Atlas

Cawdor Castle stands near Nairn in the Scottish Highlands. It is built around a 15th-century tower house, with later additions enclosing a courtyard reached by a drawbridge. The castle began as a Calder property and passed to the Campbells in the 16th century. In the lowest level of the tower you can see the remains of the small holly tree it was built around.

Tip: The castle and gardens only open to visitors for part of the year, so check the Cawdor Castle website for reopening dates before you set off.

Landmark Forest Adventure Park is a nature-based theme and adventure park in Carrbridge, set within an area of ancient pine woodland. It opened in 1970 and was one of the first purpose-built visitor centres in Europe.

Tip: Book online in advance, as tickets are date specific and cheaper than buying on the day.

Brodie Castle is a well-preserved Z-plan tower house near Forres, in the gentle Moray countryside. The rose-coloured castle was the ancestral home of the Brodie clan for over 400 years, and the family has been linked to the land since the 12th century.

Tip: Check the National Trust for Scotland website for current castle opening and tour arrangements before you set off.

Fort George is a large 18th-century fortress at Ardersier, built after the Jacobite rising of 1745 to control the Highlands. Its star-shaped design survives virtually unaltered, with grassed-over walls, bastions, a drawbridge and a wide ditch. The fortress has never been attacked, and it has been described as "a harmony of pure reason and serene menace".

Tip: Head for the Grand Magazine to see the Seafield Collection of Arms and, if you're lucky, the actors bringing 18th-century soldiers' stories to life.

Highland Wildlife Park is a 105-hectare safari park and zoo in Kingussie, set within the Cairngorms National Park. It is run by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, the charity that also runs Edinburgh Zoo, and focuses on species from tundra and mountain habitats around the world. It is also home to Scotland's only polar bears.

Tip: Book tickets online in advance, as slots can sell out at weekends and school holidays. Pets are not permitted, including in the car park, apart from registered assistance dogs and support animals, so leave dogs at the lodge.

Urquhart Castle is a ruined fortress on Strone Point, a headland overlooking Loch Ness, about two kilometres east of Drumnadrochit. It was once one of Scotland's largest castles, and its story takes in the Wars of Independence, raids by the Lords of the Isles and the Jacobite Risings, when departing government troops blew it up.

Tip: Book your visit online in advance to guarantee entry.

Tomatin is a Highland single malt Scotch whisky distillery in the village of Tomatin, about 25 minutes south of Inverness. The distillery was established in 1897, closed in 1906 and reopened in 1909. By 1974 it had 23 stills and was the largest malt distillery in the world. That number was later reduced to 12, as the focus moved to single malts.

Tip: Tours can be booked through the Tomatin website.

Dallas Dhu is a Speyside malt whisky distillery in Forres, Moray, built around 1900 and originally making whisky for the Roderick Dhu blend. It stopped distilling in 1983 and has been a whisky museum since 1992, cared for by Historic Environment Scotland. Much of the original equipment and many of the buildings survive, so it works as a time capsule of the distiller's art.