View of Inverness, Scotland, United Kingdom featuring Old High Church, the River Ness, and Greig St. Bridge (donaveh (123RF))
Nestled in the heart of the Scottish Highlands, Inverness and Speyside offer a journey into some of Scotland’s most scenic landscapes and world-famous whisky culture. Inverness, known as the “Gateway to the Highlands,” welcomes visitors with its historic sites and will be a familiar town to fans of “Outlander.” Just a quick drive away, Speyside boasts serene glens, flowing rivers, and, of course, its iconic whisky distilleries. Home to over half of Scotland’s malt whisky distilleries, Speyside invites you to explore everything from traditional distilling techniques to rare, smooth drams.
We started our time in Inverness at Urquhart Castle, roughly thirty-five minutes outside of Inverness. Urquhart overlooks Loch Ness (yes, that famous Loch Ness) and dates back to 580 CE when St Columba visited and is said to have encountered a monster in the Loch. Over the years, this castle has been a prominent feature in Scottish history and the battle for independence. You can walk the castle grounds and ruins or see the castle from a boat tour of Loch Ness.
The second castle of the morning is Cawdor Castle, an ancient medieval castle built around a holly tree and, not surprisingly, more tumultuous Scottish history. It was pouring when we arrived at Cawdor, so we did a brief tour of the castle and skipped the gardens, though they would be lovely to walk through when the weather allows.
After Cawdor, we went into Inverness to grab lunch at Fig & Thistle and take a break from the unrelenting rain. Since the rain continued, we spent the afternoon relaxing indoors instead of venturing out to the Culloden Battlefield, though I have been previously and would highly recommend a visit there. That evening, my husband and I had a date night at Rocpool and enjoyed an incredible meal together. We started with seasonal cocktails, king scallops for my husband and fresh Isle of Skye crab for myself. I enjoyed the Scottish filet served with wild mushrooms for my entree, and my husband again opted for the venison. For dessert, we enjoyed the white chocolate and coconut cheesecake.
Ballindalloch Castle & Gardens (Erin Henderson)
We splurged on our dinners together in Scotland, and Rocpool was worth every penny. If Rocpool is full or not budget-friendly, Mustard Seed is another fantastic restaurant I’ve enjoyed while in Inverness previously. Reservations are recommended for both places as they fill up quickly during tourist season.
Our Airbnb was conveniently located near downtown Inverness. We enjoyed a walk to the bakery nearby and grabbed coffee at Grain and Grind the following day. We spent a few hours window shopping and walking around Inverness before loading up for our next stop. My husband was the most excited for this day. For Father’s Day, I gifted him a Five Decades Tour & Tasting at Glenfarclas Distillery, so he was eager to get there despite the 13:30 start time. The drive from Inverness to Aberlour has a few farms with Highland cows out grazing if you still need to get your fill of Highland cows, but is there a limit to seeing these beautiful creatures?
While my husband spent three hours learning about Glenfarclass’ history and tasting some of their rarest whiskies, my friend Jordan and I took the kids nearby to Ballindalloch Castle & Gardens. Unfortunately, they had to shut down the inside tours when we arrived due to a medical emergency, so we could only tour the gardens and outdoor areas. We were pleasantly surprised to find a kid’s playground when we parked, so we spent the first hour letting the kids play before walking more around the grounds.
The castle began construction in 1542 and was built as a home and a fortress. It was equipped with an invention that would drop sewage or stones on intruders—quite nifty. This castle remains the home of the Macpherson-Grant family and is a busy estate with several businesses based there. It’s a beautiful location to spend a slow afternoon exploring the grounds and enjoying a sweet treat from the cafe afterward.
Highland cow near Inverness (Erin Henderson)
When I picked up my husband from his tour, he was raving about his time there. He said others proclaimed the experience at Glenfarclas to be one of the area’s most informative and intimate whisky tours. As a man of typically few words, I knew it must have been exceptional when he got in the car and talked about it the entire way back to our accommodations. It could also be the whisky itself, but either way, for whisky lovers, this distillery is a must.
If you are dedicated to enjoying more of Scotland’s famous distilleries, you can spend three days following the Speyside whisky trail that takes you to nine world-renowned distilleries. Speyside is a protected region in the United Kingdom for Scottish Whisky distilling and is often the sole destination for the most dedicated whisky consumers. Please drink responsibly and have a designated driver.
Nearby Distilleries & Attractions: Glenturret, Glen Moray, The Macallan Estate, Glenfiddich, Linn Falls, Duffus Castle, Elgin Cathedral, Fort George, Leakey’s Bookstore, Inverness Cathedral, Inverness Castle (currently undergoing renovations), Culloden Battlefield, Brodie Castle & Estate.
Erin Henderson is a professional freelance photographer and writer whose work has been featured in a variety of publications. She is also a mother of two and a Marine Corps spouse living in Stuttgart, Germany. You can find more of her work at erinhendersonmedia.com or follow her travels on Instagram @erinhendrsn.
