5 Best Sights in Forres, Inverness and Around the Great Glen

The smallest distillery in Moray was founded in 1898. It's now owned by whisky specialist Gordon and MacPhail and produces an array of distinctive (often slightly peaty) malts, as well as its distinctive Red Door gin. An informative hourly tour will lead you through the facilities, including seeing the poignant signatures of distillery managers before and after a 15-year closure in the late 20th century. Tours end with a tutored nosing and tasting.

A magnificent, medieval turreted fortification, Brodie Castle was rebuilt and extended in the 17th and 19th centuries. Consequently, there are fine examples of late-17th-century plasterwork preserved in the Dining Room and Blue Sitting Room, as well as a superb collection of artworks from the Old Masters up to the modern day. You'll also find an impressive library and beautiful gardens with more than 400 varieties of daffodils. The castle is around 4 miles west of Forres, on the road from Nairn.

The final port of call on the Malt Whisky Trail, the Dallas Dhu Historic Distillery was the last such facility built in the 19th century and was still in operation until the 1980s. Today, its distillery rooms—from the malt barn to the still house to the bonded warehouses—make up a fascinating exhibition that tells the story of Scotland's national drink. You'll be walked through the entire whisky-making process by an audio-tour guide, before eventually arriving in the bar to taste a dram and watch an entertainingly dated video.

This fascinating, self-sufficient community project began in 1962 and is still going strong 60 years later. Dedicated to developing "new ways of living infused with spiritual values," the ecovillage draws its power from wind turbines, local farms, and gardens. You can wander around the village yourself for free, pick up a book for a self-guided tour (£7), or join a thought-provoking guided tour (£8, times and days vary by season so check the website) at the visitor center. The latter offers the most insight into the lives of the ultra-independent villagers, as well as a peek at some fascinating architectural quirks, from homes built out of whisky barrels to the Universal Hall, filled with beautiful engraved glass. Elsewhere, the Phoenix Shop sells organic foods and handmade crafts, and the Blue Angel Café serves organic and vegetarian fare. It's a short stroll from the ecovillage to Findhorn, with its pretty harbor and popular beach.

At the eastern end of Forres stands Sueno's Stone, a 22-foot-tall pillar of stone carved with the ranks of soldiers from some long-forgotten battle. Nobody can quite agree on how old it is or what battle it marked, but its intricate Pictish carvings suggest it is from the early medieval period, probably erected between AD 600 and 1000.