When many people imagine the Scottish Highlands, they think of quaint little castles, stunning blue lochs and fun little spots that you might not find anywhere else in the world. Although you can find these things all over the Scottish Highlands, one of the places you can clearly see this in Lochalsh is Dornie. On my first visit to the Scottish Highlands 7 years ago, I spend my first full day here exploring Dornie and soaking up this wonderful spot.
Visit the Stunning Eilean Donan Castle
I distinctly remember that first weekend I visited the Highlands. My friend and I were visiting for the first time from Glasgow and my now husband wanted to show us a pretty local castle that he was calling Dornie Castle. As we arrived, I realised that he was, in fact, talking about Eilean Donan Castle, somewhere that I had spent a few months researching because I wanted to visit.
Possibly the most iconic castle in the Scottish Highlands, Eilean Donan is a picture perfect castle built on a wee island off the Scottish mainland where three lochs meet (sounds romantic, huh?) I first went for a look around Eilean Donan in 2018 and I really enjoying learning more about the MacRae clan (who own the castle) and the history of this little castle.
Eat a Sticky Bun at All the Goodness
That first year that I started coming up to the Highlands, 2016, we also discovered a fantastic local spot that we've contnued to visit for years. All the Goodness is a little bakeshop and coffee spot just opposite Eilean Donan Castle. They sell delicious homebaked goods, but nothing compares to their amazing sticky buns that they sell during the weekends. When they are open during the summer months, you can often find me frequenting their garden overlooking the castle, enjoying a cinammon and vanilla sticky bun.
Explore Manuela's Wee Bakery
So many people come to visit the Scottish Highlands to explore the magic of this wonderful place. At Manuela's Wee Bakery in Ardelve, you don't have to look very far to see a little bit of magic.
Dotted around Manuela's garden are the most incredible fairy cottages-it feels like you have walked into a fairytale! As well as a chance to explore the little fairy cottages and gardens, Manuela's also sells incredible sweet and savoury bakes, as well as homemade bread. On the same site, there is also Pizza Jo to Go (selling takeaway pizzas) and Fairytale Distillery (selling gins and other homemade spirits). Manuela's Wee Bakery is a fantastic spot to explore in the Dornie area and a great place to grab something to take home with you.
There are so many other things that Dornie has to offer, including dinner spots and beautiful walks, but for now, here are my top 3 things to do in this lovely Lochalsh village. You will have to visit and go exploring yourself to find out more of Dornie's treasures!
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