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Muir of Ord
This is situated at the south western end of the
Black
Isle and is an excellent centre for a holiday, with plenty of
places to see and things to do locally, whilst also being a good
base for touring the whole of the North and West Highlands. It also makes an
ideal stopping place en route to the
Northlink Ferries terminal at Scrabster when
travelling to the Orkney Isles
The Glen Ord Distillery (see
below right) is situated right within the village - a "must
visit" if you like single malt whisky!
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Prior to the 19th century, Muir of Ord was
actually known as "Tarradale". However, in the early part of
the 1800s Muir of Ord became the location of one of the
major trysts or cattle markets in Scotland which were held
on the moorland (hence "Muir") to the south of Tarradale.
1862 saw the coming of the railway in the
shape of the Inverness & Ross-Shire Railway whose purpose
was to build a line from Inverness to Invergordon. This
railway was built in stages, the first being from Inverness
to Dingwall which was opened on 11th June 1862, with the
remaining stage to Invergordon opening on 23rd March 1863.
The railway company built a station at Tarradale but they
called the station "Muir of Ord" after the site of the local
cattle market. Hence the name Tarradale was gradually
superseded by Muir of Ord.
Our
"Links"
page contains links to numerous websites which give information about the
many attractions of this area.
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Walks
There are many good walks in the
locality, most being well
marked with signposts and waymarks. For more serious hill-walkers who are
interested in Munro-bagging, there are several Munro's within a short distance, the
best-known being Ben Wyvis (3,433 feet) just to the north west of the Black
Isle.
Fishing/Bird Watching
There are plenty of opportunities for
bird watching, and fishing is available on both the River Conon and the
River
Beauly. For cyclists, there are quite a few quieter roads away from the main
through routes; also, a number of forest tracks.
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Local Places
Nearby
is the aptly named town of Beauly (from the French "beau lieu" meaning
"fine place") which owed its original prominence to the fact that it
has a river crossing at the head of the Beauly Firth. The Kessock Bridge at
Inverness now provides a by-pass for through traffic to the North. When visiting
Beauly, do take a look at Beauly
Priory, and also the "Made in Scotland"
centre where local crafts, gifts, and knitwear are available.
Also
nearby is the very attractive Highland Spa town of Strathpeffer with its
array of imposing Victorian buildings. The centre-piece of the town is the
magnificent and recently restored Spa Pavilion. Another attraction is the Highland Museum of Childhood.
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The Black Isle is neither an island nor black in colour! It is,
in fact, a peninsula of about 23 miles in length, bounded to the north by the
Cromarty Firth and to the south by the Moray Firth and the Beauly Firth.
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Golf
For those who play
golf, there are
four golf courses in the
vicinity, the nearest one being just outside Muir of Ord on fairly flat
heathland, whilst another is just a few miles away at
Strathpeffer. This latter
course has stunning views, but is not for the faint-hearted
as it has a superb hillside setting, so quite some stamina
is required to climb the slopes! There are
several good walks in the area, all well signposted. The third golf course, also
in a superb but quite different setting, is at Rosemarkie on the Moray Firth
shore of the Black Isle. The golf course is right adjacent to the shoreline, and has
stunning views across the firth towards Fort George - about which see below for
more information. The fourth golf course is at Aigas, just to the south west of
Beauly. This is a 9-hole course set in undulating parkland between Aigas
Forest and the River Beauly in an area of outstanding natural beauty.
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Water & Wildlife
No
visit to this part of Scotland is complete without a look at
Rogie
Falls just a few miles to the north west of Muir of Ord. In spate after
a heavy fall of rain, these can be quite a sight to see, whilst at quieter
times, who knows, you might see a salmon climbing the fish ladder!
On the subject of wildlife, the whole Highlands area abounds in
it. Apart from dolphins (several boat operators run dolphin watching cruises)
there are eagles, sea eagles, ospreys, deer, pine martens, and otters, to name
but a few. There are wildlife cruises on Loch Ness, and also the Black Isle
Wildlife Park to visit. There are
links to numerous websites with more details.
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Inverness
It goes without saying that most who come
here will
probably spend at least one day in Inverness, the capital of the Highlands,
and a
city of great strategic importance to the north of Scotland. Inverness is
reputed to be one of the fastest growing cities in Europe, as is witnessed by
the recent completion of the new Eastgate Shopping Centre. Apart from providing
opportunities for retail therapy, Inverness has a number of attractions worthy
of a visit - the Castle, the very attractive walks along the side of the
River
Ness, the start of the Great Glen Way, the Caledonian Canal,
and the Eden Court Theatre, to name but a few.
And for those who enjoy a good pint of real ale with excellent pub grub, the Clachnaharry Inn is an absolute must! This is a very characterful, traditional,
stone-built pub with low ceilings, recently voted CAMRA Scottish pub of the
year; there are usually at least 4 or 5 different real ales on hand pump or on
gravity.
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Loch Ness
Another "must visit" for virtually everyone who comes
to this area is Loch Ness, probably the most famous of all Scottish lochs apart
from Loch Lomond.
Whether you wish to look for Nessie, visit the pretty
village of Drumnadrochit and the nearby Urquhart Castle, or
just view the superb scenery, there is plenty here for everyone.
Whisky distilleries
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These are always popular with visitors, and here
in Muir of Ord we have our very own! The
Glen
Ord Distillery is open to visitors - do go and have a look and sample
some "uisge-beatha" - the water of life! A little further afield are
the Dalmore Distillery near Alness on the side of the Cromarty
Firth and the Glenmorangie Distillery at Tain, just south of the Dornoch Firth.
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Castles & Places of Historical Interest
If you enjoy visiting sites of historical interest,
there's plenty to see within a short travelling distance. There are numerous
castles - Cawdor,
Brodie, and Urquhart Castles, to name but a few; the famous Culloden
Battle Field, site of the last major battle fought on British soil; the
hugely impressive Fort George (built in the 1760's at a cost of over £200,000 -
an enormous sum of money in those days - and still in use as a working barracks
today). From the ramparts of Fort George, it is not unusual to see dolphins
playing in the Moray Firth, as they are well-known regular visitors to this area.
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Touring
As for touring, the whole of the north and west of Scotland is
at your disposal. On the east coast a few miles north of Muir of Ord is the very
attractive town of Dornoch with its superb expanse of beach, and nearby is
Skibo
Castle which recently achieved fame as the venue for Madonna's wedding. Further
to the north are Dunrobin Castle and, right on the
north coast between Thurso and John o'Groats, are the
Castle & Gardens of Mey. A few miles inland from Bonar
Bridge, between Bonar Bridge and Lairg, is the Falls of
Shin Visitor Centre where there are dramatic waterfalls
and the famous natural Atlantic Salmon Leap. There are links
to websites describing several of these attractions on our
"Links" page.
To the west and south west respectively are Strath Conon and
Glen Affric (see below right), both being most attractive glens which lead deep into the
hinterland of the North West Highlands, and both having, for the energetic,
long-distance paths which lead right through to the West Coast. Glen Affric, in particular, is
well known for its beauty, and has a number of forest walks. See the Glen Affric
website in the "Walking & Climbing" section of our
"Links" page.
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To the
north west, just over an hour's drive away, is Ullapool, in its superb setting
on the shores of Loch Broom. A little to the north of Ullapool at
Achiltibuie is The Hydroponicum where you can
learn how to grow plants without soil.
To the west, again about an hour's drive away, are
the pretty places of Lochcarron, Plockton (of "Hamish MacBeth"
fame), Dornie (home of Eilean Donan Castle),
and Shieldaig, to say nothing of Applecross with its magnificent approach via
the Bealach na Ba (the Pass of the Cattle). This is said to be the highest
road in Britain, climbing from sea level up to 2,053 feet - on a clear day, the
views across to Raasay and Skye are absolutely superb. In Applecross village
itself is the Applecross Inn, well worth a visit for its renowned seafood and
very pretty setting.
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Local Events & Activities
Have you ever watched a game of shinty? This game
is unique to Scotland and one of the oldest games in the
world. It is similar to hockey and lacrosse, and is a
fast-moving aerial game. See the "Shinty" link our
"Links" page for more information. There are
local shinty teams at Beauly and Strathglass.
Highland Games are held each year at both
Strathpeffer and Dingwall, and are always a popular
attraction. Apart from the "heavy" events of putting the
shot, throwing the hammer, and tossing the caber, there are
competitions for Highland dancing and bagpiping.
The Black Isle Show is an agricultural and
livestock event and is held each year at Mannsfield
Showground at Muir of Ord.
For those interested in vintage and classic vehicles,
the Historic Wheels Club annual rally at Brodie
Castle is a "must" visit; there are normally in excess
of 150 cars, motorcycles, and other vehicles on display. The
rally is usually held during early August. |
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Come and See
for Yourself!
We cannot possibly do justice to all the
things to do and places to see in the space available here -
you need to come and have a look for yourself! We are very
confident that you will not be
disappointed! In the meantime, do take a look at our
"Links"
page on which you will find links to many other websites giving information about this
lovely part of the Scottish Highlands.
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