Dunrobin Castle is open to the public and has over the years been a stately home, a naval hospital and even a boarding school

Golspie is a small, attractive town of under 2,000 people, with award-winning beaches, abundant shops and cafes and -in our opinion – one of Scotland’s best chippies!

St Andrews Church makes an attractive centrepoint for the village, and is worth a visit to admire if not go in. The town has a golf course, tennis courts and a swimming pool, so anyone looking for a spot of golf or to keep active has plenty of choice.

The town is overlooked by the 395m high Ben Bhraggie, atop which stands the (controversial) statue of the Duke of Sutherland, known locally as “the Mannie”. A 4 hour walk from Golspie’s main street takes you to the top.

If fairytale castles are your thing, don’t miss Dunrobin Castle, just north of Golspie. Looking like it stepped right out of a Disney movie, this is possibly the grandest building in the whole of Sutherland. It is one of Britain’s oldest continually inhabited houses, dating back to the 1300s – and has a whopping 189 rooms! The castle is open for tours during he summer months.

For architecture a little older, Carn Liath Broch – just beside the A9 – is a well-preserved broch – a type of stone-age structure unique to Scotland. There are also the remains of an associated village and earthworks alongside the broch.

Just north of Golspie is the smaller village of Brora, with a heritage centre, shops and cafes, a golf course and a sandy beach.

If you’re looking for a quiet, relaxed seaside town and a good fish and chips, we can recommend a visit to Golspie.