Where to stay in Inverness: the best areas and hotels

Central Inverness gathers round the River Ness. The castle sits on its bluff on the east bank, the cathedral and Eden Court Theatre face it from the west, and footbridges bounce between the two. The Victorian Market and the High Street are just behind, and a riverside path leads upstream to the wooded Ness Islands. The railway station is in the middle of it all, and Loch Ness is only about six miles away.

Ness Walk is the five-star choice, with a riverside terrace and garden. Rocpool Reserve is a luxurious boutique hotel a few minutes from the High Street and the castle. Inverness Palace Hotel & Spa stands opposite the castle on the riverbank, with a pool and leisure club, and River Ness Hotel is a smart, central option near the Victorian Market.

East of the city lies Culloden Moor, where the Jacobite cause ended in 1746, and the ancient Clava Cairns nearby. The countryside around is dotted with mansions turned hotels, which give you Highland grandeur without a long drive. Inverness Airport is on this side of town too.

Culloden House is a stately Georgian mansion with 28 rooms, a spa and Adam's Dining Room. Kingsmills, whose history goes back to the 18th century, is a four-star hotel with a spa, a short way from the centre. Macdonald Drumossie, in nine acres of parkland with views over the Moray Firth, is a ten-minute drive from the centre, and Loch Ness Country House is a Georgian house in six acres with an award-winning restaurant.

Loch Ness runs south-west from Inverness for more than 20 miles, and two villages do most of the hosting. Drumnadrochit, about 13 miles from the city, has the Loch Ness Centre and the romantic ruin of Urquhart Castle on its headland. Fort Augustus, at the far southern tip, is prettier: the Caledonian Canal climbs through the middle of the village in a flight of locks, and boats queue to pass.

The Lovat is a Victorian hotel in Fort Augustus with a terrace, a garden and its own restaurant. The Highland Club has an indoor pool, tennis court and gym in a country-house setting, and Loch Ness Gate House has eight modern rooms on the canal bank. In Drumnadrochit, the family-run Loch Ness Drumnadrochit Hotel is a quarter of a mile from the loch.

Aviemore is the Highlands' adventure capital, a busy village in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. In winter it is Scotland's best-known ski base; the rest of the year it is all about walking, mountain biking, the Strathspey Steam Railway and the ancient pinewoods of Rothiemurchus. Inverness Airport is about 35 minutes away.

The Macdonald Aviemore Resort, near the railway station, has several hotels on one site: the stylish Highland Hotel with views of the Cairngorm Mountains, and the Aviemore Hotel, whose 108 family rooms sleep up to four and come with ski storage and a kids' club. Coylumbridge Resort Hotel has two indoor pools near the Rothiemurchus estate. For somewhere quieter, try a guesthouse in the handsome old town of Grantown-on-Spey.

Nairn is an old-fashioned seaside town on the Moray Firth, east of Inverness, with long sandy beaches, two championship golf courses and a reputation for dry, bright weather. Bottlenose dolphins live in the firth, and Cawdor Castle and Fort George are close by. It is a restful alternative to the city.

Golf View Hotel & Spa is the seafront favourite, with an indoor pool, tennis courts and a spa. The Newton Hotel is a castle-style retreat in 21 acres, looking over the Nairn Golf Course to the firth and the hills beyond. Cawdor House is a Victorian bed and breakfast with a garden and bikes to rent, and Carnach House is a five-room guesthouse with a full breakfast included.

Elgin is the main town of Moray, known for the magnificent ruin of its medieval cathedral and for its position on the edge of Speyside, home to more whisky distilleries than anywhere else in Scotland. Macallan is about 13 miles away, and the fishing villages of the Moray coast are a short drive north.

The Mansion House Hotel has 23 rooms with a terrace and garden. The Pines Guesthouse is within a ten-minute walk of the cathedral, with breakfast cooked to order, and the West End Guest House has six rooms and breakfast included. The Laichmoray Hotel has two bars and a restaurant.

North of Inverness, across the Black Isle, the land flattens into the farms and firths of Easter Ross. This is the start of the North Coast 500 touring route, and it has a surprising number of castles with bedrooms. Dornoch, with its 13th-century cathedral and famous golf links, is the prettiest town.

Glenmorangie House, near Tain, is a five-star hideaway by the sea. Kincraig Castle, once home to the Mackenzie clan, overlooks the Cromarty Firth. Tulloch Castle in Dingwall, 15 miles from Inverness, dates back to the 12th century and still has its dungeons, and Dornoch Castle is a 500-year-old fortress opposite the cathedral, with walled gardens.