Page 156 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Scotland

154  SC O TLAND REGION B Y REGION THE HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS  155

v Strathpeffer administrative centre for the ranger-led excursions in the
Highland Clearances, when the summer. Further west, the road
Ross & Cromarty. * 1,500.
3 Dingwall. @ Inverness. n Real tolbooth was used as a jail. All is passes the romantic Eilean
Sweets, The Pump Room, The Square, explained in the heritage centre, Donan Castle, connected to
(07801) 759217. ∑ visitscotland.com Tain Through Time. the land by a causeway. After
becoming a Jacobite (see p151)
Standing 8 km (5 miles) east of + Dunrobin Castle strong hold, it was destroyed in
the Falls of Rogie, the holiday Near Golspie. Tel (01408) 633177. 1719 by English warships. In the
centre of Strathpeffer still retains Open Apr–mid-Oct: daily. & 8 - 19th century it was restored,
the refined charm that made it E Tain Through Time and it now contains a number
well known as a Victorian spa Tower St. Tel (01862) 894089. Open of relics of the Jacobite cause.
and health resort. The town’s Apr–Oct: Mon–Fri; Jun–Aug: Mon–Sat.
huge hotels and gracious layout & 7 ∑ tainmuseum.org.uk + Eilean Donan Castle Typical Torridonian mountain scenery in
recall the days when European Off A87, near Dornie. Tel (01599) Wester Ross
royalty and lesser mortals 555202. Open Feb–Dec: daily. & -
The shores of the Black Isle in the Moray Firth flocked to the chalybeate- and ∑ eileandonancastle.com Skye. The Torridon Countryside
sulphur-laden springs, believed Centre offers guided walks in
c Black Isle the Brahan Seer, a 17th-century to alleviate tuberculosis. It is still season, and information on the
prophet. He was burnt alive in a possible to sample the water at m Isle of Skye natural history of the region.
Ross & Cromarty. * 9,500. 3 @
Inverness. n (01463) 252401. barrel of tar by the Countess of the unmanned Water Tasting See pp156–7. Further north, the A832
Seaforth after he foresaw her Pavilion in the town centre. cuts through the Beinn Eighe
Though the drilling plat forms in husband’s in fidelity. For local National Nature Reserve, Britain’s
the Cromarty Firth recall how oil archaeology, the Groam P Water Tasting Pavilion , Wester Ross oldest wildlife sanc tuary. Rem-
has changed the local economy, House Museum in the town The Square. Open Easter–Oct: daily. Ross & Cromarty. 3 Achnasheen, nants of the ancient Caledonian
the broad peninsula of the Black of Rosemarkie is worth a visit. Strathcarron. @ Gairloch. pine forest still stand on the banks
Isle is still largely composed of n Achnasheen, (01445) 791221 or and isles of Loch Maree, provid-
farm land and fishing villages. E Cromarty Courthouse b Dornoch 791368. ∑ visitscotland.com ing shelter for pine martens and
The town of Cromarty was an Church St, Cromarty. Tel (01381) Sutherland. * 1,200. 3 Golspie, wildcats. Buzzards and golden
important 18th-century port 600418. Open Apr–Sep: noon–4pm Tain. @ Inverness, Tain. n The The striking Eilean Donan Castle, northwest Leaving Loch Carron to the eagles nest on the alpine slopes.
with rope and lace industries. Sun–Thu; Oct–Apr: by appointment. Square. ∑ visitscotland.com of Glen Shiel south, the A890 suddenly enters Beinn Eighe Visitor Centre has
Many of its mer chant houses & ∑ cromarty-courthouse.org.uk the northern Highlands and the information on the reserve.
still stand. The award-winning P Hugh Miller Museum With its first-class golf course great wilderness of Wester Ross. Along the coast, a series of
museum in the Cromarty Church St, Cromarty. Tel (01381) and extensive sandy beaches, n Glen Shiel The Torridon Estate, sprawling exotic gardens thrive in the
Courthouse provides heritage 600245. Open late Mar–Sep: noon– Dornoch is a popular holiday Skye & Lochalsh. 3 Kyle of Lochalsh. on either side of Glen Torridon, warming influence of the Gulf
tours of the town. The thatched 5pm daily; Oct: noon–5pm Tue, Thu & resort, but it has retained a @ Glen Shiel. n Bayfield House, includes some of the oldest Stream. The most impressive is
Hugh Miller Museum celebrates Fri. & 7 limited. « ∑ nts.org.uk peaceful atmos phere. The Bayfield Road, Portree (01478) 612992. mountains on earth (Torridonian Inverewe Garden (see p160).
the life of theologian and geol- E Groam House Museum medieval cathedral (now rock is over 600 million years old),
ogist Hugh Miller (1802–56), who High St, Rosemarkie. Tel (01463) 811883. the parish church) was all Dominating one of Scotland’s and is home to red deer, wildcats E Torridon Countryside Centre
was born in Cromarty. Fortrose Open Apr–Oct: 11am–4:30pm but destroyed in a clan dispute most haunting regions, the and wild goats. Peregrine fal cons Torridon. Tel (01445) 791368. Open
boasts a ruined 14th-century Mon–Fri, 2–4:30pm Sat & Sun. in 1570; it was finally restored awesome summits of the Five and golden eagles nest in the Apr–Sep: Sun–Fri. 8 7 «
cathedral, while a stone on & 7 ground floor only. in the 1920s for its 700th Sisters of Kintail rear into view at towering sandstone mass of O Beinn Eighe Visitor Centre
Chanonry Point com memor ates ∑ groamhouse.org.uk anniversary. More recently, the northern end of Loch Cluanie Beinn Eighe, above the village Near Kinlochewe, on A832. Tel (01445)
the pop star Madonna chose as the A87 enters Glen Shiel. The of Torridon, with its breath taking 760258. Open Apr–Oct: daily. 7
the cathedral for the christening Visitor Centre at Morvich offers views over Applecross towards ∑ nnr-scotland.org.uk
The Highland Clearances
of her child.
During the heyday of the clan system (see pp32–3), tenants paid their A stone at the beach end of
land-holding chieftains rent in the form of military service. However, River Street marks the place
with the destruction of the clan system after the Battle of Culloden where Janet Horne, the last
(see p150), landowners began to demand a financial rent, which their woman to be tried for witch craft
tenants were unable to afford, and the land was gradually bought up in Scotland, was executed in 1722.
by Lowland and English farmers. In what became known as “the year
of the sheep” (1792), thousands of tenants were evicted, sometimes Environs
forcibly, to make way Nineteen kilometres (12 miles)
for live stock. Many northeast of the resort is the
emigrated to Australia, stately, Victorian ized pile of
America and Canada. The
ruins of their crofts can Dunrobin Castle, magnific ently
still be seen, especially situated in a great park with
in Sutherland and formal gardens overlooking the
Wester Ross. sea. Since the 13th century this
has been the seat of the Earls of
Sutherland. Many of its rooms
The Last of the Clan (1865) are open to visitors.
by Thomas Faed The peaceful town of Tain
to the south became an The western side of the Five Sisters of Kintail, seen from a viewpoint above Ratagan
For hotels and restaurants see pp176–7 and pp187–9

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