North of England
Scotland
This charming retreat for two offers a tranquil escape and has plenty of walking and cycling routes nearby. It is also located on the scenic NC500 route, making it a good base to take a break while travelling along this scenic coastline.
For awe-inspiring views, walk to the dramatic Fyrish Monument (11 miles), which overlooks the Cromarty Firth. Visit the lively town of Alness (3.5 miles), which offers a selection of shops and restaurants so you can find something to eat.
Visit the Mermaid of the North sculpture at Balintore (13 miles), where you will also find the golden sands of Shandwick Beach backed by sand dunes and lined with tidal rock pools. No trip to Scotland is complete without a taste of local whisky; the distilleries of Glenmorangie and Balblair are within 15 miles.
Step inside the lodge to find a thoughtfully designed layout that maximises the space available. Enter through the French doors, which lead into the open-plan living area.
To one side, you have a compact yet well-equipped kitchen with all the essentials required for preparing and cooking meals, complete with a handy breakfast bar where you can eat together. After you have refuelled, sit on the comfortable sofa and flick on the Smart TV for a cosy evening in.
At the rear of the lodge is the bedroom, which contains a double bed and another Smart TV, perfect for lazy mornings. Completing the interior of the pod is a sleek and stylish shower room.
Outside, the private patio is fully enclosed and provides the ideal space to unwind beneath the stars on a clear night. Make the most of the wonderful private hot tub or relax on the patio seating.
Guests will also have access to a shared BBQ. Private parking for one car.
The best-known attractions within an easy drive of Dog-Friendly 1-Bedroom Hot Tub Cottage in Invergordon, with real driving times.
Sat nav: IV17 0UT
A Highland single malt distillery on the Cromarty Firth, making whisky since 1839.
The Dalmore is a Highland single malt distillery in Alness, about 20 miles north of Inverness. It sits on the banks of the Cromarty Firth, overlooking the Black Isle, and has been making whisky since 1839. The distillery's website offers a distillery experience that you can reserve.
Sat nav: IV14 9AA
A red sandstone Highland tower house, still a family home, said to inspire Outlander's Castle Leoch.
Castle Leod is the seat of Clan Mackenzie, a Category A-listed red sandstone tower house near the Victorian spa village of Strathpeffer, with Ben Wyvis behind it. It is believed to stand on the site of an ancient Pictish fort, and the Earl of Cromartie's family still lives here.
Tip: The castle is open to the public only on selected days each year, so check the website before you set off. Parking is for open days and private tour guests only.
Sat nav: IV63 6XL
Explore the ruins of a medieval fortress on a rocky headland above Loch Ness.
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.
Sat nav: KW10 6SF
The largest house in the northern Highlands, with 189 rooms, gardens and a private railway station.
Dunrobin Castle is the family seat of the Earl of Sutherland, standing a mile north of Golspie and overlooking the Dornoch Firth. With 189 rooms, it is the largest house in the northern Highlands.
Tip: Dunrobin Castle railway station on the Far North Line was built for the castle, so you can arrive by train instead of driving.
Sat nav: IV12 5RD
A Highland castle built around a 15th-century tower, with three gardens and ancient oak woodland.
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.
Sat nav: IV2 7TE
A vast, almost unaltered 18th-century star-shaped fortress on a promontory jutting into the Moray Firth.
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.
Sat nav: IV13 7YT
A Highland single malt distillery south of Inverness, with a long history and tours you can book.
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.
Drive times are typical times by car with no traffic. Check opening times and book tickets on each attraction's own website before you go.
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