The north and northwest Highlands - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 257

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE TAIN

By train Tain is on the Inverness-Thurso North Highlands
line (4 daily; Inverness, 1hr 10min; Thurso 2hr 30min).
By bus Stagecoach east coast buses from Inverness to

Thurso (#X99) stop in Tain (Mon-Fri every 30min-1hr, Sun
hourly; Inverness 40min-1hr 10min; Thurso 2hr 10min).

ACCOMMODAT ION
Golf View House 13 Knockbreck Rd T 01862 892856,
W golf-view.co.uk. Just south of the centre, this former
manse offers a lovely B&B stay in its five rooms. Decor is

relaxed contemporary Scottish with a touch of romance
and en-suite bathrooms are excellent. Factor in fine views
to the Dornoch Firth and full Scottish breakfasts. £80

Portmahomack and around
The fishing village of PORTMAHOMACK , strung out around a curving sandy beach,
is a surprise after the rolling fields of the Fearn peninsula east of Tain. Though
empty nowadays, this was a heartland of eighth-century Picts before Viking raids
became too much.

Tarbat Discovery Centre
Tarbatness Rd • April Mon-Sat 2-5pm; May Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; June-Sept Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 2-5pm; Oct daily 2-5pm •
£3.50 • T 01862 871351, W tarbat-discovery.co.uk
Archeological digs in the church at the edge of the village have unearthed sculpted
artefacts, including some fine gravestones decorated with Celtic animals or mythical
beasts, all well presented in the church as the Tarbat Discovery Centre . It marks the first
stop on a trail of other Pictish sites south on the peninsula - pick up the Highlands
Pictish Trail leaflet to locate other impressive Pictish standing stones, including those at
Hilton and Shandwick.

4

Tarbat Ness
North of Portmahomack lies Tarbat Ness , a gorse-covered point with one of the highest
lighthouses in Britain at its tip. Come for sea views and a seven-mile stroll (2-3hr
round trip). The walk heads south from Tarbat Ness for three miles, following a narrow
passage between the cliffs and foreshore, to the hamlet of Rockfield. A road leads past
fishermen's cottages to Portmahomack to rejoin the road back to the lighthouse.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE PORTMAHOMACK AND AROUND

By bus Buses from Tain, Lamington St, go east to Portma-
homack (Mon-Fri 7 daily; 20min), and to Shandwick, Hill

and Fearn (Mon-Fri 7 daily, Sat 6 daily).

ACCOMMODAT ION AND EATING
Oystercatcher Main St, Portmahomack T 01862
871560, W the-oystercatcher.co.uk. This pretty place in a
harbour-side 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
recommende d. Th urs-Sun 12.15-2.45pm, Wed-Sat
6.30-11pm. £108

SHOPPING
Anta Fearn T 01862 832477, W anta.co.uk. While you're
in the area, pay a visit to Fearn village (signposted) 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.

Bonar Bridge and around
The A9 across the Kyle of Sutherland has left BONAR BRIDGE out on a limb. Yet in the
fifteenth century this was a heart of industry because of a large iron foundry. James IV