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The eastern part of the Highland area has a variety of attractions, from the city of Inverness and town of Nairn to little villages like Drumnadrochit, from lovely beaches at Nairn and Rosemarkie to fabulous scenic glens like Glen Affric, Glen Cannich, Strath Farrar and Strath Conon.
Nairn is a dignified seaside town with many large Victorian houses and a fine beach looking across to the Black Isle. The harbour area has recently undergone a facelift and an interesting part is the old Fishertown where old houses jostle together on narrow streets. There are two golf courses, including a Championship course, host to the Scottish Open in 1999.
Nearer to Inverness is Culloden Battlefield, site of the last battle on British soil, where Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Highland clans were defeated by the government troops and those on their side. The prehistoric Clava Cairns, believed to have been constructed about 4,000 years ago, are a short drive from the Battlefield.
Inverness itself, the capital of the Highlands and Britain's newest city has road, rail and air connections to other parts of Scotland and the rest of Britain. Quiet in winter, in summer Inverness welcomes an influx of visitors from all over the world. Most of them come to see Loch Ness but spend some time in Inverness shopping, enjoying the floral displays around the town or wandering along the beautiful riverside. Walking along here visitors can explore the series of little islands in the river, interconnected by bridges. The Floral Hall surprises visitors with an amazing display of exotic cacti while families can enjoy the nearby Aquadome.

Inverness and the River Ness
From Inverness there are cruises on Loch Ness and boat trips on the Moray Firth to see the bottle-nosed dolphins, one of only two colonies in British coastal waters.
The road on the south-east side of Loch Ness is quiet with lovely views and forest walks. In spring the mossy banks along the roadside are covered in primroses.
Coming north again on the other side along the A82, brings you to Drumnadrochit, an attractive village with cafes and craft shops. Close to Drumnadrochit are the ruins of Urquhart Castle watching over Loch Ness and a vantage point for monster hunting. From Drumnadrochit westwards, the A831 road through Glen Urquhart passes the site of Corrimony ancient chambered cairns. It then leads to Cannich and the magnificent Glen Affric, well known as one of the loveliest glens in Scotland.
It is about 40 miles from Inverness to the top of the glen with some narrow stretches of road but it is a highly recommended excursion. The first part is narrow and wooded but further on the glen opens out to give wonderful views of mountains and lochs and plenty of opportunity to take scenic photographs.
Not far from Glen Affric, but not so well known, is Glen Cannich where there is always a good chance of seeing deer. In autumn, just listen for a while and you will probably hear the stags on the hills roaring or be lucky and see an eagle soaring above. In the same area is Strath Farrar, where it is necessary to sign in at the gate-keeper's cottage and access can sometimes be restricted because it is controlled as a nature reserve and is one of the few remaining examples of the old Caledonian pine forests.
From Cannich it makes a good circle to take the road following the River Beauly back to Inverness, maybe calling into Beauly itself where visitors can see beautiful Scottish made craft items, knitwear, glassware etc at the Made In Scotland exhibition and shop. The route from Beauly to Inverness skirts the Moray Firth with beautiful views to Ben Wyvis to the north and spectacular sunsets over the water.
North of Inverness via the A9 to Tore roundabout, take the A862 to Contin where you can turn off up Strathconon, notable for its varied and beautiful scenery. Deer and eagles can sometimes be seen by the alert. Try watching for an eagle above the hillside on the right of the road just after you pass the small church.