Run by local skipper Sarah since 2004, EcoVentures offers exhilarating wildlife-watching trips aboard a custom-built RIB, Saorsa. Departing daily from Cromarty Harbour, these two-hour tours provide up-close encounters with bottlenose dolphins, seals, seabirds, and occasionally minke whales. With a maximum of 12 passengers, nature enthusiasts can enjoy a personal and informative experience, kitted out with waterproof gear and accompanied by a knowledgeable guide.

Newhall Mains is a stylish rural retreat on the Black Isle, home to self-catering, dog-friendly cottages and countrified suites, with log burners and fully stocked kitchens to keep you going through the winter (and all seasons). Tuck into Scottish prime cuts and Cromarty seafood on the asado grill at the on-site restaurant, sip cocktails in the Japanese-inspired whisky bar, or take a scenic flight from the private airstrip (the young owner is also a fully-fledged pilot). For those venturing out, picnic hampers are available to pack for day trips.

Crafting 100% organic beers from its own farm, this cult beerhouse offers a range of ales and lagers brewed without isinglass. Its quaintest overnight offering comes in the form of a handcrafted shepherd’s hut on the farm, providing a rustic retreat with views over organic fields.  

There is luxury, and then there is Aldourie Castle Estate. Amidst 500 acres of gardens, meadows, and greenhouses, stands Aldourie Castle. With such a grand exterior, the rooms are remarkably less austere; instead, they are homely and comfortable. Our highlight is The Boathouse: carved in the shape of a boat's hull, watch the sunset over Loch Ness. It's magical.