Excursion in the fresh air (North Coast 500)

*Here the route from Inverness is described, but if you arrive on a cruise ship to Invergordon, then from there before the start of the excursion in the fresh air to the Fireish Monument is generally at hand.

Having passed two long bridges across the bays of the North Sea and left behind the Black Island, in the presence of clear weather, we are simply doomed to see on the high hill on the left something so grandiose and fundamentally different from the other man-made structures of Scotland that it can not go unnoticed. This is the Fairish Monument, built in the 18th century at a half-kilometer height by the Munro mountaineers under the leadership of General Hector Munro in memory of his victory in Madras. This grandiose construction several times the height of man, no matter how ridiculous it now seems, in those distant harsh times was perceived by the locals as a great blessing.

1. After driving through the small cozy town of Evanton, we turn on a narrow single-track, leading to the forest thicket. And here it is not superfluous to recall the film “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”, as some scenes of this film were shot in this fabulous Gorge, to which we will reach along a narrow, barely noticeable path. For many millions of years, water has been drilling its way in the Devonian red sandstones, and here is the result: an incredibly narrow crevice with a bubbling stream at forty-meter depth! The furiously rushing water so captivates the eye that you can stare at it for hours, forgetting about time. It is not surprising that in such a mysterious place was not without local legends.

2. Well, now is the time to climb the Fireish Monument and look at the Black Island and Cromarty Sea Bay from a bird's eye view. Hiking is quite possible even for younger students. In summer, you can pick berries along the way and marvel at the multicolor of heather and butterflies of various varieties.

3. After conquering Mount Fairish, it is logical to descend to the plain and, driving along the coast of the Moray Firth Sea Bay through the dramatic ruins of the Cathedral in Fortrose and the active golf courses, enjoy sea life on a long sand spit. Even in the absence of a tide, you can watch wild seals, dolphins and huge cormorants hunting Atlantic salmon here. If you’re lucky, we’ll all be there, but we’ll definitely meet some of the listed North Sea fauna!

By the way, from this spit, you can clearly see the active military Fort George, which turned with all its guns towards the sea bay. Binoculars are very useful here! Suddenly you will be able to watch the actions of the legendary Scottish battalion Black Watch, strolling along the sand spit and touching the crystal clear waters of the North Sea from time to time.