OT - Dornoch & the Highlands (non-golfing ideas)

[David_Tepper]

Here are some non-golf tourist ideas for spending time in and around Dornoch:

Dunrobin Castle (on the north side of Golspie) is a "grand house" and is the primary tourist attraction in the Highlands. It is well worth seeing. There is a falconry show at 11:30 & 2:00pm that should not be missed.
 
 http://www.dunrobincastle.co.uk/
 
 In Dornoch, be sure to take a look the inside the Cathedral. The town museum (called the History Links) is also worth seeing.
 
 http://www.historylinks.org.uk/
 
 Near Tain, the Glenmorangie Distillery is worth a tour, although it does get crowded at times. The Balblair Distillery, in Edderton (west of Tain), is also worth visiting and gets much less tourist traffic. The Clynelish Distillery is in Brora, but is a little too modern for my taste (although I do like their whisky ).
 
 https://www.glenmorangie.com/en/experiences
 https://balblair.com/distillery
https://www.malts.com/en-gb/distilleries/clynelish/

In Tain, there is a nice art gallery (Brown's Gallery) and also a glassblowing studio worth a look (Glasstorm). During working hours you can often see the glassblowers in action.
 
 http://www.brownsart.com/
 http://www.glasstorm.com/
   
 Just outside Portmahomack (east of Tain), the Tarbat Discovery Centre is an excellent small museum. 
 
 http://tarbat-discovery.co.uk/
 
 Near the village of Fearn is the factory store of the ANTA shops. ANTA makes beautiful fabrics, rugs, pottery, etc. The ladies will love the place! There is a nice tea & cake lounge there as well. 

All these places are within 20-25 miles of Dornoch. There is plenty to see and do further afield.

[Bill Crane]

David:


Hope you are well.


My wife and I really enjoyed our day at Dunrobin castle, what a setting.


I really like Old Pulteney scotch and it makes me wonder if it is worth spending a day in Wick.  Checking the VisitScotland website in addition to the Pulteney Distillery there seems to be a Heritage Centre/Museum that might be interesting, an art museum and some other attractions mentioned.  Even an old golf course.


Google maps indicates 1 hr 27 minutes by car from Dornoch, but having gotten stuck behind trucks (lorries?) on the A9 going to Golspie and Brora I wonder if that is realistic. 


John O'Groats and Thurso are even further and probably not an easy jaunt.


Any ideas on this front ? 


Truly,      Bill

[Stephen Northrup]

Haven't toured the other Highlands distillers but can highly recommend Balblair. Relatively low-key tour, and much less crowded. My wife and I were there in high season a couple of years ago, and were the only two on the tour. Got to spend time talking with various people involved in the process and moved along at a very relaxed pace. Good whisky as well....

[David_Tepper]

Steve -

Scenes from the movie The Angels' Share were filmed at Balblair. The distillery is very much off the beaten path.

Bill -

I have not been north of Brora in a number of years. I have stopped by both the Old Pulteney distillery and the Wick golf course, but did not tour the former or play the later. Jon Wiggett and others have spoken favorably here about the Wick course. There may even be a photo tour buried here in the archives. 

Old Pulteney malts are available in the U.S. and reasonably priced. My advice would be to buy a bottle and enjoy a dram in the comfort of your home rather than make the drive up to Wick from Dornoch.    

There is a famous fish & chips shop (La Mirage) in Helmsdale, a village on the road between Brora & Wick: ttp://www.lamirage.org/

DT

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Nice thread, because it is concise enough. I did one years ago on London and followed it up with a mammoth thread on North West England. I started the North East (Durham and Northumberland) and it has stagnated, it just got too much for me. I might pick it up again spurred on by your good example.

[Niall C]

Mark

I remember your previous threads and I think they were very well appreciated. I recall also Scott Warren did one for Oz if I remember correctly.

Niall

[Jon Wiggett]

David,


great idea for a thread. I will have a think about it and come up with some things that are more local tips and not the usual tourist places. On the distillery front I would add two others. One is 'Dalmore' near Alness which does an excellent whiskey (my favourite along with Tamnavulin) and the other is 'Ord' just outside Muir of Ord where you can get your hands on their 'Singleton' which is otherwise only available in the Far East.




Jon

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Guys,


How do you take a distillery tour and drive?

[David_Tepper]

Jon -

Yes, the Dalmore distillery is very accessible, right off the A9 highway at the exit for Alness/Invergordon. It is a pretty spot, right on the Cromarty Firth.

Mark -

I believe most distilleries will provide a "to go" container for the designated driver's dram.

Niall -

Mark's travel tips for England can be found on the Best of Golf page:

http://golfclubatlas.com/best-of-golf/

DT

[Mike Hendren]

Hot chocolate at Cocoa Mountain in Durness is sublime after a quick nine nearby.


Dunnet Bay Distillers in Caithness to pick up some seasonal Rock Rose Gin.

[David_Tepper]

"Hot chocolate at Cocoa Mountain in Durness is sublime after a quick nine nearby."

"Dunnet Bay Distillers in Caithness to pick up some seasonal Rock Rose Gin."

Michael H. -

Cocoa Mountain has opened a cafe/chocolate shop in Dornoch, serving their full array of offerings.

While I do not know how it compares to Dunnet Bay's Rock Rose Gin, the Dornoch Distillery has opened and is now producing gin locally.

https://www.northern-times.co.uk/News/New-Dornoch-gin-is-on-the-road-11052017.htm

More reasons for a return visit!

DT

P.S. I should also add there is now a small, but well stocked whisky shop in the renovated/re-purposed Dornoch courthouse that offers good selection of whiskies and craft gins. 

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Thanks David, you got me writing again. I finished Northumberland and have started on Durham.

[Pete_Pittock]

If you are a Harry Potter fan, or related to them, take the Hogwarts Train (called the Jacobite Express) from Fort William to Mallaig

[David_Tepper]

Stunning pic of the Scottish Highlands taken from the international space station:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-43868490

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Magnificent photo!