Find the nearest History & Heritage in The Scottish Highlands

Castle Varrich is in the far north of the Scottish Highlands, near the village of Tongue, located on a high point of rock, overlooking both the Kyle of Tongue and the village of Tongue. The castle had two floors plus an attic. The ground floor may have been used as stables; it was entered through an existing door on the north wall. There were no stairs between the two floors, suggesting that the ground floor was for horses or cattle. The upper floor entrance was on the south side and would most likely have been accessed by a ladder or removable stair.

The Clachan Bridge is a simple, single-arched, hump-backed, masonry bridge spanning the Clachan Sound still in use today,  and is in the care of Historic Scotland. The bridge was built between 1792 and 1793 by engineer Robert Mylne with the original design being two arches, but it was finally built with a single high arch, of roughly 22 metres (72 ft) span and about 12 metres (39 ft) above the bed of the channel.

The Grey Cairns of Camster are two large Neolithic chambered cairns and are among the oldest structures in Scotland, dating to about 5,000 years ago. The Cairns show the complexity of Neolithic architecture, with central burial chambers accessed through narrow passages from the outside. the two Cairns are:Camster Long – a 60 m (200 ft) long cairn with “horns” at each end, aligned in an NE-SW direction Camster Round – a circular cairn measuring 18 metres (59 ft) in diameter by 3.7 metres (12 ft) high   

The Castle of Mey is located on the north coast of Scotland, about 10 km (6 miles ) west of John o’ Groats. The castle was built between 1566 and 1572 by George Sinclair, 4th Earl of Caithness. The castle did spend some time being called Barrogill Castle. If you are lucky with the weather you can get views from the castle north to the Orkney Islands.

Clava Cairns is a Bronze Age cemetery and the complex consists of ring cairns and standing stones. Today you can still see three cairns in a well preserved condition.

Ballindalloch Castle is a preserved castle in the beautiful countryside of Speyside, north east Scotland. The castle is still owned and lived in by the Macpherson-Grant family who have resided at Ballindalloch since 1546. The setting for Ballindalloch is stunning, with the Rivers Avon and Spey running through its grounds and surrounded by imposing hills. Speyside, of course, is also known for its whisky distilleries such as Glenlivet and Glenfiddich. Visitors are welcome at Ballindalloch where the castle and its grounds are available to view and tour around. The estate also has a golf course, as well offering shooting and fishing packages for those who like their country sports. Self-catering cottages are available to stay in for short breaks and you can also pick up some of the locally-reared Aberdeen Angus beef at the castle shop. The castle is open from the end of March to the end of September.

This impressive steeple is 43m in height and was built in 1789-91 on the site of an earlier steeple of about 1690.

Cawdor Castle dates from the late 14th century, built as a private fortress by the Thanes of Cawdor. An ancient medieval tower built around the legendary holly tree which visitors can still see today in the dungeon. The castle is still home to the Cawdor family to this day and lovingly filled with beautiful furniture, fine portraits, intriguing objects and amazing tapestries the Castle has evolved for over 600 years. The castle’s carefully manicured grounds encompass three beautiful gardens, the Cawdor Big Wood and a 9-hole golf course. The castle also has a gift shop, bookshop and wool shop, in addition to a restaurant located in the castle and a snack bar near the car park. Guided tours of either the Castle or Gardens are available via prior arrangement.