North Coast 500 (NC500) and Local area around Acorn B&B Inverness

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Inverness and The North Coast 500 (NC500)

Our guests always find there is much more to do and see in the Inverness area than they ever imagined. We are surrounded by Castles, notably Cawdor to the east and Glen Urquhart overlooking Loch Ness. There are also many Whisky distilleries in the Highlands and near Inverness there is the Tomatin and Muir of Ord distilleries. With centuries of fascinating history you can visit Fort George, the Culloden Battlefield and Clava Cairn Stones (as featured in Outlander). So something for everyone surrounded by stunning countryside views of mountains and glens and dramatic coastlines – well worth staying a few days to take it all in!

Activities and Interests around Inverness…

Loch Ness Cruises – www.jacobite.co.uk

Culloden Battlefield – www.nts.org.uk/culloden

Cawder Castle – www.cawdorcastle.com

Inverness Highland Games – www.invernesshighlandgames.com

Some places to eat and drink:

The Castle Tavern – Real Ale Pub – www.castletavern.pub

Cafe 1 –Restaurant – www.cafe1.net

The Storehouse – www.thestorehouse.scot

Encore Restaurant – www.encoreinverness.com

The Mustard Seed – www.mustardseedrestaurant.co.uk

More handy Websites…

Pub, restaurant in stunning location by Loch Ness Dores Inn, International Championship Golf Course Castle Stuart, Adventure and activity park Bogbain Adventure Farm, Dolphin Cruises Bottlenose Dolphin Cruise, Sports Centre and Swimming Pool Highland Life Swimming Pool Ice Rink ICE Rink, Angling Club SalmonFishing, Orkney Trips Orkney website, Orkney Local Site Scara Brae, Black Isle Dolphin Trips Dolphins Avoch, Eden Court theatre Eden Court, Ironworks Music Venue Ironworks.

Any questions? Contact Us

NC 500 and North Highlands

NC500 Route (66)

Inspired by the USA’s Route 66, our own, increasingly popular tourist route, the NC500 actually starts from Inverness. Inverness has a very large number of local attractions so it is worth taking at least 2-3 days here before or after the trip.

Here are a couple of sites you may find useful:

North Coast 500 can be found here www.northcoast500.com Scotland’s Route 66 can be found here www.scotlandsroute66.co.uk.

Here are a few suggestions for activities or things you may do or see if you decide to take the NC500 route – if you decide to stay at Acorn Guest House in Inverness each one of these activities or trips can be taken in in a day.

Castles and History

Acorn Guest House is very close to the Inverness Castle – with it’s super viewpoint but to the North we have Dunrobin Castle and along the North Coast we have Castle of Mey and closer to Inverness Cawdor Castle. There are famous distilleries in the area and a wealth of history and much older history going back 1,000s of years to the earliest settlements around the NC500.

Dolphins and other Wildlife and impressive Birdlife

Moray Firth Bottlenose Dolphins, Whales, Seals and a wide selection of sea life and birds can be seen across the NC500 coastlines. Dolphin Cruises set out from Inverness and the Black Isle and can be seen from the shore at many points across the Northern Coast such as Channory Point where this photo of the leaping dolphin was taken.

Golf, Links Golf and the Open

There are numerous Golf Clubs all around the City and the Highlands including many spectacular links courses. Regular host to the Scottish Open, Castle Stuart is nearby on the road to the airport but a little further afield, 45 minutes drive north of Inverness takes you to the famous and spectacular Royal Dornoch Championship course.

Highland Beaches and the Highland West Coast

The Highlands has a wealth of coastlines with miles of sandy beaches such as Nairn and Fortrose close to Inverness. Further North and West coasts have beautiful coastlines with secluded rocky coves. Surfing is available and popular on many. The West Highlands profit from the gulf stream to provide superb, almost tropical plants in places coupled with a dramatic craggy coastline and spectacular sunsets.