We drive alongside the Cromarty Firth from Invergordon with views of the Beauly and Moray Firths, to Beauly Priory.

Le prieuré de Beauly est l'un des trois prieurés fondés en Écosse vers 1230 pour les moines de l'ordre des Valliscauliens. Originaires du Val-des-Choux, près de Dijon, les Valliscauliens adhéraient à des idéaux stricts de pauvreté, de chasteté et d'obéissance. Beauly, qui signifie « bel endroit », devait sembler aux moines un lieu merveilleux pour se consacrer au culte. Seule l'église abbatiale subsiste aujourd'hui, abritant de beaux monuments funéraires.

Découvrez plus de 1 000 ans d’histoire passionnante autour du Great Glen. Le château d’Urquhart, magnifiquement situé sur les rives du Loch Ness, a été témoin de certains des chapitres les plus marquants de l’histoire de notre nation. Autrefois l’un des plus grands châteaux d’Écosse, Urquhart a été le théâtre de nombreux conflits au cours de ses 500 ans de forteresse médiévale. Le contrôle du château passa successivement entre les Écossais et les Anglais pendant les guerres d’indépendance. Les luttes de pouvoir se poursuivirent, les seigneurs des Îles attaquant régulièrement le château et le vallon jusqu’au XVIe siècle. Les dernières troupes gouvernementales stationnées ici pendant les révoltes jacobites firent sauter le château à leur départ. Les ruines emblématiques d’Urquhart subsistent, offrant un aperçu de l’époque médiévale et de la vie de ses nobles résidents.

The Hill of The Faeries (Tomnahurich Hill) - Caledonian canal - River Ness - Inverness Cathedral - The Old High Church and graveyard - Inverness' oldest buildings

Cawdor Castle with its iron yet gate, moat & drawbridge, turrets, turnpike stairs and vaulted 16th century kitchen is steeped in intrigue and history. This ancient medieval tower house built for the 3rd Thane of Cawdor has been home to over 23 generations of the Cawdor family. Explore 12 principal rooms of this unique home containing collections of Rare Tapestries, Fine Art, Furniture, Ceramics and Sculpture spanning 3,500 years. Take time to enjoy the wonderful gardens too

Discover one of Scotland’s most evocative prehistoric sites – the exceptional remains of an ancient cemetery, set on a terrace above the River Nairn. The Clava Cairns are about 4,000 years old and were built to house the dead. The cemetery remained a sacred place in the landscape for millennia, and provides many clues to the beliefs of Bronze Age society. What remains today would have once been part of a larger complex. The sites contain a range of prehistoric burial monuments and the remains of a medieval chapel.

On 16 April 1746, the final Jacobite Rising came to a brutal head in one of the most harrowing battles in British history. Jacobite supporters, seeking to restore the Stuart monarchy to the British thrones, gathered to fight the Duke of Cumberland’s government troops. It was the last pitched battle on British soil and, in less than an hour, around 1,600 men were slain – 1,500 of them Jacobites. The richly researched, stimulating and sensitive Culloden Visitor Centre, which stands beside the battlefield, features artefacts from both sides of the battle and interactive displays that reveal the background to the conflict. It is both a monument and a guide to a pivotal day in history. Experience the powerful emotions of the Battle of Culloden in our visitor centre’s 360-degree battle immersion theatre, which puts you right in the heart of the action. NB admission to the battlefield is free; there is a charge for the exhibition (recommended)