Invergordon
Tucked away in the Cromarty Firth, Invergordon opens the door to the unfathomed legends of Loch Ness, whose glorious Highland setting dwarfs the human scale of ruined Urquhart Castle, forlornly reflected in waters over 700 feet deep.
Explore Scottish history amid the brooding splendour of 15th century Cawdor Castle (forever - but wrongly - linked with Shakespeare's Macbeth), or at imposing Dunrobin Castle, dating from the 13th century and housing a fine collection of paintings, objets d'art and family memorabilia of the Earls of Sutherland.