Invergordon

Invergordon is a town and port in Easter Ross, Highland, in Scotland, part of the United Kingdom.

The village lies near the head of a Firth on an arm of the North Sea, and is surrounded by mountains and gentle rolling farmland.

Cawdor Castle in Nairn dates from the late 14th century and was built as a private fortress by the Thanes of Cawdor. The ancient medieval tower was built around the legendary holly tree.

Brodie Castle, part of the National Trust for Scotland, dates back to the 16th century. The 71 hectare estate has landscaped gardens, a large pond, a walled garden, a woodland walk, an adventure playground and a nature trail with observation hides for watching wildlife.

Another Trust property is Inverewe Gardens, the lush, tropical oasis perched on a peninsula at the edge of Loch Ewe.

Loch Ness is a large, deep, freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands and is best known for alleged sightings of the Loch Ness Monster, also known affectionately as "Nessie".

Fort George is a large 18th century fortress near Ardersier, to the north-east of Inverness and has remained in continuous use as a garrison.

Take a tour of the Glenmorangie Distillery and learn about all the stages of whisky making.

For golfers, both courses are open to the public at the Royal Dornoch Golf Course although there are pre booked times on the Championship Course which are reserved for members only. Day tickets for each course, or a daily combination ticket for 1 round on each course, are available.

The surrounding area is suited to activities such as cycling, hill walking, mountain biking and nature spotting.

Invergordon has an attractive wide High Street with a selection of local shops. Popular buys include whiskey, crafts and knitwear.

Try the traditional haggis with neeps and tatties.

Cruise ships dock at the Port of Invergordon, which is around ½ a mile from the town centre. If the port is particularly busy, ships may anchor and tender passengers ashore.

Near the foot of the pier is a small shop selling crafts, jewellery, Scottish food and whiskey.

The train station is a 10 minute walk away.