St Mary's Eskadale

The church sits quietly in the glen, grey stone against Highland sky, and you'll find yourself alone more often than not. St Mary's Eskadale is a proper slice of Scottish ecclesiastical history - simple, unadorned, and all the better for it. The building itself dates back centuries, though what you see today is mostly 19th-century restoration work. Inside, it's refreshingly free of the Victorian fussiness that mars some Scottish kirks. Whitewashed walls, a few wooden pews, and enough peace to actually think.

This one works best for walkers and history types rather than families after an afternoon's entertainment. You're looking at twenty minutes maximum inside, though the surrounding landscape rewards a longer potter about. Beauly, just down the road, is your nearest proper town if you need supplies or a pub afterwards.

If you're based at one of the nearby glamping spots - Highland Premier Glamping Pods or Loch Ness Glamping are both excellent - St Mary's makes a sensible detour on a morning walk. It's free to visit, naturally, and opens whenever daylight permits. The real draw isn't the building itself so much as the atmosphere and the walk to get there. On a moody Highland afternoon, with mist rolling down the glen, it's exactly the sort of place that justifies a Scottish holiday. Don't expect something grand or Instagram-ready. Come here for the quiet instead.