Inverness

Thirty thousand residents call this Highland capital home, yet it maintains the feel of a proper Scottish market town. The River Ness cuts through the centre, with Victorian terraces climbing the hills on either side and the distinctive Tomnahurich hill - known locally as the Hill of the Fairies - rising like a green whale's back to the south.

Inverness Museum & Art Gallery tells the story of the Highlands through Pictish stones and Jacobite relics, while the Flora Macdonald statue reminds you of the area's rebellious past. The town centre's compact - you can walk from the train station to the Falcon Square Mercat Cross in ten minutes, passing war memorials that speak to the Highland regiments' proud military tradition.

What makes Inverness special isn't just the town itself but its position as gateway to the Highlands. Loch Ness stretches southwest for 23 miles, with ancient castles dotting its shores. The Cairngorms National Park lies an hour's drive south, while the wild beauty of Sutherland and Caithness beckons northward.

Rail connections are excellent - the Highland Main Line brings you here from Edinburgh in three and a half hours, while the Far North Line continues to Thurso if you fancy the real wilderness. The A9 makes driving straightforward, though it's a proper trek if you're coming from the south.

Staying at one of the nearby holiday parks makes perfect sense. Loch Ness Glamping puts you right by the famous loch, while Beauly Holiday Park offers easy access to both Inverness and the dramatic coastline around the Beauly Firth. The Highlands are too vast to tackle from a city hotel - you need a base that lets you wake up among the mountains.