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The Black Isle
The Black Isle – the peninsula on which Alcaig is situated – is a small pocket of gentle countryside with a benign climate jutting out into the Moray Firth. It offers historic villages and fantastic opportunities to view wildlife.
All images are copyright David Marsh
The former county town of Ross-shire has fantastic Georgian and Victorian architecture and is the birthplace of geologist Hugh Miller. It's a picturesque place with an almost continental air that's made for leisurely exploration. Being at the end of the Black Isle means there's little traffic too. The best wood-fire pizza in the Highlands can be found at Sutor Creek near the harbour.
Ecoventures Dolphin Watching Tours, Cromarty
Also near Cromarty's harbour this company do excellent 2 hour wildlife and dolphin watching trips on the Moray Firth costing £26 for adults and £20 for children. Sarah, the skipper, knows these waters extremely well. If there are dolphins around, she'll find them for you.
Rosemarkie
An attractive village with a lovely, family- and dog-friendly beach with a community-owned beach cafe. Rosemarkie also houses a large collection of Pictish sculptured stones from the 5-6th Centuries in the Groam House Museum (open Apr-Oct).
Chanonry Point
This narrow spit of land extending a mile out into the Moray Firth is one of the best places in Europe to see Bottle-nosed Dolphins from the shore – sometimes just feet away. The best times to visit for a sighting are in the 2-3 hours AFTER Low Tide. Sightings are also much more common in the summer half of the year when trout and salmon are running.
Also in Rosemarkie is this small area of woodland that is also an RSPB reserve. There are two beautiful waterfalls. Dippers nest behind the lower waterfall in the summer.
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