Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
PORTMAHOMACK AND AROUND
By bus
Buses from Tain, Lamington St, go east to
Portmahomack (Mon-Fri 7 daily; 20min), and to
Shandwick, Hill and Fearn (Mon-Fri 7 daily, Sat 6 daily).
ACCOMMODATION, EATING AND SHOPPING
Anta
Fearn (signposted)
T
01862 832477,
W
anta
.co.uk.
While you're in the area, pay a visit to Fearn village
for the workshop outlet of Anta, manufacturer of
contemporary fine tweeds and tartans plus pottery and
homeware; entertain the kids on a rainy day with painting
mugs.
Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm, Sun 10am-5pm.
Oystercatcher
Main St, Portmahomack
T
01862 871560,
W
the-oystercatcher.co.uk.
This pretty place in a harbourside
cottage prepares bistro lunches, then dinner menus specializing
in seafood, including a cheeky house Bloody Mary - crab with
spiced tomato frappé with a zing of vodka; two courses £29.
Bed and outstanding breakfast is available in three pretty en
suites above. Reservations recom
mende
d.
Thurs-Sun 12.15-
2.45pm, Wed-Sat 6.30-11pm.
£108
Lairg and around
North of Bonar Bridge, the A836 parallels the River Shin to
LAIRG
, scattered at the
eastern end of
Loch Shin
. It's predominantly a transport hub, with little of interest
unless your visit coincides with the annual lamb sale in mid-August, one of the largest
one-day markets in Europe.
Falls of Shin
4 miles south of Lairg • Daily mid-May to Oct 9am-5pm; Nov to mid-May 10am-4pm • Free •
T
01549 402231,
W
fallsofshin.co.uk •
he reason to come this way is the
Falls of Shin
in Achany Glen, four miles south of
Lairg. his is one of the best places in Scotland to see
salmon
leap on their upstream
migration between March and November; the 12ft cascade is on the cusp of the
maximum leap for a fish and most tumble back into the river. A platform provides a
front-row view of the action, which peaks from late July to September.
12
Dornoch
DORNOCH
, a genteel villagey town eight miles north of Tain, lies on a headland
overlooking the
Dornoch Firth
. Blessed with good looks and a sunny climate (by
Scottish standards) and surrounded by sand dunes, it has morphed into a modest
upmarket resort: all antiques shops and fine accommodation in the historic sandstone
centre, a championship
golf course
plus miles of sandy beaches just outside. So it was a
crowning achievement when, in 2002, Dornoch hosted Scotland's most rock'n'roll
wedding of recent times - Madonna married Guy Ritchie at nearby
Skibo Castle
and
had her son baptized in Dornoch Cathedral.
Dornoch Cathedral
Castle St • Visitor times mid-May to mid-Sept Mon-Fri 10am-4pm; services Sun 11am •
T
01862 810296
Dating from the twelfth century, Dornoch became a royal burgh in 1628. Pride of place
among its oldest buildings grouped around the square is the
cathedral
founded in 1224
and built of local sandstone. he original was horribly damaged by marauding Mackays
in 1570, and much of what you see today was restored by the Countess of Sutherland in
1835, though the worst of her Victorian excesses were removed in the twentieth century,
when the interior stonework was returned to its original state. he stained-glass windows
in the north wall were later additions. he counterpart to the cathedral is the fortified
sixteenth-century
Bishop's Palace
opposite, now refurbished as a hotel (see p.478).
Historylinks
The Meadows • 10am-4pm: April, May & Oct Mon-Fri; June-Sept daily; Nov-March Wed & Thurs • £2.50 •
W
01862 811275,
W
historylinks.org.uk
A block behind the Bishop's Palace on the high street,
Historylinks
is a small museum
which tells the story of Dornoch, from local saints and the last witch burning in
