Local Area Information
We love the Easter Ross peninsula so much that we built a house here, and we welcome you to discover it too. The Mandrel lies between the village of Portmahomack and the Tarbat Ness lighthouse.
Coastal walks
The Mandrel sits in the middle of a headland which has coastal paths on all sides for you to explore. There is a short walk around the tip of the headland from the Tarbat Ness Light house car park which is ideal for an evening stroll. For longer walks:
1. Drive to Portmahomack to follow the Tarbat Ness Circuit. Or you can split this walk into two separate coastal walks directly from The Mandrel:
- for the northern side of the headland, walk out of the house, turn left and walk up the road to Tarbat Ness Lighthouse. Take the coastal path to the north side of the peninsula to Portmahomack and then back up the road to the house. It's about 7 miles in total and makes for an ideal Sunday activity if you stop in The Castle Inn in Portmahomack for lunch.
- for the southern side of the headland, walk out of the house and turn right to walk down the road to Portmahomack. Walk past the golf course and school and follow the sign to Rockfield. Walk down into the village and turn left along the coastal path. At Tarbat Ness Lighthouse car park walk back to The Mandrel along the road.
2. Walk along Portmahomack beach. For a longer walk carry on towards the village of Inver.
3. If you are a party with two cars, leave a car at Balintore, drive back to Rockfield and walk along the south side of the peninsula to Balintore where you can stop for a drink or a meal in the Balintore Inn before picking your car up in Rockfield on the way home.
Local excursions
There is something for everyone within easy reach of The Mandrel. Here are our ideas for a morning or afternoon out on the peninsula and nearby Tain:
1. Visit the world-famous Glenmorangie Distillery and/or Balnain Distilllery, check out the contemporary art in Brown's Gallery in Tain and pick up some butteries at Harry Gow's bakery for tomorrow's breakfast. Walk up Tain Hill for wonderful views of the Dornoch firth and Tarbat Ness peninsula.
2. Drive through the seaboard fishing villages of Hilton, Balintore and Shandwick, have coffee or lunch in the Seaboard Memorial Hall or the Balintore Inn. Come home via the Anta factory shop.
3. Follow the Pictish trail including the Tarbat Discovery Centre in Portmahomack, the Shandwick and Hilton of Cadboll stones and the Nigg Stone. Visit Fearn Abbey with its origins in the 13th Century.
4. Hire a kayak or paddleboard from the Portmahomack Stores.
Ideas for a day out
If you fancy venturing further afield, here are some destinations within a 45-minute drive from The Mandrel.
1. A day trip to Dornoch with its historic castle and jail and magnificent cathedral. Eat out at Luigi's or pick up a takeaway at Surf and Turf to eat on the expansive beach.
2. In the summer months a two-car ferry runs between Nigg on the southern tip of the Easter Ross peninsula and Cromarty on the Black Isle. Leave your car at Nigg and spend a few hours admiring the Georgian merchant houses, independent shops and cafes of historic Cromarty, or go on a dolphin-viewing trip. (You may be lucky enough to see them from the ferry!)
3. Climb up to the Fyrish monument and visit the town of Alness and Dalmore Farm Shop.
4. Visit Dunrobin Castle, the home of the Duke of Sutherland.
Golf
The north-east of Scotland has become a destination for golfers looking to experience original links courses. You could plan a fabulous week playing these fantastic courses, all within striking distance of The Mandrel.
1. Tain Golf Course is described as 'Old Tom Morris's Jewel of the North'. It is only 20 minutes' drive from The Mandrel and has open competitions throughout the summer months.
2. The Royal Dornoch Golf Club offers a championship course which has been a destination for golfers from all over the world, as well as the less daunting Struie course, both within 30 minutes' drive of The Mandrel.
3. Further up the coast to the north of Dornoch are another two challenging links courses, Golspie and Brora, both within an hour's drive from The Mandrel.
4. In the other direction, Fortose and Rosemarkie Golf Course on the Black Isle, is the 15th oldest recorded golf course in the world and has featured in the Scottish Golf Tourism awards in 2024 and 2025.
5. If you wish to stay local, Portmahomack has its own nine-hole Tarbat Golf Course where you can buy a weekly green fee. It is only a mile away from The Mandrel and in a glorious coastal setting next to Ballone Castle.
Cycling
The area offers a great variety of loops with beautiful scenery and light traffic.
1. A local loop around the peninsula using Fearn and Balintore as Garmin waypoints. 22 miles/35 km.
2. A local loop around the peninsula using Lochslin and Balintore as Garmin waypoints. 15 miles/24 km
3. Cycle to Nigg (15 miles) to catch the ferry for lunch in Cromarty in the summer months and back again. 30 miles/48 km
4. Cycle to Nigg, catch the ferry to Cromarty, cycle to Dingwall and back along the north side of the Cromarty Firth via Evanton and Alness. Quiet roads avoiding the A9. 75 miles/ 120 km
5. A route into the hills using Tain, Edderton, Aultnamain, Ardross, Kildary, Arabella and Fearn as Garmin waypoints. 50 miles/80 km
Lots more ideas
Browse www.easterrosspeninsula.com for introductory itineraries and over 80 suggestions for things to do in the wider area.
