Black Isle

First things first: it’s not an island. It’s a peninsula sticking out between two firths, and most NC500 drivers blast straight past it. Their loss. The Black Isle is one of the best early detours on the whole route, and Chanonry Point is the single best place in Britain to watch wild dolphins from dry land.

What to See

Head straight for Chanonry Point, a narrow spit of land near Fortrose. Bottlenose dolphins come right into the shallows here to hunt salmon, and we’re talking metres from shore. They leap, they spin, they’re massive. The trick is timing — arrive about an hour before high tide on a rising tide. Check tide times before you go. Bring binoculars but honestly, they’re so close you might not need them.

The parking at the Point is tiny and fills up fast on summer afternoons. Get there early or accept a short walk from the Fortrose Cathedral car park, which is worth seeing anyway. The ruins are atmospheric, medieval, and free.

Walk the beach from Rosemarkie to find caves carved into the red sandstone cliffs. Locals call it the Fairy Glen. Keep going past the main beach and you’ll have it to yourself.

At the tip of the peninsula, Cromarty is a beautifully preserved 18th-century town. Colour-washed houses, narrow lanes, and Hugh Miller’s Cottage (the geologist who figured out fossils before Darwin got famous). There’s a tiny two-car ferry from Cromarty across to Nigg — a shortcut north that saves you doubling back.

Where to Eat

The Black Isle Brewery near Munlochy does excellent organic ales and you can visit the taproom. The Plough Inn in Rosemarkie is solid for pub lunch. Cromarty has a couple of good cafes on the harbour.

Getting There & Parking

Loop through on the A832 from Inverness. The whole peninsula is manageable in half a day. Parking at Chanonry Point is very limited — 20 spaces, maybe. The Cromarty ferry runs April to October and takes about five minutes. It’s two cars at a time, so expect a short wait.

Insider Tips

The dolphins are here year-round, but June to September is prime time when the salmon are running. Don’t bother in rough weather — they feed in calm conditions. If you miss them at Chanonry, try the shore at Fortrose harbour instead. And if someone tells you the Black Isle got its name because it never gets snow — that’s probably a myth, but it is noticeably milder than everywhere else on the route.