Places to Explore

• Arisaig

  Considering its small size, Arisaig, gateway to the Small Isles, offers a surprising choice of high-quality options for dining and lodging. To the north of Arisaig, the road cuts across a headland to reach... (more)

• Aviemore

  Once a quiet junction on the Highland Railway, Aviemore now has all the brashness and concrete boxiness of a year-round holiday resort. It's near some lovely country that's perfect for walking and kayaking... (more)

• Boat of Garten

  In the peaceful village of Boat of Garten, the scent of pine trees mingles with an equally evocative smell—that of steam trains. You can take a nostalgic steam train trip on the Strathspey Steam... (more)

• Culloden Moor

• Drumnadrochit

  A tourist hub at the curve of the road, Drumnadrochit is not known for its style or culture, but it does seem to attract people interested in mythical monsters. There aren't many good restaurants, but there... (more)

• Findhorn

  Findhorn stretches along the edge of the semi-enclosed Findhorn Bay, which is excellent bird-watching territory.... (more)

• Forres

  The burgh of Forres is everything a Scottish medieval town should be, with a handsome tolbooth (the former courthouse and prison) as its centerpiece. It's remarkable how well the old buildings have adapted... (more)

• Fort Augustus and Loch Ness

  A bustling small town at the head of the Caledonian Canal and on the banks of Loch Ness, Fort Augustus is a great place to begin walking and cycling excursions, or to sit by the canal locks watching boats... (more)

• Fort George

• Fort William

  As its name suggests, Fort William originated as a military outpost, first established by Oliver Cromwell's General Monk in 1655 and refortified by George I (1660-1727) in 1715 to help combat an uprising... (more)

• Glencoe

  Glencoe is both a small town and a region of awesome beauty, with high peaks and secluded glens. The area, where wild, craggy buttresses loom darkly over the road, has a special place in the folk memory... (more)

• Glenfinnan

  Perhaps the most visitor-oriented stop on the route between Arisaig or Mallaig and Fort William, Glenfinnan has much to offer if you're interested in Scottish history. Here the National Trust for Scotland... (more)

• Grantown-on-Spey

  The sturdy settlement of Grantown-on-Spey, set amid tall pines that flank the River Spey, is a classic Scottish planned town. The community was laid out by the local landowner, in this case Sir James Grant... (more)

• Invergarry and the Caledonian Canal

• Inverness

  Inverness seems designed for the tourist, with its ever-expanding range of restaurants, excellent pubs, and well-equipped visitor center. Compared with other Scottish towns, however, Inverness has less... (more)

• Kingussie

• Mallaig

  After the approach along the coast, the workaday fishing port of Mallaig itself is anticlimactic. It has a few shops, and there's some bustle by the quayside when fishing boats unload or the Skye ferry... (more)

• Nairn

  This once-prosperous fishing village has something of a split personality. King James VI (1566-1625) once boasted of a town so large the residents at either end spoke different languages. This was a reference... (more)