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 Croick
Church, is
just a mile from Amat and visitors are always most welcome.
The Church and its minister figured prominently in the Clearance
of Glencalvie in 1845, a tragic event that is recorded in
messages scratched on its east window.
Going South
 Glenmorangie
Distillery, near Tain (open all the year)
Tour the famous Glenmorangie distillery, by
the shores of the Dornoch Firth, where they have been crafting
their unique single malt whisky for centuries in the Glen
of Tranquillity. Find out about the 16 Men of Tain whose skills
and expertise - not to mention incredible patience are responsible
for the delight that is Glenmorangie whisky.
 The
Royal Burgh of Tain
with its ancient history, is a town waiting
to be discovered. Tain, believed to be the oldest Royal Burgh, is a small but thriving town with a
population of around 4,500. One of the main visitor attractions
in the town is "Tain Through Time", set in the beautiful
churchyard around St Duthus Collegiate Church with entrances
on Tower Street and Castle Brae. It explores the history of
the Burgh from its earliest times and incorporates the collegiate
church, which was one of Scotland's most important medieval
shrines.
 Tain Museum - "Tain Through Time"
Tain Through Time opens the door to the history of Tain, an ancient royal burgh in the north of the Highlands of Scotland. It is set in a complex of three buildings in an atmospheric churchyard: a medieval collegiate church, a museum, and a visitor centre in an old schoolhouse, each of which offers a different perspective on Tain’s long and eventful past.
Strathpeffer developed
as a spa town in the 19th century and the town today still
retains its Victorian influence and style, from the architecture
to the street lighting. It is well worth a visit in itself,
or an interesting place to stop on the way to the west coast.
Spa Pump Room The
spa waters of Strathpeffer became well-known for their healing
powers. Visit the original victorian spa, the pavilion and
gardens. The restored pump room features an exhibition of
times in days gone by. At the time of writing (August 2002),
this venue is not open to the public due to restoration work.
 Highland
Museum of Childhood,
Strathpeffer
Trains no longer run to Strathpeffer, but the Victorian railway
station still stands and is the home of the Highland Museum
of Childhood. This is a superb exhibition about childhood
in the Highlands of Scotland and which covers subjects as
diverse as toys and play, and child labour. The museum tells
the story of childhood in the Highlands amongst hardworking
crofters and townsfolk, where money and luxuries were scarce
and life followed the rhythm of the seasons.
 Cromarty
Courthouse Museum (open all year)
Cromarty is probably the best preserved example of an eighteenth
century Scottish market town. The Museum provides an enjoyable
way to explore Cromarty's past and resources for those with
a serious interest in the history of the North of Scotland.
Cromarty
was one of the most important ports for emigration to Canada
in the mid-19th century, and contains many buildings of historic
and architectural importance including one of the first factories
in Scotland.
 Black
Isle Wildlife Park (open March to November)
If you are interested in animals and birds or just countryside,
you will enjoy a visit to this quiet corner of the Black Isle,
an ideal place for all the family. Feed
the friendly ducks, geese and swans on the many ponds. Stroke
the cuddly rabbits. See the pot-bellied pigs, rare sheep and
cattle. A tearoom and giftshop are available or you can enjoy
a picnic in the play area set aside for children.
 Fort
George,
Near
Nairn (open all year)
Fort George covers 42 acres and sits behind its massive grass-topped
artillery defences on an isolated spit of land jutting into
the Moray Firth at Ardersier, 11 miles north east of Inverness.
Conceived in the immediate aftermath of the 1745 uprising
and the nearby Battle of Culloden that concluded it, work
began in 1748 and was completed in 1770. Fort George was designed
to provide all the facilities of a small town comprising of
a comprehensive range of buildings to accommodate the Governor
and other officers, the artillery detachment and a garrison
of 1600 infantry. What remains today is, with little alteration,
what was planned and built.
 Highland
Folk Museum,
Kingussie (May to October)
The Highland Folk Museum, Kingussie and Newtonmore, invites
you to enter the World of the Highlander - see, touch, smell
and feel the atmosphere as you walk through the material remains
of 400 years of Highland life from clansman to crofter. Track
how Highland people dealt with their environment, creating
ingenious solutions to their everyday problems of providing
light, heat, shelter, clothing and food. Enter
the World of the Highlander and experience walking through
a number of 'time windows' dating from the early 18th
century Highland township to the mid-20th century working
croft.
Going
North
 The
Royal Burgh of Dornoch
is an historic small town on the edge of the Dornoch Firth,
a designated National Scenic Area in the Highlands of Scotland.
Its tranquil location, scenery and climate have attracted
visitors for decades. Once the spiritual and administrative
capital of Sutherland, Dornoch remains a thriving community
today. Small in population (under 2500) but large in hospitality,
Dornoch offers visitors a wide range of shops and businesses,
five hotels, two golf courses and a magnificent sandy beach.
Its fine buildings include the 13th Century cathedral, a bishop's
palace (now a hotel), courthouse and old town jail. Sandstone
cottages and town houses line its peaceful streets and lanes.
Golspie is
set on the East Coast of Sutherland in the picturesque Highlands
of Scotland and dates back 200 years.
In and around Golspie are some of the best scenery and most
beautiful walks. At the North end of the village lies Dunrobin
Castle, the ancestral home of the 1st Duke of Sutherland,
whose monument, known locally as the 'mannie', stands atop
of the 'Ben Bhraggie' which overlooks the village.
 Dunrobin
Castle, Golspie
With falconry displays, museum and gardens, Dunrobin Castle
is the most northerly of Scotland's great houses and is certainly
one of the most majestic. It is the largest house in the Northern
Highlands with 189 rooms, and is one of Britain's oldest continuously
inhabited houses, dating in part from the early 1300s. The
castle is on the A9, 1/2 mile north of Golspie. The Gift shop
supplies a wide range of gifts, souvenirs and local craftware,
and the Castle Buffet offers light meals, snacks and hot and
cold refreshments.
 Clan
Gunn Heritage Centre,
Latheron (June to September)
Step back in time on a voyage of discovery. The Clan Gunn
Heritage Centre and Museum is set in a magnificent location
on the A9 north, in a high position overlooking the sea and
the East coast fishing grounds. Here you can see the life
and times of a great and ancient people, in peace and in war.
 North
Shore Pottery at Latheron lies in a restored
Oatmeal Mill between the historic villages of Dunbeath and
Lybster, where the rugged cliffs of south east Caithness sweep
northward. The artist, Jenny Mackenzie Ross, endeavours to
reflect the landscape in which she lives. The forms and ideas
spring from where the land meets the sea. Salt glazing enhances
these qualities and kelp is often used as a source of salt
and fuel in the firing, thus imbuing the pots with the saltiness
of the sea itself.
 The
Orkney Islands
From the moment you arrive - Orkney seduces
you with its landscape, its wildlife, its stories and its
unhurried pace of life. There are about 70 islands within
the Orkney archipeligo, 17 of which are inhabited. Exploration
never ceases. The sight of a far off sandy beach, an emerald
mound or a chugging ferry becomes irresistably inviting. Orkney
is probably best known for it's Neolithic remains which captivate
both the amateur archaeologist and the spirited child. But
it's not just the evidence of ancient habitation that fire
the imagination. Down through five millenia, Orkney's history
has been nothing less than dramatic - providing raw material
for the islands natural born storytellers. So whatever you
do, let an Orcadian tell you about a standing stone, a viking
palace, the myth of the basking seal or the moving story behind
the Italian Chapel. You'll be enthralled by the lilting accent
and feel welcomed into the soul of the islands.
 John
O'Groats Ferries. Take a day trip
to the Orkneys (May to September) or a Wildlife Cruise (June
to August). Pass rugged cliff scenery and see arctic skuas,
storm petrels, colonies of guillemots, puffins, razorbills,
kittiwakes, atlantic grey seals and much more!
 Elizabeth's
Tea Room and Craft Shop, Bettyhill
A warm welcome and a friendly atmosphere await you at the
cafe which is situated next to the Clan Mackay and Clearances
Museum and the Tourist Information Office alongside the main
A836 route across the North Coast of Scotland. The beautiful
sandy Farr Bay is just behind the cafe. There is a wide and
extensive menu of delicious home baking, e.g. scones, cakes,
etc. Freshly cooked food and three course meals are prepared
to order using local produce wherever possible. The crafts
comprise of many local works including paintings, knitwear,
embroidery, tapestry, photographs, woodwork, cards etc., from
Sutherland and the Highlands.
West
Coast
 Ullapool Take
a 2 or 4 hour cruise on The Summer Queen, sailing from Ullapool,
take in the beauty of Loch Broom and the Western Isles and
visit the famous Summer Isles.
Handa Island
Bird Sanctuary Handa
Island is internationally famous for its sea-bird colonies,
including the largest breeding colony of guillemots in Britain.
There are also puffin, fulmar, razorbill, skuas (both arctic
and great), kittiwake, gulls and terns. Handa is renowned
for its magnificent Torridonian Sandstone cliffs, which rise
to a height of 400 feet along the dramatic northern edge of
the island. Thousands of years of weathering of the sandstone
has formed horizontal layers which provide ideal disturbance
free places for seabirds to breed.
 Assynt
Bone Caves
The archaeology of this area is
very exciting. Despite contemporary appearances Assynt has
been inhabited for several thousand years. The parish of Assynt
boasts some 2000 archaeological sites. The Bone Caves of Alt
nan Uamh (Burn of the Caves) is just a short distance away.
A collection of reindeer antlers found in the caves were once
thought to have been gathered by people some 10,000 years
ago - although recent opinion suggests these were deposited
naturally by melt water. Remains of brown & polar bear,
arctic fox and lemming, which were native here after the Ice
Age, have also been found. The cave system was formed in limestone
and extends some 1.5km underground in places.
Hydroponicum
The Hydroponicum at Achiltibuie has
been established since the mid eighties and is now the premier
centre for the demonstration of soilless growing in the UK.
Its spectacular growing houses produce extraordinary results.
Atlantic storms lash this rugged coastline regularly and its
northerly latitude makes for a very short growing season.
In addition local soils are generally poor with acid boggy
conditions or thin rocky soils. Any type of plant can flourish
in the unique growing system at The Hydroponicum. Everything
from lettuces to bananas can be seen in various climate zones.
Beyond Inverness and the Great Glen, you will discover that
Scotland stretches away in a spectacular fusion of wooded
glens, sweeping moors, rugged coasts, towering mountains and
welcoming villages. Read
more about the area on the web site of the Highlands of Scotland
Tourist Board for the Northern Highlands.
Golf
Courses
 Bonar
Bridge Dramatic
hills form the backdrop to this picturesque nine-hole course.
The smell of pine trees and the views down to Loch Migdale
from various points on the course, make this a lovely contrast
to Sutherland's links courses. Considered by many golfers
to be one of the most scenic nine-hole courses in the north,
with pine trees, heather clad areas, the views down to the
Loch, and the soft-turfed fairways are a joy to play off.
 Brora Golf Club Brora Golf Club was formed on 2nd November 1891.
The nine-hole course was extended to 18 holes in 1897, re-designed in 1910. In 1923 the five-times Open champion James Braid was invited to Brora with a view to improving the layout. Braid didn't arrive unti1 1924 when he drew up what was known as Braid's Scheme, and with a few minor adjustments Braid's desiqn has stood the test of improving equipment and technique for 25 years. The golf course is now generally acknowledged to be a classic example of a traditional Scottish seaside links, beginning and ending in the village. In keeping with the best of golfing architecture there is a benign startinq hole. a short hole facing each cardinal point of the compass, a hole virtually out of reach of two shots, and the course finishing under the clubhouse window.
 Royal
Dornoch Dornoch has two golf courses. In
2002 the Club celebrated 125 years since its foundation, but
that understates the history of Royal Dornoch by at least
a long drive with a jumbo driver. Centuries before a golf
club was formed at Dornoch, the game of golf was recorded
as being played in 1616 on the town lands on the links along
the seashore. The Club is proud to play on the third of the
first three golf links in Scotland following St Andrews 1552
and Leith 1593.
 Golspie Golf Club Only 15 miles from the famous Royal Dornoch and within a short drive of the other local courses Tain and Brora, Golspie offers a unique blend of seaside links, heath and parkland golf. Founded in 1889 and designed by the legendary James Braid. The course offers a refreshing challenge to all abilities of golfer. The club is situated at the south of the village about a mile from the town centre. The par of 68 is not often bettered so the experienced golfer faces a variety of shot making tests.
 Tain
Overlooking the Dornoch Firth, Tain
arguably offers one of the best settings imaginable in the
Highlands for a round of golf. With the sea on one side and
the backdrop of the mountains behind, every day brings a different
aspect to this challenging and beautiful course. The sheltered
location of the course ensures favourable weather conditions
for most of the year. Full facilities are accessible for visitors
including the purpose built locker room and changing area.
The bar and dining area are fitted with large windows to give
the best view of the course, especially the 18th green.
We
invite our guests to recommend places they have visited whilst
staying at Amat
to add to this list.
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mat
is well situated for the enjoyment and exploration of the
northern Highlands. There are many places within easy reach.
