Best Places to Visit in Inverness & the Highlands
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best places to visit in Inverness & the Highlands are Invergarry Castle, Dolphin spotting at Chanonry Point, Glen Affric, Eas Chia-Aig Waterfall, Loch Cluanie Viewpoint, Dores Beach, Eas na Muice and Urquhart Castle.
The Highlands around Inverness run from Loch Ness and the Great Glen out to old pinewoods and wild sea lochs, and their best places match the scale of the land. On Loch Ness, ruined Urquhart Castle juts into the water near Drumnadrochit, and the shingle of Dores Beach looks straight down the loch along the Great Glen.
Glen Affric, often called one of the loveliest glens in Scotland, spreads its old Caledonian pines around its lochs, while the Cia-aig Falls drop into their Witch's Cauldron pool by Loch Arkaig. Out on the Black Isle, Chanonry Point is one of the best places in Britain to watch wild dolphins from the shore.
Ruined Invergarry Castle stands above Loch Oich, the Cluanie viewpoint looks down its reservoir toward Skye, and the hidden Eas na Muice drops in gated Glen Strathfarrar. Some are ticketed set pieces, others quiet glens and shores.
Here are eight places to visit across Inverness and the Highlands.
Invergarry Castle
Photo: Karl and Ali via Geograph.org.uk
Invergarry Castle is a roofless ruined tower house on a rocky knoll above the west shore of Loch Oich, in the Great Glen near Invergarry. It was the seat of the MacDonells of Glengarry and was burned and rebuilt several times, finally wrecked by government forces after Culloden in 1746.
The tall shell of the tower stands in the grounds of the Glengarry Castle Hotel. Because the ruin is unstable it is fenced off, so it is viewed from the outside rather than entered.
Dolphin spotting at Chanonry Point
Photo: Bill Harrison via Geograph.org.uk
Chanonry Point is a low shingle spit reaching into the Moray Firth from the Black Isle, between Fortrose and Rosemarkie, and one of the best places in Britain to watch wild dolphins from the shore. Bottlenose dolphins come close in on a rising tide, chasing fish through the narrows opposite Fort George, and can pass just yards from the beach.
A small white lighthouse stands at the tip of the point. The parking is limited and fills quickly when the dolphins are running.
Glen Affric
Photo: Richard Webb via Geograph.org.uk
Glen Affric runs west from Cannich into the hills, a long glen often called one of the most beautiful in Scotland, holding two large lochs among stands of old Caledonian pine. Ancient granny pines, birch and open hill spread around Loch Affric and Loch Beinn a' Mheadhoin, kept as a nature reserve.
Car parks and waymarked trails give walks of all lengths, including the gorge and viewing platform at Dog Falls. It is wild, wooded country reached by a single road up the glen.
Eas Chia-Aig Waterfall
Photo: Steven Brown via Geograph.org.uk
Eas Chia-aig, or the Cia-aig Falls, drops in two tiers through woodland near the shore of Loch Arkaig in Lochaber, beside the old road known as the Dark Mile. The water falls into a deep dark pool long called the Witch's Cauldron.
Forest trails and a picnic area run beside the falls, with a path up to the higher cascade. The double fall featured in the film Rob Roy.
Loch Cluanie Viewpoint
Photo: Richard Dorrell via Geograph.org.uk
Loch Cluanie is a reservoir at the head of Glen Shiel in the north-west Highlands, held back by the Cluanie Dam as part of a hydro-electric scheme built in the mid-1950s. The A87 toward Skye runs along the northern shore, and the viewpoint is a lay-by looking down the loch toward Cluanie Lodge and the ridges beyond.
This is prime hill country, a starting point for the Munros of the South Glen Shiel Ridge and the Saddle, with the Cluanie Inn nearby. In a very dry spell the falling water level has been known to reveal an old bridge on the drowned road below.
Dores Beach
Photo: Anne Burgess via Geograph.org.uk
Dores Beach is a long shingle beach at the north-eastern end of Loch Ness, at the village of Dores. It looks straight down the length of the loch along the line of the Great Glen, a classic view of Loch Ness.
The Dores Inn stands beside the beach for food and drink. A full-time monster watcher has kept a caravan near here for many years, on the lookout down the water.
Eas na Muice
Photo: Chris Eilbeck via Geograph.org.uk
Eas na Muice, the waterfall of the pig, drops through a ravine in Glen Strathfarrar in the Highlands, on a hill burn running down toward the glen floor. It sits where open moorland gives way to the steeper, wooded slopes above the river.
The glen is a gated nature reserve with restricted vehicle access, so it stays quiet and little visited. There are no paths or facilities at the fall itself.
Urquhart Castle
Photo: Tom Page via Geograph.org.uk
Urquhart Castle stands in ruins on a rocky point jutting into Loch Ness, near Drumnadrochit. Its remains run from the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries, taking in a gatehouse, a great hall and the five-storey Grant Tower that still rises above the loch.
Historic Environment Scotland runs it as a ticketed, year-round site, with a visitor centre built into the bank, a shop, a cafe and a replica trebuchet on the grounds. The setting on the loch draws large numbers of visitors.
FAQs
Where is the best place to see dolphins near Inverness?
Chanonry Point, a low shingle spit reaching into the Moray Firth from the Black Isle between Fortrose and Rosemarkie, is the best place near Inverness to watch wild dolphins from the shore. Bottlenose dolphins come close in on a rising tide, chasing fish through the narrows, and can pass just yards from the beach, though parking is limited.
Is Urquhart Castle set up for visitors?
Yes, Urquhart Castle, on a point jutting into Loch Ness near Drumnadrochit, is a ticketed, year-round Historic Environment Scotland site with a visitor centre, shop, cafe and a replica trebuchet. Invergarry Castle above Loch Oich, by contrast, is an unstable ruin that is fenced off and viewed only from the outside.
Which places in the Highlands near Inverness are good for a walk in the pinewoods?
Glen Affric, west of Cannich, is the best place near Inverness for a walk in the old pinewoods, spreading Caledonian pine around its two lochs, with car parks and waymarked trails of all lengths, including the gorge and viewing platform at Dog Falls. The Cia-aig Falls by Loch Arkaig also have forest trails and a picnic area beside the water.
Conclusion
The Highlands near Inverness run from Loch Ness and the Great Glen to old pinewoods and wild sea lochs. On the loch, ruined Urquhart Castle juts from its point near Drumnadrochit and the shingle of Dores Beach looks straight down the water.
Glen Affric spreads its Caledonian pines around its lochs, and the Cia-aig Falls drop into their Witch's Cauldron by Loch Arkaig, while out on the Black Isle Chanonry Point brings wild dolphins close to the shore. Ruined Invergarry Castle stands above Loch Oich, the Cluanie viewpoint looks down its reservoir toward Skye, and the hidden Eas na Muice drops in gated Glen Strathfarrar.
From ticketed castle to quiet glen, these are the places to seek out across Inverness and the Highlands.
