Legendary Highland Pictish Tour

Legendary Highland Pictish Tour

You will not find this Tour available anywhere else... this tour has been specificaly designed by Johnny to show off the Pictish Heritage right on our doorstep, following the beautiful east coast route from Inverness and Invergordon heading north we will visit areas very few visitors ever get to see.

The Picts were a unique race... even the Romans left them alone :)

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Anta Scotland, Fearn, Tain, Balintore IV20 1XW Scotland

Choose from ANTA’s complete range of hand decorated ceramics and plaid woollen textiles which reflect the contemporary, Scottish style of this luxury brand. The woollen yarns used in the carpets and tweeds are sourced from the Western Isles and woven in the Borders while the stunning oak furniture it manufactured in the Highlands. ANTA’s Highland shop is also the only place where customers have the opportunity to purchase seconds an end of line fabrics. The tearoom offers an appetising selection of homemade soups, scones, teas, coffees and home baked treats. Arrangements can be made in advance for children to paint their own ANTA mugs while the adults shop.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Mermaid of the North, East Street, Balintore IV20 1UA Scotland

The Mermaid of the North is part of the area’s Seaboard Sculpture Trail, which includes several other sculptures related to the sea, such as three giant salmon and three slate monuments.
In 2012 the mermaid was damaged by a severe storm. Originally made from wood and resin, she was not strong enough to withstand the stormy weather. In 2014 the mermaid was replaced with a bronze cast model and this was aided with a grant from the SSE. Every year the Mermaid lures many tourists to the area and is greatly valued by the locals.
The Mermaid’s origins are deep rooted in Easter Ross folklore; legend tells that once a fisherman stole a beautiful mermaid away to be his wife and hid her tail. Years later, after bearing his children, she found her tail and escaped back to sea, returning regularly to the shore to bring fish to her hungry children.


Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Hilton Of Cadbol Stone, Hilton, Tain IV20 1XE, UK

The Picts lived in north and east Scotland in the 3rd to 9th centuries AD. We know little of their history as very few written records survive, and none in the Pictish language.
There are a few inscriptions however which suggest that they spoke a language closely related to both Welsh and Gaelic. The name first appears in Roman sources as Picti, meaning ‘the decorated or painted people’ – perhaps a reference to tattooing or war paint. However this may be the latinised form of an older name. In Gaelic the Picts are called Cruithne – the Welsh form of which has given us ‘Briton’ and ‘Britain’. They intermarried with the Irish Scotti and jointly raided Roman Britain. There were also extensive contacts with Anglo-Saxon Northumbria. Both these interactions can be seen in the art of the later carved stones. From the 9th century, Picts and Scots were both ruled by a single king – although by then, Shetland, Orkney, Caithness, Sutherland, and the Hebrides were all under Norwegian control.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Tarbat Ness Lighthouse, Tarbat Ness, Portmahomack Scotland

The Tarbat Peninsula divides the Dornoch Firth and the Moray Firth, both of which can be seen if you complete the Tarbat Ness Walk, a wonderful coastal circuit of the Tarbat Ness headland, beginning and ending in the picturesque village of Portmahomack.

The origins of Portmahomack can be traced back to 800AD; the town was established by St Colmac, who on arrival, set up a priory. The town’s original church was built on the site of the priory in 1255, which was then replaced in 1756 by what is now known as the Old Tarbat Parish Church. Today, this building houses the Tarbat Discovery Centre – a local heritage museum, learning and activity centre, which is open between April and October each year. Here, you’ll gain a fascinating insight into the Pictish history of the area, and how this unique early culture helped shape the village as it is today.

Duration: 1 hour