A HIGHLANDS TRIP Our short trip to the Highlands including a recommended B&B
- Steve Howe
- Oct 28
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 29
Steve Howe | Steve is a Retired ACES Member, London Branch. |
The joys of the ‘Other Interests’ section of ACES’ Terriers is that I can feature eclectic offerings from ACES members. Here Steve gives a short travelogue based on the recommendations of bed and breakfast hosts and Grumpy Guide author, David Bentley. |
Ann and I decided to extend our annual holiday to Scotland with four nights in the Highlands at a bed and breakfast (Cuillich Mill) near Inverness, owned by David Bentley and his wife Leila, having read great reports about their hospitality. David is a good friend of ACES and writes articles for ACES Terrier.
We arrived in the early evening after a scenic route along the East coast of Scotland and proceeded to discuss plans for the three full days we would spend in the Highlands. David and Leila came up with lots of suggestions for our visits, including places to eat along the way.
Trip one started with a magnificent breakfast prepared by Leila including home prepared granola with fruit and pastries plus a full Scottish breakfast with all the trimmings, including an award winning haggis from a local butcher in Dingwall. Breakfast is accompanied by a lovely view of garden birds feeding outside the breakfast room. We especially liked the small yellow and black “Siskins” which we had not seen before.
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Our trip took us across to the West coast on local single track roads with great scenery passing Loch Assynt with its atmospheric waterfront remains of Ardvreck Castle. We stopped in Lochinver and visited the recommended Lochinver Larder Pie shop for a delicious snack overlooking the Sea Loch Inver.
We then embarked on a beautiful drive along the road called the Drumbeg Loop next to the ocean, with great beaches including Achmelvich and Clachtoll plus amazing views. The pick of the views was from the Drumbeg Viewpoint where small islands stood out from the ocean as if they were on glass. We then visited the famous Kylesku Bridge with great views before travelling down to Ullapool. Ullapool is a major port town with ferries to the outer islands. It also has the well renowned outdoor Seafood Shack where we had some delicious seafood for dinner in the evening sunshine, followed by ice cream, all overlooking the sea. We then took the faster route back to Cuillich Mill. It had been a long day but full of great experiences and we slept really well that night.
Trip Two involved a lot less driving as we travelled relatively local. We spent the morning at Dunrobin Castle which has beautiful gardens and a great interior. We were also treated to a falconry display in the gardens with hawks and falcons showing their hunting skills. Did you know that falcons can travel at over 200mph, with the fastest recorded speed of 242 mph?
From Dunrobin Castle we visited the lovely town of Dornoch and had a coffee and cake break in the “Milk and Honey” café, again recommended by David and Leila. The afternoon started with a visit to Royal Dornoch Golf Club one of the best golf courses along this coast, which is very popular with visiting Americans. In the summer months, 40% of all tee times are filled by Americans. The rest of the afternoon was spent along Loch Fleet at the nature reserve watching the various sea birds searching for their food. There were also lots of seals lazing around on the sandbanks. We finished up back in Dornoch at the “Surf and Turf” fish restaurant for lobster rolls, chips and salad. Delicious!!
Trip Three was also locally based with trips to the Clara Cairns, some 4,000-year-old burial cairns, each enclosed by stone circles, on a terrace above the River Nairn. We then moved on the Cawdor Castle with its magnificent interior and outdoor gardens. The afternoon was spent on the Black Isle visiting the villages of Fortrose and Cromarty. Near Fortrose is Chanonry Point where we watched dolphins feasting on the salmon making their way up Moray Firth. On the way back to Cuillich Mill, we stopped in the historic Spa Town of Strathpeffer for dinner in the “Unwined” restaurant for our last delicious meal.
This whole trip was a great success and it owed so much to the hospitality and suggestions from David and Leila. If you are planning to trip to the Highlands I would very much recommend using Cuillich Mill as your base.
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