Muir of Ord lies at the western end of the Beauly Firth. Our location has much to offer locally and is an ideal touring base for the Scottish Highlands.

We are close to the Highland capital, Inverness, and are well placed for exploring the Black Isle and Loch Ness. Immediately to our west lies beautiful, wild country from Glen Affric to Strathconon. Within an hour's drive you can visit Dornoch, Ullapool on the west coast, or the Cairngorms.

Head west on day trips to Skye or Fort William, to Applecross and Torridon, or to the stunning landscapes of Assynt and Coigach. To the east lies Moray with its castles and distilleries. Or you could visit the north coast and John O'Groats.

General information: There is plenty of information available for visitors to Scotland on the Internet or in your local bookshop - one good place to try is Undiscovered Scotland. Sites for more local information include www.black-isle.info and www.glenaffric.info.

Transport links: Inverness Airport, only half an hour by road from Muir of Ord, has a growing number of routes including London flights operated by low cost airlines - visit the Highlands and Islands Airports Limited web site for details. Car rental, including most of the major brands, is available at the airport and in Inverness.

Inverness is served by main line rail services and bus services from other Scottish centres. Muir of Ord is on the Inverness/Wick and Inverness/Kyle of Lochalsh rail routes, and is served by local bus services.

Muir of Ord: Our local village has shops, pubs, a golf course and the Glen Ord Distillery.

Beauly: Just down the road the neighbouring village of Beauly has an ancient Priory and the 'Made in Scotland' craft centre and shop. Moniack Castle Winery is nearby too.

Inverness: A vibrant, growing centre with a full range of shops and services - only 15 minutes drive away.

Loch Ness: there's more to Loch Ness than just a monster - visit www.visitlochness.net.

Castles and historic sites: It is not far to Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness, Fort George, Culloden battlefield, Cawdor Castle, Fortrose Cathedral and Clava Cairns. Eilean Donan, Brodie and Dunrobin Castles are well worth a trip too. Visit Historic Scotland and The National Trust for Scotland for more information.

Wildlife: The Moray Firth dolphins are a great attraction and the area also offers excellent bird watching - check the RSPB for details.

Golf: Fine golf courses can be found locally at Muir of Ord, Fortrose, Strathpeffer, and Aigas. Inverness has three courses too, while the world famous championship links courses at Nairn and Royal Dornoch are within easy reach. Or try Aviemore's superb new Spey Valley championship course - details can be found at aviemoregolf.com.