The Ferry Inn - The last hotel on the A9, The Ferry Inn at Scrabster is newly renovated and has wonderful sea views. Just north of Thurso, Scrabster Harbour is the gateway to the Orkney Islands. The renowned restaurant, The Upperdeck, has a fantastic steakhouse and also specialises in locally caught seafood. The lively Popeye's is a public bar with a wide-screen TV showing sporting events. The en suite bedrooms have tea/coffee facilities and flat-screen TVs with Freeview channels.

Craigdarroch House - With a superb quiet location in a Highland forest near Falls of Foyers waterfall, Craigdarroch House has open log fires and stunning panoramic views of Loch Ness. Craigdarroch House has a restaurant in which you can savour a candle-lit dinner in the dining room, with views of the loch and the hills beyond. Bar meals are served all day. The lounge bar has a fine malt whisky collection of 130 whiskies. Relax with a book or watch the wildlife in the surrounding woodland from the comfort of the hotel's conservatory. On the hillside above Loch Ness, Craigdarroch House is great for guests who want to stay in an area of outstanding natural beauty and explore the Highland area.

Invernairne - Invernairne has a great position overlooking the Moray Firth, and from the garden you can stroll down a path to the beach. This historic mansion has one of the best positions in Nairn, and many of its rooms overlook the sea. Try and spot dolphins, seals, yachts or a beautiful sunset. Invernairne has free Wi-Fi and excellent breakfasts are available. A baronial lounge bar is open until the early evening and hosts a log fire in cooler months.

The Brown Trout Hotel - Situated in the historic village of Watten, near Loch Watten, this family-run hotel provides a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, complemented by comfortable accommodation and fantastic home-cooked food. An ideal base for fishing, Loch Watten is the second largest loch in Caithness, and is renowned for its wild brown trout - from which the hotel takes its name. The Brown Trout Hotel is also just 7 miles from the picturesque fishing port of Wick and 14 miles from the historic town of Thurso.