Life on the Black Isle

Rosemarkie Beach

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Attraction | "Nice Little Setting for a Sunny Day out..."

Rosemarkie Beach Photo - Rosemarkie, Scotland

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For all the attraction Scotland has to offer visitors from around the globe, one thing you almost never hear referred to are it's beaches. And true enough - for most people a short visit to the country doesn't offer a good guarantee of warmth and sun. And it's also true that most of the best beaches are, in fact, perched on the frigid North Sea. But those factors aside, if you are lucky enough to come across a sunny, warm day in the Scottish Highlands (and you'll find these on the Black Isle more than average) then there are a few stunning beaches in the area, and some very functional ones as well. The beach at Rosemarkie, the little Pictish heritage village on the Black Isle...Read More

For all the attraction Scotland has to offer visitors from around the globe, one thing you almost never hear referred to are it's beaches. And true enough - for most people a short visit to the country doesn't offer a good guarantee of warmth and sun. And it's also true that most of the best beaches are, in fact, perched on the frigid North Sea.

But those factors aside, if you are lucky enough to come across a sunny, warm day in the Scottish Highlands (and you'll find these on the Black Isle more than average) then there are a few stunning beaches in the area, and some very functional ones as well.

The beach at Rosemarkie, the little Pictish heritage village on the Black Isle just a few minutes from the town of Fortrose is a very pleasant one, and particularly good for pic-nics and family day outs. It's not the most stunning beach you'll find in the highlands - despite it's reputation for cold, windy, rainy weather - when the sun does come out some of the most beautiful beaches in Britain are easily reached.

Rosemarkie beaches virtues, however are more in it's simplicity. A small beach with a bit of sand (not just pebbles and stones as you get in Fortrose) it's a nice little spot to spend a sunny afternoon. The beach stretches a long distance, but isn't vast in area. It does, however have a fantastic view out over the Moray Firth - an area known for dolphins. It's very near Chanonry Point (one of the best land dolphin viewing areas in Britain) looks out over Fort George and the hills and towns of the highlands.

The beach is also near a nicely kept little bit of grassy park, which is often occupied by small groups or families enjoying the day. It's just a couple of minutes walk from the parking lot which leads to the Fairy Glen and waterfalls - a walk you make from the beach itself which takes about 40 minutes.

This is a simple, quiet, often sunny beach which is idea of popping in on an afternoon with a frisby and a packed lunch - or just if your looking for a stroll along a long, sandy Scottish coastline.

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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on May 24, 2010

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Black Isle Brewery

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Attraction | "Organic Local Beer"

The Black Isle Brewery Photo - Black Isle Brewery, Munlochy, Scotland

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For anyone who frequents this area often, Black Isle Brewery beer may not be a new concept. Yet outside of our little isle and certainly outside of Scotland, it may be something utterly unheard of. A relatively young brewery (opening in 1998) it's one who's beer I had come across enough to be familiar with the name, but it wasn't until I moved to The Black Isle that I took a real interest in it. Located in an excellent - if slightly out of the way - location just off the A9 heading north from Inverness the brewery is well signposted (either from the A9 from Inverness or just past the village of Munlochy if you are coming from the Black Isle). It's very easy to find and is jus...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on May 20, 2010

Black Isle Brewery
Old Allangrange
Munlochy, Scotland
+44 (0)1463 811871

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The Fairy Glen

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Attraction | "A Stunning Little Wander Through the Woods"

The Fairy Glen Photo - Rosemarkie, Scotland

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The highlands of Scotland offer some of the very best walking and hiking I've come across any where in the world - so it's no big surprise that The Black Isle has some great little paths to spend a sunny spring day on. But even after living in this country for many years, the charm of the Black Isle surprises me constantly, and though I had no idea what to expect when we headed out to check out this little glen down the road on a sunny Easter weekend, what we discovered was well beyond my expectations. It's not a 'hike' - not the kind you may take in the wilds of the Highlands or the likes of Skye or Glen Nevis, it's more of a pleasant stroll. Just under two miles of a well m...Read More

The highlands of Scotland offer some of the very best walking and hiking I've come across any where in the world - so it's no big surprise that The Black Isle has some great little paths to spend a sunny spring day on.

But even after living in this country for many years, the charm of the Black Isle surprises me constantly, and though I had no idea what to expect when we headed out to check out this little glen down the road on a sunny Easter weekend, what we discovered was well beyond my expectations.

It's not a 'hike' - not the kind you may take in the wilds of the Highlands or the likes of Skye or Glen Nevis, it's more of a pleasant stroll. Just under two miles of a well marked path through some beautiful woodlands - allow an hour or so to take your time and make your way down the path.

There's a great free car little car park at the beginning of the path - on the road leading from Rosemarkie to Cromarty (it's very easy to spot) and from there all you need is some comfortable shoes and your camera. Usually I include a rain coat in that list for hikes in Scotland, and though that may still be necessary - here on the Black Isle the weather seems to have it's own private agenda, so you may get a day of full, blazing sun.

There are - obviously - more tourists on the Black Isle in the summer what with the local beaches, the dolphin sightings at Chanonry Point and the golfing, so you may find a few more people on the path at this time of year. We went first in early April on a stunning sunny day (on a holiday weekend, no less) and only passed two or three other people who were also enjoying the walk.

It's a very quiet, peaceful walk through some surprisingly stunning woodlands. Because I'd never heard of it before I honestly wasn't expecting much, but it really impressed me, and I can already tell it will be a walk I'll make time and again.

And if the woodlands weren't nice enough on their own - there are two waterfalls at the end of the path - great for photo opportunities or to sit and enjoy the serenity.
There is an old tradition here at the second waterfall (you must go up a small incline along side the first waterfall) to leave a token for the local fairies (who - legend has it - keep the water source clean for the locals) so be sure to leave a coin in the tree trunk at it's base.

This was a beautiful walk in early spring before everything was green, and is resplendent in May when all the leaves and greenery burst forth.

And best of all - once you finish your walk, you're just a few steps away from Rosemarkie beach if you want to hang out and enjoy the view of the firth. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on May 19, 2010

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Chanonry Point

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Attraction | "Dolphins, Golf and a Beautiful Walk"

The Black Isle Photo - Scottish Highlands, Scotland

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There's very little better for a traveller than to return to the homeland after a year or more in the world to settle in a new place that offers numerous unknown and unexplored options that - had you known they existed - you would have travelled around the world to see them. Before I moved to The Black Isle (just north of Inverness) I knew nothing at all about it, and since I've arrived I've been learning as I go - an endeavour almost as grand as jetting off to far away places for a poke about. And one of the things I have discovered that I had no idea was here when I made my decision to move - is Chanonry Point. When I first arrived I regarded it only as a beautiful view in...Read More

There's very little better for a traveller than to return to the homeland after a year or more in the world to settle in a new place that offers numerous unknown and unexplored options that - had you known they existed - you would have travelled around the world to see them.

Before I moved to The Black Isle (just north of Inverness) I knew nothing at all about it, and since I've arrived I've been learning as I go - an endeavour almost as grand as jetting off to far away places for a poke about. And one of the things I have discovered that I had no idea was here when I made my decision to move - is Chanonry Point.

When I first arrived I regarded it only as a beautiful view in the distance - that I feel very privileged to say I can view from my front window - and the essence of living on the coast with it's stark white lighthouse out on the far promontory.

What I didn't realize until a sunny day when I wandered down for myself (and after speaking to an ornithologist friend of mine) is that Chanonry Point is a renowned spot for visitors and tourists to come. Not just because it's beautiful (which it is) and offers an amazing view of the Moray Firth and the stoic Fort George (which it does.)
But also because it's regarded as offering some of the best dolphin watching you can do on land in Scotland.

I arrived in the winter and as of yet haven't seen the dolphins myself - though May - Sept is supposedly the best time to see and photograph them up close - something I intend to spend many summer days attempting.
There is also apparently spectacular bird watching in the area - especially in times of migration.

This is a really amazing spot - dolphins aside - with a beautiful lighthouse right out on the far point. The Moray Firth is rapidly becoming one of my favourite bodies of water in the world, with sometimes choppy surf but always bathed in incredible light whatever the weather - with views along the firth and to the thick haze of hills beyond.

There isn't a lot of parking here - especially during the high months of summer, but never fear. Park anywhere in Fortrose and you can wander down in an easy stroll along the coast which takes about half an hour. (or quicker of you go by the road)

There is also a very nice caravan park nearby if that is what you're after - where you can park directly on the firth.

There is also the Chanonry Golf Course here - a strange and windy little green which seems to draw a lot of golfers, though you should always be aware of the possibility of stray golf balls.

Even if your just driving through the Black Isle - I strongly recommend that you stop off and pay the point a visit, and there's a very good chance you'll see a few playful dolphins while you're at it! Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on May 17, 2010

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The Clootie Well

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Attraction | "A Pagan Past, and a Wierdly Interesting Day Out..."

The Black Isle Photo - The Clootie Well, Munlochy, Scotland

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It's hard to explain to someone who isn't already familiar with the concept of the clootie well, why it's something to go and visit. If you were making the drive through the Black Isle towards Munlochy from Inverness and were unfamiliar with this tradition - you would certainly pass this little spot off the side of the road and think that you had just witnessed some strange and horrible hobo-camp gone awry A friend of mine, recently deciding to make a visit to Scotland asked about things to do on the Black Isle (an area north of Inverness which is very pleasantly situated between the Moray and Cromarty Firth). When I mentioned our rather resplendent clootie well and sent a few...Read More

It's hard to explain to someone who isn't already familiar with the concept of the clootie well, why it's something to go and visit. If you were making the drive through the Black Isle towards Munlochy from Inverness and were unfamiliar with this tradition - you would certainly pass this little spot off the side of the road and think that you had just witnessed some strange and horrible hobo-camp gone awry

A friend of mine, recently deciding to make a visit to Scotland asked about things to do on the Black Isle (an area north of Inverness which is very pleasantly situated between the Moray and Cromarty Firth).

When I mentioned our rather resplendent clootie well and sent a few snapshots of my last wander around it, the reaction I received was very confused. She thought that, surely, I had sent the wrong photos.

Driving past what is a superb little area of woodlands on your way to towards the little village of Munlochy, you will come across an array - a spectacular array of what at first appears to be rubbish covering the hillside. This isn't an accident though, and it's not some strange camping place that no one every bothered to clean up. This is a clootie well.

With traditions that date back centuries before Christian traditions took hold and still maintaining some of their potency afterward, the clootie well today embodies a sense of experiencing another time in a way that can be embraced in a modern way. Though it looks appalling at first sight, when you wander on foot up the pathway leading to the well, you instantly begin to get a sense of why this resonates with people, and why - year after year - they come to these 'holy' places to experience it for themselves.

Once the sight of holy pilgrimages, the clootie well is thought to be a spring of healing powers, and what at first appears to be an obscene level of rubbish left behind, is in fact offerings from those who have come to visit the well over many years.

The tradition usually revolves around someone who is ill - the idea is that you bring something that touched or was close to the person who is ill, perform a small offering ceremony at the well itself and then leave the cloth tied in the vicinity to help heal the ailing person.
And though there are quite a few offerings there today which certainly appear to have relevance to this tradition, it also seems that often the things that are left as left as a symbol of people having visited, or passed through and wanting to leave something of themselves behind.

This is a nice little tradition, I find, in a strange way - and very soon (especially in the beautiful afternoon light you get on the Black Isle) the cluttering of rags and clothes on trees and branches along the path begin to take on a special significance you feel almost privileged to have seen. I recommend you join in the tradition - though be sure to tie something that will actually disintegrate. This is true for the tradition, as well as obvious environmental reasons.

There is an easy access, free car park just a couple seconds from the well itself, and this also joins a really beautiful little woodland path behind it, that is excellent for a walk, and one of my favorite spots to go for a wander on the Black Isle. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on May 16, 2010

The Clootie Well
A832, One Mile West of Munlochy
The Black Isle, Scotland

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From One End of the Country to the Other...

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When I returned to the UK after a year's travel - I came with nothing other than a desire to find a place to call home for a while. I had been travelling around the world for over a year, and after many good years in the city of Edinburgh, knew it was time to move on. When I left Britain and headed to the far east - I had no idea where I would end up, or even if I would be coming back. And yet - a year later found me on a train headed to the southern coast and Cornwall, with my rucksack, some postcards from far away destinations, an enormous digital file of photos to go through, and no idea where I would next call home. It took another full year of traversing Britain li...Read More

When I returned to the UK after a year's travel - I came with nothing other than a desire to find a place to call home for a while.
I had been travelling around the world for over a year, and after many good years in the city of Edinburgh, knew it was time to move on. When I left Britain and headed to the far east - I had no idea where I would end up, or even if I would be coming back.

And yet - a year later found me on a train headed to the southern coast and Cornwall, with my rucksack, some postcards from far away destinations, an enormous digital file of photos to go through, and no idea where I would next call home.

It took another full year of traversing Britain literally from bottom to top. Months spent in southern England followed by a drive north back to my adopted Homeland of Scotland, which then began month and months of skipping around looking for a place to call home.
In all the time I spent living in Scotland, I never saw as much of it as I did last year, all trying to find that perfect spot that amidst travels such as these becomes a more and more vague concept, until one day you feel that no place on earth will ever live up to it.

After six months and one of the hardest winters the country has seen in decades in the Highland city of Inverness, we stumbled, almost by accident, into the little region known as The Black Isle.

Entirely new to me, and seeing it in the dead of winter - I jumped into the experience as I had done with everything else for the past 2 years, with gusto and slight trepidation - and completely unsure of the outcome.

And what I've found, to my delight and surprise, is a place that continually thrills and pleases me. So many places in the wide world offer something amazing to those passing through - but so few offer something wonderful to the heart and soul for those who decide to stay longer.

I will be surprised if 'Home' for me is ever more than a lengthy stay somewhere - but for the moment the place that has embraced me so genuinely, and has already offered so much brings a new element of surprise to my life every day, that I normally only find in far away lands.

You won't find 'The Black Isle' in Scotland listed on many people's Bucket List, and that's a great part of its charm. It's an absolute gem in a world of over travelled destinations - and if you come here, do so with a sense of quiet smugness, and revel in the little place in the world that will seem that you alone know about. Read Less

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