Dalarossie Church

The little Kirk sits alone on the moorland between Inverness and Tomatin, surrounded by nothing but heather and the occasional passing car. Dalarossie Church is one of those places that catches you off-guard - you round a bend and suddenly there's this white-harled stone building, centuries old, just standing there as if time forgot about it.

Inside, it's properly simple. No fussy Victorian additions, no overcomplicated stonework. The church dates back centuries and feels genuinely used rather than preserved like a museum piece. There's a genuine quietness to the place that you don't often find - the kind where you can actually hear the wind outside and the old wood creaking.

It's not a destination that'll keep you occupied for hours. Twenty minutes here, thirty if you're thorough about reading the gravestones and taking in the highland views. But that's rather the point. It's the sort of stop that works brilliantly if you're driving between Inverness and the Cairngorms, or if you're based at Tomatin Glamping Pods and fancy a proper walk across the moorland.

Families with restless kids won't find much to hold attention, but if you're interested in Scottish rural churches or just want to sit somewhere genuinely peaceful for a bit, it's well worth the detour. Admission appears to be free - these small highland kirks usually are. The landscape around it is genuinely lovely in late summer and autumn when the heather's flowering.