Dornoch Station

One of the pleasures of last-minute trips is the absence of time to develop preconceived ideas of where you’re visiting. Our spontaneous trip to Dornoch Station meant we arrived late on an autumn Friday evening in the dark, without any sense of the Highland scenery Mrs Smith and I had driven through. The hotel is located just off the renowned NC500 route, approximately an hour north of Inverness. As we stepped inside, away from the near-zero temperatures, the cosy warmth of the lobby, with its rich wood and tartans, made the Highland setting feel real. Our sea-view suite continued the inviting Scottish aesthetic, and we gratefully settled in for the night.

The next morning, a bright and brittle sunlight poured into our room and we marvelled at the view of Dornoch Beach. Foam rollers were coming in off the sea and hardy golfers could be seen between the undulations of Dornoch’s famous links course. We planned to explore the area and go for a walk, but not before the hotel’s breakfast of local fare, which included Scotch pancakes, of course. As we sat drinking our coffee, planning our day, it became clear that Dornoch Station is ideally situated for exploring the upper Highlands, with an abundance of walks a short drive away. 

Full up and wrapped in our walking gear, we got in the hire car and drove along the coast towards Golspie, hugging Loch Fleet and stopping to watch the seals in the nature reserve. Although I usually don’t enjoy driving, I found myself rejoicing in the quiet, scenic roads, pulling over whenever we felt like it to admire the lochs and russet hues covering the hillsides.

We parked to tackle the short trek up to Golspie Burn gorge and waterfall. Since it's hidden behind the town, you might think this wasn’t the place for a secluded woodland glade, but in late autumn, the gorge is especially magical. Bronze leaves carpeted the winding path alongside the black, churning water, and the bridges crossing it were flanked by rock escarpments covered in ferns and mosses. The leafless birch trees were draped in 'old man’s beard', a lichen, which, against the pale sky, made the trees appear ethereal. As Mrs Smith and I stood beneath the heavy falls looking down the gorge, the reward for such a short walk felt unearned but no less magnificent.

After the falls, we decided to make our way back to Dornoch and walk along the sweeping sandy beach with its dunes and wading birds, then head for lunch in the quietly beautiful mediaeval town. By late afternoon, we returned to the hotel for a drink and a game of snooker in the cosy drawing room, which wouldn’t seem out of place in a period drama. Later, we enjoyed a very pleasant dinner in the restaurant before an early night in preparation for a day of exploring the upper Highlands.

We woke up on Sunday morning to clear skies, ahead of our drive to Ullapool on the north coast of Scotland. The journey took us through what must be the UK’s wildest landscape, as we travelled across mountains, lochs and remote villages. We stopped at Knockan Crag National Nature Reserve and marvelled at the blades of sunlight coming through the clouds, making the rock formations and lochs look even more striking. Ullapool is a working fishing port and the departure point for ferries to the Outer Hebrides. You're unlikely to find a more beautiful port town in the UK. We wandered around, did some shopping, and enjoyed fish and chips by the loch, which, on such a still day, acted as a perfect mirror for the hillsides and the dusk sky. Back at Dornoch Station, we spent another evening in its cosy, warm surroundings and reflected on how the hotel is the ideal place for exploring one of the UK’s most extraordinary natural landscapes.