2 Best Sights in The Northern Highlands and the Western Isles, Scotland

Discover Ring of Bright Water, Gavin Maxwell's much-loved account of his work with otters on the island of Eilean Ban, at this center just across the bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh, 8 miles east of Broadford. There's an interesting exhibit illustrating Maxwell's work, as well as displays on local history—including, most obviously, a 70-foot-tall, 165-year-old lighthouse designed by Robert Louis Stevenson's father. The center also offers wildlife tours that promise otters, seals, and birdlife.

The B8083 leads from Broadford to one of the finest vistas anywhere in Scotland. This road passes by Strath Suardal and little Loch Cill Chriosd (Kilchrist), and it takes in breathtaking views of the mountain Bla Bheinn en route. As you near Elgol, look out for a gathering of traditional crofts that descends to a pier, and then admire the heart-stopping profile of the Cuillin peaks from the shore. Seek out the path, around halfway down the hill, that leads across rough grasslands into the mountains.