and my sister attempted to go up it. We failed a few times to make it up to the top of the hill, having to do a 180 and go back down. My sister nearly fell off it once on the hill, but she was unhurt and still in happy spirits. We eventually managed to get up the hill with a couple more practice runs and felt comfortable enough to take the speed cap off. When in the practice areas you are limited to 6mph, which is then increased to 12mph if you feel comfortable enough doing so. I recommend taking the cap off as some of the hills require more speed than the capped 6mph to get up, and you are always in control of the speed by using your balance anyway, so you can slow down if you wish. After the cap was taken off, we zoomed along a grassy area which was fairly muddy. At times it felt like it was skidding, but it is designed for all terrains and we never fell off - trust the Segway! We then went through a wooded area a couple of times, and down to another part of the shore where we stopped to take photos. Our instructor happily took some photos of us with Ben Lomond in the background. This is a great spot for photo opportunities as the views are amazing, so make sure you have a phone or camera handy. We then continued and throughout the adventure went through a lot of forest areas, where you can mostly zoom about really fast, however there are tighter areas where you'll need to drop your speed so you don't end up flying off into the Loch or hitting a tree! We also went to the shopping centre area and into TreeZone where you can see the adventure course above you. This area is more technical with sharper turns, so watch your speed here! Our instructor took us around these different areas a few times and by the end of the adventure we felt like pros! We had never been on a Segway before, but it was the most fun we had both had in a long time! The instructor was lovely, and very patient with us beginners. The adventure lasts about an hour, but you have so much fun you won't want to come off it! We will definitely be going back to Loch Lomond to do this again in the future and highly recommend it to everyone to try, even beginners.
5. Lightstalkers Scotland
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 7 reviews
Photography workshops, tours and courses in the Scottish Highlands for individuals and small groups
6. nineonesix-guiding
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 26 reviews
Clients are treated as individuals and we listen to what you want to achieve in the mountains, on the crag or on the trail.
7. Wooden Tom
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 10 reviews
Leaving behind the stress and pace of modern living you will learn to get in touch with your inner Viking on this axe throwing course. In the shadow of the Cairngorm mountains you will learn the skills to be confident with throwing various types of axe under the expert guidance of Wooden Tom. Skills learned How to throw axes safely. Adjusting your technique to get more target hits. How to throw single handed and double handed axes.
Reviewed By manoukb536 - Newtonmore, United Kingdom
I have done 2 courses with Wooden Tom and absolutely loved both of them. The first was when I was just getting into woodworking, and it taught me lots, including an immense amount of advice on how to get on from there. When I did my second course I was a bit more practiced, and I found that Wooden Tom tweaks his courses so that both beginners and slightly more advanced people can enjoy the workshop - going away with increased knowledge and skills no matter what their level is! Would 100% recommend, whether you're completely new to woodwork or an expert already. Sure a new perspective can always teach you lots more? Do it!
8. Scottish Highland Art
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
Art Gallery showing work of owner/artist Ros Rowell, only.Varied opening times, advise booking a visit. Working Art Studio. Painting classes and sessions bookable in advance.
9. Balnacra Pottery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 19 reviews
Working Pottery Studio in historic blacksmiths barn. A wide range of handmade and wheel thrown unique pottery for sale. Also has original art, prints and cards created by the Potter. Due to Covid19 restrictions, pottery sessions are NOT currently available and safety measures are in place in the shop.
10. Rod Frazer Ski Instructor
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 107 reviews
Rod Frazer is an independent (BASI ISTD Level 4) ski instructor based in Newtonmore in Scotland. Ski coaching available at any of Scotlands 5 ski areas. Able to travel to any location for ski coaching. I'm a Ski-Scotland ambassador and during the winter season we post Snow Reports on social channels and for partners such as Ski Scotland, PlanetSki and of course Where Stags Roar. I'm also a Snowsport Scotland coach and teach occasional Ski Leader courses in Scotland and abroad - please enquire for dates. Ski touring around Newtonmore and in the Cairngorms where I'm based is a passion of mine!
