Places of Interest in the Inverness Area

Places and Villages.
 All the attractions listed below can be reached within 20 to 30 mins car journey from the centre of Inverness.

At Chanonry Point you will often be able to see Bottlenose dolphins all year round. The only resident group of Bottlenose dolphins in the North Sea (some 130 animals) is based in the Moray Firth. These exciting animals jump and frolic to please themselves, they are wild and free. One local resident states that he sights Dolphins 70% of the time he takes walks at Chanonry Point. Chanonry Point is situated east of Fortrose off the A832.
 

Sir Alexander MacKenzie. Born in Stornoway in the Western Isles. In 1788 he discovered and charted Canada’s longest river 2,500miles today the ‘MacKenzie River’, one of eleven physical features in Canada named after him. In May 1793 he was the first to cross the American continent. His book ‘Voyages’ was a best seller in English & German. His fur interests made him one of Canada’s wealthiest men. Retiring to Scotland, buying an estate at Avoch. He is buried in the church yard. In Avoch, walk 100m up road to Killen, for the churchyard.

Brahan Seer Plaque. At Chamoury Point, on the shore near Chamoury lighthouse, there is a plaque commemorating the burning at the stake of Kenneth MacKenzie (Coinneach Odhar) - “The Brahan Seer”. The Brahan Seer lived in the 17th century. He possessed the gift of second sight, not uncommon in the Highlands. He is attributed with foretelling many events, even those occurring after his death. Situated east of Fortrose off the A832.

Visit Tain, Scotland's oldest Royal Burgh, a town with a fascinating history, set on the beautiful Dornoch Firth. Nestled amongst the many fine buildings of architectural importance is an exciting combination of independent specialist shops, cafes and top quality restaurants. Tain is proud of its own world famous products including whisky, pottery, silver, fine cheeses and local mussels.
 

Avoch - A cairn & flagpole were erected on Ormonde Hill in the village of Avoch in 1997 to mark the 700th anniversary of the raising of the Scottish Standard by Andrew de Moray. The raising of the Standard started the North Rising. Andrew de Moray’s was an equally important figure in the Scottish Wars of Independence alongside William Wallace. He & his forces joined with Wallace to defeat the English at Stirling. Andrew was fatally wounded & died a month later.

Strathpeffer Village consists of an extraordinary collection of Victorian hotels and villas, built up around a spa which has been called ‘Scotland’s answer to the Bavarian watering place’, where people would drink and bathe in the water. The water contains sulphur. Today, people still drink the waters. After the First World War, interest in the spa dwindled and the station closed in 1951.

Memorial to Neil Gunn, Scotland’s most important author of the 20th century. Situated high above Dingwall in the area where he spent his last years. Car park. Good views over Dingwall. Situated 0.6 miles from the east of Strathpeffer on the A834, turning signposted for the memorial. 2.75 miles to memorial.

Attractions / Places of Interest around the Inverness Area / Places to visit. / Loch Ness & the Loch Ness Monster / Castles and Cairns