TRIP 4 A DAY TRIP FROM INVERNESS JANUARY 2019

January 22, 2019

The 22nd January was a beautiful day, clear blue skies, no wind, but very cold. Just the day for a short trip away from the city.

Highland Gourmet Trips is not just about long journeys and hotel stays. We can do short, bespoke trips to take you away from the city out into some of the beautiful countryside less than an hour from home, with the added benefit of wildlife, history and a delightful meal.

Today's trip involved driving to an area of the Black Isle known as Balblair. It lies on the north side of the Isle and to get there you drive through some lovely little villages like Avoch, Fortrose and Rosemarkie. These are old fishing villages with a charm all of their own. Rosemarkie is well known for being one of the best places in the world to watch dolphins from the shore, as some of our previous guests (Bruce and Irene) can attest.

However, the villages are equally as interesting if you want to spend a little time meandering through the tight little streets, down by the harbour or, perhaps into the grounds and ruins of Fortrose Cathedral.

This amazing building in a quiet square in the centre of the village rests on the site of the Seat of the Bishops of Ross. There has been a diocese in this area from 700 AD. The oldest parts of the cathedral date from the 1300's.

This is a remarkably quiet and peaceful place to wander and spend some time in.

After you have soothed your soul in Fortrose, we carry on to Balblair. there is good walking here and you are very close to Udale Bay, home to hundreds of thousands of wintering wildfowl from Scandinavia and Iceland. If that is something of interest, we can take you to the best spots to watch these birds.

There are Ospreys here as well, and we know where they nest.

If, however, you want to get close to the many huge ocean liners that call into Invergordon, we can find you a good viewpoint for that too.

The views of the Cromarty Firth and the associated oil rigs are fascinating in themselves and well worth a look.

It is not just the Firth and the associated industry and wildlife which is of interest here. There are some fabulous views of the hills to the north and west along with some different wildlife attracted by the rich farmland that there is here.

You could get pretty close to Kestrels like this one hunting for mice and voles on the edges of the fields.

There are endless forest tracks with good access and views to the hills beyond.

Scotland's liberal Right to Roam allows you to wander into countryside that in other parts of the UK would be barred to you. We can devise walks to suit all abilities and to cover all interests.

You can be sure, that whatever you are looking for your eyes will always be drawn to some remarkable scenery.

Of course, all this outdoor activity just works up an appetite. Well, we know how to satisfy that as well!

One of the newer additions to the range of eating places in the Black Isle is less than a hundred yards from the tranquility of the cathedral at Fortrose.

IV10 is modern, innovative and relaxed. The food is well sourced and ethical, but most of all it is delicious, with something to suit all tastes.

They serve small plates throughout the day, so you can have a light snack or a selection of dishes to share, rather than one larger meal. For example, on our visit for lunch we shared three small plates, which was more than adequate to satisfy our hunger after some delightful walking in the Balblair area.

We shared Salt and pepper beef, with wasabi mayo and sweet pickled chillis, Butter beans on toasted sourdough topped with crispy kale and, finally, Spanish lentils with delicately spiced wood roasted cauliflower and tahini sauce.

These were all delightful. The beef was crispy and tender and the mayo had a touch of sweetness to offset the fire of the wasabi. The butter beans were soft and delicious in a very good tomato sauce. This was beans on toast taken to another level. The lentils were excellent, with just enough bite, while the cauliflower was truly wonderful.