Will be arriving into Inverness in a Sat night and then spending the whole of Sunday there. Any suggestions of where to go for good viewpoints/scenery please?

trip is in early October.

i will be renting a car for the day aswell but really just want to take some good snaps!


thanks in advance!

You could head down the A82 and take in Loch Ness. That would be an easy day trip with a car. Or to the north-west you have Ullapool which is not much more than an hour away. Or less than an hour south into the Cairn Gorm mountains near Aviemore where you have a funicular railway to take you to the mountain tops.

Loch Ness is obviously the big tourist magnet with all the tatty souvenir shops you would expect. It is still a stunningly beautiful area though.

thanks so much DaveS

I'm currently in Tain/Dornoch/Golspie, up the A9 to the northeast. It's about an hour outside of Inverness. There are laybys on both sides of the Cromarty and Dornoch Firth bridges which should allow for good photos.

If you get an early start and have more than an hour, drive to Helmsdale, north of Brora, and take the A897. This single-track road goes all the way to the northern mainland and will afford multiple opportunities for pictures of old croft houses, streams, and mountains. Of course, trying to complete the whole road, even taking the A836 back to the A9 through Reay, Thurso, and Wick, might push up against the limits of October sunshine.

As an alternative on the A9, for man-made sights, there's Dunrobin Castle just outside Golspie. The Castle itself is impressive, and the surrounding, extremely tailored gardens are a visual treat.

There's some things here that might interest you or give you food for thought:

12 Amazing Activities & Things to do in Inverness

9 Hidden Gems You Mustn't Miss around Loch Ness

Fort William

You haven't asked, but just in case you are looking for a good restaurant in Inverness, I thoroughly recommend Rocpool.

Thank you all

Within Inverness town itself, it is certainly worth the gentle stroll up the hill around the castle, especially if it's a nice day. You'll get a lovely view from the little green where the Flora Macdonald statue is. The Ness Bridge below will also give you a nice photo op. Further south, it's worth a stroll on the Ness Islands, where you'll likely encounter a few locals and their dogs.

Incidentally, if you have access to iPlayer, worth watching this episode of Great Coastal Railway Journeys which begins in Inverness. It's on BBC4 as I type (and reminded me to reply to this thread ).

Then along the river to Johnny Foxes?

Thanks for all the suggestions. Had a great time last weekend despite the very wet weather.

hired a car and went down to the Loch Ness and then up to Fort Augustus and over to Ullapool. Also stopped by in Avoch and the Dingwall bridge. Was sunnier on Monday so went around on the open top tour bus.

had a great time!

thanks again