Easter Ross & Black Isle: The Complete Guide

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Thomas K

Easter Ross is full of history and romance – an area blessed with a fabulous pictish past, unsurpassed views from the Fyrish monument and seals basking along the shoreline.

You could easily spend a few days visiting the fascinating seaboard villages, following the Pictish Trail and drinking in the scenery whilst sipping a glass of the local Glenmorangie whisky.

The area contains a little over 4000 dwellings which are home to just over 9000 residents. The majority of the Easter Ross population lives in the three towns of Alness, Invergordon and Tain which are all located along the A9 corridor between the Cromarty Bridge and the Dornoch Bridge.

Visiting Easter Ross & Black Isle for the first time and wondering what are the top places to see in the city? In this complete guide, I share the best things to do in Easter Ross & Black Isle on the first visit. To help you plan your trip, I have also included an interactive map and practical tips for visiting!

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This complete guide to Easter Ross & Black Isle not only tells you about the very best sights and tourist attractions for first-time visitors to the city but also provide insights into a few of our personal favorite things to do.

This is a practical guide to visiting the best places to see in Easter Ross & Black Isle and is filled with tips and info that should answer all your questions!

Fortrose Cathedral

CC BY-SA 4.0 / DeFacto

Fortrose Cathedral is thought to have been first built in the early 13th century and was the seat of the medieval Scottish diocese of Ross until the Reformation. It was extended and altered in the 14th and 15th centuries, but largely demolished on Cromwell’s orders in the 17th century. Today only the chapter house and the nave’s south aisle still…

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Visiting Fortrose Cathedral

Here is a complete selection of hotel options in Easter Ross & Black Isle . Feel free to review each one and choose the stay that best suits your needs.

A day trip from Easter Ross & Black Isle offers the perfect opportunity to escape the urban rhythm and discover the surrounding region's charm. Whether you're drawn to scenic countryside, historic villages, or cultural landmarks, the area around Easter Ross & Black Isle provides a variety of easy-to-reach destinations ideal for a one-day itinerary.

Fairy Glen Falls

CC BY-SA 2.0 / David Maclennan

In a hidden glen, not far from Inverness, this small and steep-sided reserve is a magical broadleaf woodland. Follow the winding footpath to discover beautiful waterfalls, while keeping an eye out for buzzards circling overhead or a grey heron stalking fish along the glittering stream. There is a carpark with 10 spaces. There are public toilets 250m walk away in…

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| Website | Distance: 6.5km

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Visiting Fairy Glen Falls

Chanonry Point

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Shirehorse

The Moray Firth is home to around 200 bottlenose dolphins, the most northerly population in the world. Chanonry Point is famous as the one of best places in Europe for seeing these marine mammals. The best time to look for them is on a rising tide when the dolphins play and feed on the fish coming in on the strong…

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Visiting Chanonry Point

Inverness

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Avarim

Inverness meaning "Mouth of the River Ness" is a city in the Scottish Highlands. Inverness attracts visitors from across the world for its natural landscapes, quaint towns, medieval ruins, and prehistoric sites. Located in the Scottish Highlands, it’s a great place for nature lovers looking to explore its vast landscape. There are many hiking and cycling trails of various lengths…

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Visiting Inverness

Dingwall

© Peter Reynolds

Dingwall is a town and a royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,491. It was an east-coast harbour that now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north of Stirling. On the town's present-day outskirts lies Tulloch Castle, parts of which may date back to the 12th-century building. In 1411…

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Visiting Dingwall

Fyrish Monument

CC BY-SA 4.0 / Astonmartini

The Fyrish Monument is a monument built in 1782 on Fyrish Hill, in Fyrish in Evanton, near Alness, Easter Ross, Scotland, on the orders of Sir Hector Munro, 8th of Novar, a native lord of the area who had served in India as a general. As the local population were being cleared off the land they had worked for centuries…

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Visiting Fyrish Monument

Tollie Red Kites RSPB Visitor Centre

CC BY-SA 2.0 / sylvia duckworth

With stunning views across Easter Ross to Ben Wyvis, Tollie Red Kites visitor centre provides a magnificent opportunity to watch Scotland’s most graceful bird of prey, especially during feeding time. Red kites were re-introduced to the north of Scotland in the early 1990s, after an absence of more than 100 years. Volunteers feed the birds every afternoon from a specially-converted…

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| Hours: Visitor centre open from 9am-5pm; access to outdoor viewing screens at all times; Feeding times: daily at 2.30pm in summer and 1.30pm in winter (Feeding times change when the clocks change). | Distance: 15.9km

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Visiting Tollie Red Kites RSPB Visitor Centre

Hugh Millers Cottage, Cromarty

CC BY-SA 2.0 / ronnie leask

Fossil hunter, folklorist, man of faith, stonemason, geologist, editor, writer and social justice campaigner – Hugh Miller was one of the great Scots of the 19th century. The museum interpreting his life and work is located in the Georgian ‘Miller House’ in Church Street. Hugh Miller rose from humble beginnings in Cromarty as a journeyman stonemason, to international renown. The…

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| Hours: Open daily 12-5pm April - September; Saturday-Monday in October | Distance: 16.5km

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Visiting Hugh Millers Cottage, Cromarty

Rogie Falls

CC BY-SA 2.0 / Andrew Wood

The impressive Rogie Falls on the Blackwater River are surrounded by mixed woodland with some lovely short walking trails. The woodland is home to pine martens and red squirrels and is a good place to enjoy the scents and sounds of the forest and, as you get closer, the river. The falls are best viewed from a suspension bridge over…

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Visiting Rogie Falls

Ben Wyvis National Nature Reserve

CC BY-SA 2.0 / Ian Stewart

A constant brooding presence on the skyline, the mountain of Ben Wyvis – at the gateway to the Wester Ross Biosphere - dominates the local area and is affectionately called ‘The Ben’. Stand on the summit and you’ll feel like you’re on the roof of the world, with spectacular views in all directions. The mossy cover on the summit hides…

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Visiting Ben Wyvis National Nature Reserve

Dornoch

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Neil Aitkenhead

Dornoch is a town, seaside resort, parish and former royal burgh in the county of Sutherland in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray Firth to the east. The name 'Dornoch' is derived from the Gaelic for 'pebbly place', suggesting that the area contained pebbles…

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Visiting Dornoch

Tarbat Ness Lighthouse

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Thomas K

The Tarbat Ness Lighthouse is located at the North West tip of the Tarbat Ness peninsula near the fishing village of Portmahomack on the east coast of Scotland. The Tarbat Ness Lighthouse is located at the North West tip of the Tarbat Ness peninsula near the fishing village of Portmahomack on the east coast of Scotland. It was built in…

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Location: Tarbat Ness Lighthouse, Tain, UK | Distance: 42.0km

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Visiting Tarbat Ness Lighthouse

Loch Fleet National Nature Reserve

CC BY-SA 2.0 / John Allan

The estuary, coastline and spectacular pine woodland at Loch Fleet is a great place to see wildlife, whatever the season or time of day. Fast-flowing currents empty the tidal basin of water on every tide leaving sandbanks exposed. Here you can spot seals and their pups hauled out on the banks or when the tide is high, watch the intense…

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Visiting Loch Fleet National Nature Reserve

Brora to Golspie Coastal Walk and Carn Liath Broch

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wojsyl

Seals, seabirds, an Iron Age broch and Dunrobin Castle are among the attractions of this lovely coastal walk between the villages of Brora and Golspie. From the attractive harbour and fishing village at the mouth of the River Brora, the route is signposted along the shore, passing a Cold War listening station and historic salt pans. Offshore, you might see…

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Visiting Brora to Golspie Coastal Walk and Carn Liath Broch

Sutherland

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Phillyacct

Experience the most incredible landscapes and seascapes. Sutherland makes up a large part of the North Coast 500, and will leave a lasting memory too. From the dramatic north-western scenery, where the mountains meet the sea, to the varied lands of the east – with scattered fishing communities, award winning golf courses, fairy tale castles, archaeological wonders and quaint harbours.…

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Visiting Sutherland

Isle of Skye

Visiting the Isle of Skye is a journey into the heart of Scotland's breathtaking natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. From its rugged coastline to its mist-shrouded mountains, Skye captivates visitors with its dramatic landscapes and ancient history. The largest of the Inner Hebrides, it's home to some of Scotland's most iconic landscapes. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous…

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Visiting Isle of Skye