Inverness, Loch Ness, Ullapool, Beauly and Wester Ross

Staying in a holiday cottage near Inverness gives you an opportunity to explore much of the Highlands from its capital. The River Ness flows through the heart of the town, converging with the start of the Caledonian Canal, constructed by Thomas Telford in the 19th century. This is a fantastic place to start a sailing holiday and you can rent cruisers from local marinas and sail down the Caledonian canal. Passenger curises operate in the summer and they are a very relaxing way to see the Scottish countryside.

Culloden is east of Inverness and the site of the historic battle is cared for by the National Trust for Scotland, who have an excellent visitors' centre. The battlefield still has a haunted feel, with cairns marking the sites were clans fell. Cawdor Castle is nearby and is open to the public during the summer season - a fascinating place to visit and still the home of the Cawdor family. Nearby Fort George is the most unspoilt artillery fort in Europe - destroyed by Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1746, it was rebuilt shortly afterwards and was the home of the Seaforth Highlanders for generations of soldiers. Nairn is a seaside holiday town, which used to be known as Brighton of the North. It has fabulous sandy beaches along the Moray Firth, golf courses and plenty of sunshine! Speyside Malt Whisky Trail takes in seven fascinating distilleries, where you can sample the whisky and tour the distillery.

The Great Glen starts at Loch Ness, famous throughout the world for Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster. Drumnadroichit, on the west side of the loch, has exhibitions and a centre devoted to the Loch Ness Monster. Whilst we can't guarantee a sighting of Nessie you will be able to find a choice of luxury holiday cottages in the area! Urquhart Castle is a popular tourist attraction as is Fort Augustus, at the southern end of Loch Ness. Fort Augustus is a busy place in the summer and you can watch the boats coming through the canal locks. Visitors to Spean Bridge, on Loch Lochy, often come to admire the Commando Memorial and the magnificent views towards Lochaber and Ben Nevis.

Plockton is a very pretty village with painted houses set around the bay - some of the former fishermen's houses are available to rent. The Applecross Peninsula, west of Lochcarron, also has more stunning Scottish scenery and a sandy beach. Torridon, Kinlochbervie and Gairloch have many isolated cottages to let. Inverewe Gardens are an exotic sight, with palm trees and lush sub-tropical plants and flowers. The beaches in the north west of Scotland are magical - beautiful white, empty stetches of sand and fascinating rock pools for children to explore.

Beauly attracts lots of holiday-makers as does the former spa town of Strathpeffer - both offer plenty of attractions and accommdation for visitors. Ullapool is a great place for sea fishing and the surrounding hills and glens of Wester Ross are perfect for walking. You can get the ferry from Ullapool to the Western Isles. Holidays in Ross-shire are wonderful if you enjoy stunning scenery and remote beaches; pony-trekking is another popular activity.