Achnagairn, Scotland

Just outside of Inverness is the Achnagairn Castle. Built around 1812, the castle was the setting for parts of the Outlander TV series. An elegant whitewash three storey building with French windows, the castle is more of a mansion with two bell-shaped towers overlooking a formal garden. A ballroom was added in 1912. The then-owners' daughter was turning 21 and had nowhere to celebrate her birthday. The parents built her the ballroom clad in wood panels and sandstone bricks with vaulted ceilings, chandeliers and a massive fireplace. During WWII the ballroom served as a hospital filled with beds. Sadly over the latter decades of the 20th century the building fell into disrepair until it was rescued, restored to its former glory and converted into a boutique luxury hotel.

On the way to Contin I passed through the towns of Beauly and Muir of Ord. Beauly's name was derived from Mary, Queen of Scots exclamation "Ç'est un beau lieu" meaning it's a beautiful place when she visited the area in 1564. Located on the bend of Beauly River is the Beauly Priory where Queen Mary made her observation from. The priory was built in the 13th century and existed for the next 300 years until the Reformation brought it to an end and the priory was abandoned. Only the walls remain with the roof having long gone but the grounds continue to maintain tombstones from the 1400s along with mature trees and an ancient elm tree.

Less than 3mi (5km) north of Beauly is Muir of Ord, a small village that once was known as Tarradale. It is the birthplace of geologist Roderick Murchison (b.1792) who established the Silurian System by grouping together a series of geologic formations from a time period between 443-419 million years ago. 

Just northwest of the village is the Glen Ord Distillery which prior to becoming a legal establishment in 1838 was an illegal whiskey distillery. The operations grew quickly and as such so did the population in the village giving the economy a boost. Within 50 years the distillery was producing 80,000 gallons (303,000L) per year with production exported as far afield as Singapore and South Africa. Although the distillery has changed hands several times it continues to operate today producing single malts such as The Singleton.

Contin is a tiny village of around 670 residents located near Black Water River. Just north of the village, off the main road, is a short hike through woodland to Rogie Falls that plummets 30ft (9m) into Black Water River. It is a hillside cascade flowing over several layers of large boulders that is best viewed from the nearby suspension bridge. 

I finished the day with a quick side trip to the spa town of Strathpeffer. When the spring waters were discovered to have healing properties back in the 1800s, local landowners transformed this once sleepy village into a highly coveted spa resort. Several Victorian properties cropped up in quick succession opening their doors to wealthy visitors seeking fresh air, restorative springs and a round of golf. After WWI the resort town went into decline until recent times when a local association went about restoring various important buildings and re-igniting the village as a spa resort.

One of the town's highlights is the ornate railway station. Closed in 1946, by the mid-1950s it was in a terrible state with the tracks long gone and the surrounding vegetation scraggly and overgrown. Restored to its former glory in the early 1990s, the station is now home to the Highland Museum of Childhood, a café and gift stores. This is a good place to take a load off and indulge in a pot of tea and scones, jam and cream.