🗺️ NC500 Attractions

Glenmorangie Distillery at Tain is one of Scotland's most celebrated and visited whisky distilleries, famed for its extraordinary pot stills — at 5.14 metres, the tallest in Scotland, said to give the spirit its distinctive light, floral character. Founded in 1843 on the site of a former brewery, Glenmorangie produces a range of single malts that are matured in a var…

Dalmore Distillery sits on the southern shore of the Cromarty Firth near Alness, producing one of Scotland's most recognised and prestigious single malts. Founded in 1839, Dalmore is renowned for its unusual 12-sided wash stills — unique in Scotch whisky production — and…

Balblair is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, with origins in 1790, sitting in the Eddern Valley south of Tain. The distillery produces vintage-dated expressions rather than age-stated releases — meaning each bottling is from a sp…

Tarbat Castle near Portmahomack on the Tarbat Peninsula survives only as scant remains — little more than earthworks and a few stone fragments — but the site is historically significant as part of the broader Portmahomack complex that includes one of Scotland's most important Pictish monastery sites. The adjacent Tarbat Discovery Centre tells the remarkable story of the excavations that uncovered evidence of a major Pi…

Portmahomack Beach is a gently sloping, picturesque sandy beach on the Tarbat Peninsula with safe, shallow swimming and a south-facing aspect making it one of the sunniest spots on the eastern route. The village of Portmahomack is a charming former fishing community with a good pub and café. The Tarbat Discovery Centr…