The Black Isle - or Eilean Dubh - comes from the dark, fertile soils that make the peninsula a prosperous agricultural region.

The Black Isle, a peninsula just north of Inverness, is a favourite holiday destination for many. With a thriving population, attractive villages, a sandy beach and plenty to see and do, you could spend a whole week here and not get bored. Its draw is so strong that a few famous faces have even come to make it their home!

Although no one is sure of the origins of the name, one theory goes that the peninsula is named after its dark fertile soil. The area’s productivity is evident in the patchwork of farms – mostly arable but with the odd sheep or heilan coo! – that blankets the rolling hills. This is broken only by natural woodland, forestry and quaint villages.

Each of these villages has its own character – Fortrose, the largest, is lively with cafes, independent shops and several excellent restaurants. Rosemarkie, its smaller neighbour, sits on a sandy beach – complete with a beach café which sits firmly at the centre of the community. Cromarty’s ‘old town’ cottages date back hundreds of years, and its winding streets are dotted with cafes, shops and a fantastic museum.

The Black Isle’s claim to fame is Chanonry Point – the best pace in the UK, or even Europe, to spot bottlenose dolphins from the shore. At the turn of the tide, these spectacular creatures leap just meters from the waters edge as they chase the salmon upstream. Wildlife fans can spot plenty more animals too – red kites abound, otters grace the shores of both the Beauly and Cromarty Firths and several RSPB reserves are home to many migratory and resident birds.

Walkers are spoiled for choice here, with miles of forestry tracks criss-crossing the peninsula and real hidden gems including Rosemarkie’s Fairy Glen and a climb up the ‘South Sutor’ above Cromarty, where you can watch boats and eve dolphins coming in and out of the sheltered waters.

The Cromarty Firth, separating the Black Isle from the Tain peninsula to the north, houses a fleet of oil rigs as they come back to the shore for maintenance and storage. These huge structures are iconic of the Firth and arguably oddly attractive, particularly at night when they are lit up like Christmas trees!

The Black Isle is packed full of hidden treasures. Discover the ‘Pirate’s Graveyard’ above Cromarty, the waterfalls of the Fairy Glen, or the caves tucked at the far end of Rosemarkie beach.
The Black Isle is perfectly positioned to head west to Ullapool (under an hour), north to Tain and Dornoch or to pop into Inverness, the ‘capital of the Highlands’ – although there’s more than enough on the peninsula itself to fill a week!