This is a lovely short walk around the grounds of Brodie Castle, taking in the castle, a woodland pond with bird hides, and a Pictish stone monument. Brodie is home to a vast collection of daffodils, so I would particularly recommend a spring time visit. Length: 2.1 miles /3.4km It would be possible to shorten…
Nairn is one of my favourite beaches, with miles of glorious white sand, rock pools, lovely cafes and lots of fun for children. It’s possible to walk in either direction; this route heads west from the main Central Beach towards the golf club. Distance: 1.8 miles / 3km return to the golf club. Parking: Lots…
Stac Gorm is one of my absolute favourite smaller hills. It’s only 430m tall, but has fantastic views in all directions from its rocky summit. It’s also a really fun hill to climb, with lots of rocky scrambling once you get up to the craggy part. The lower section of the path can be a…
This is a beautiful wee walk around the bay from Ardersier village out to Fort George. There are fantastic views of the fort, and also down the Moray Firth. The first section (starting from the village end) is a very high quality path and suitable for all pushchairs (and I would think many wheelchairs). It…
Climbing Fyrish is one of our favourite hill walks to do with kids. There is a wonderful sense of achievement for them when they reach the monument, and a good quality path all the way. In good weather, the views above the tree-line are fantastic. Distance: The Jubilee path is 4.5 miles / 7.2km return…
You may have seen the Duke of Gordon monument from the A9 or B9152, rising above Torr Alvie. It’s been on my wishlist for a while, and today was the day! This is a lovely wee walk, and we really enjoyed the views and the interesting memorials. Distance: 3.5 miles / 5.5km Parking: We parked…
The Falls of Foyers is one of the most famous sights around Loch Ness, a waterfall on the River Foyers tumbling 50 metres into a pool below. Getting down to view the pool is something of a scramble, though much less dangerous than it used to be! Apparently an early visitor donated £5 to start…
Standing at the Dores end of Loch Ness, you can’t see the other end of the water, and that feels magical to me. It seems to go on and on, with the hills and forests rising on either side. Here are some suggestions for exploring those hills and forests, and getting more of a sense…
Farigaig Forest is on the south side of Loch Ness, near Foyers. In all honesty, this was one of the less inspiring walks of those we have done around Loch Ness. The upper reaches of the forest have recently been felled, and the landscape is rather desolate. There is one viewpoint over Loch Ness, and…
Loch Moy is one of the larger freshwater lochs near Inverness, but it is pretty much invisible from nearby roads. The start and end of this circular walk are rather dull, along the roadside pavement in Moy, but the spectacular walk along the far side of Loch Moy more than makes up for this. Distance:…
