The Jellicoe Express

The Jellicoe Express is a lovingly preserved steam train that sits as a monument to Scotland's railway heritage, right near Invergordon in the Highlands. It's the actual locomotive that once hauled passengers and freight across these dramatic landscapes, and you can clamber aboard to get a proper sense of what travel was like before motorways turned everything into a blur.

Historically minded folk will appreciate the engineering - these machines are genuinely impressive bits of kit once you're standing next to them. Kids often find the novelty of climbing through an actual steam engine more engaging than you'd expect, though it's a fairly quick visit rather than an all-day affair. Most people spend between thirty minutes to an hour here, depending on how deep you want to go into the mechanics.

There's something quite moving about seeing one of these beasts frozen in time, especially when you consider the routes it travelled through some of the most remote country in Britain. The location itself - with Invergordon not far off - means you can tie this into a proper Highland tour without much detour.

If you're staying at Newmore Highland Pods or Delny Glamping, both within a couple of miles, the Jellicoe Express makes for a straightforward morning stop before heading elsewhere. It won't set your heart racing if railways aren't your thing, but if you've got even a passing interest in how people moved around Scotland a century ago, it's worth the ten minutes off the main road.