Dornoch

Along with the pleasure of discovering a new area's history there is enjoyment to be found in exploring its geography. Today's visit made Dornoch the fourth - after Helmsdale, Brora, Tain and Golspie itself - of the small local towns/villages we have been to, and each has its own charm. Dornoch is pretty in a chocolate box tourist way, rather like a Cotswold village, with its warm stone buildings, neat shops and typically Scottish clean-ness. It's packed with history too, with some interesting interpretation boards relating to the clearances and, despite its small size, a cathedral, old law courts and a jail, now closed.

Dornoch is perhaps best-known for its very highly-regarded championship links golf course, the word 'links' referring to it being on sandy, dune ground, but it also has a long sand beach where we enjoyed a walk. Even though the sun had been up for some time both golf course and beach were still rimed with frost, and the surrounding countryside was white with a hoar frost.

Pretty little town that it may be, we wouldn't put Dornoch high on our list of places in which to settle. The first proper Highland hill is miles away, there is no rail station and, although its shops include an excellent hardware store, it hasn't half the services which Golspie boasts; and we met far too many people on the beach, a good dozen in the hour we walked it.