You’ll feel like a Highland insider at this white-washed former 17th-century shooting lodge which sits between woodland and Loch na Dal on Skye’s Sleat peninsula. Inside, cosy drawing rooms are warmed by log fires, with overstuffed sofas to sink into, and kelp-coloured tartans blending with Cole & Son wallpaper. Each of the rooms is individually styled with plush linens, Scottish textiles, and pieces from the Macdonald clan’s art collection. The food? Ultra-local and seasonal, from seafood to venison, rounded off with a dram beside that roaring fire. Quite possibly the best Sunday roast you’ll find this far north, too.

Eilean Donan Castle is one of Scotland’s most iconic sights, perched on a small tidal island where three sea lochs meet. Built in the 13th century, it’s been a clan stronghold, a Jacobite target, and a Hollywood backdrop – most famously in Highlander. 

Raasay’s Dùn Caan is everything a Highland hike should be – wild and utterly rewarding. The 15-kilometre trail winds over moorland, past hidden lochans, and up rocky ridges to the island’s highest point. From the flat-topped summit, the views are ridiculous – never-ending panoramas of Skye, the Inner Hebrides, and the Atlantic stretching to the horizon. Keep an eye out for buzzards circling above, and maybe even a red deer or two in the heather. Pack a picnic and soak it all in – it’s worth every huff and puff.

Beneath the jagged peaks of the Cuillin, Skye’s Fairy Pools are pure magic. Crystal-clear waterfalls tumble into aquamarine pools, daring you to dip your toes (or swim, if you’re very brave). Trails wind alongside rushing streams, mossy banks, and wildflowers, with dramatic mountains looming overhead. It’s a playground for walkers, photographers, and anyone who secretly wishes they could live in a storybook.