Chanonry Point

Chanonry Point juts into the Moray Firth from the Black Isle between Fortrose and Rosemarkie. A narrow spit of land called Chanonry Ness ends at the point, where an active lighthouse designed by Alan Stevenson has guided ships since 1846. The lighthouse has been fully automated since 1984 and is now run by the Northern Lighthouse Board. Nearby, Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club occupies most of the promontory. A memorial stone marks the spot where the 17th-century seer Coinneach Odhar, known as the Brahan Seer, was executed. The point is one of the best places in the UK to watch bottlenose dolphins from land. They appear most often when salmon return to the rivers Ness and Beauly with the incoming tide. Grey seals and porpoises also pass by regularly, while otters visit occasionally. University of Aberdeen researchers work from a field station at nearby Cromarty to study the dolphins year-round. Boat trips from Cromarty, Avoch and Inverness offer another way to see them, and the Dolphin and Seal Centre at North Kessock runs summer watch sessions. Visitors reach the point by walking along a path from Rosemarkie, which takes about twenty minutes. The lighthouse grounds are private and the walls unsafe, so the path stays clear of them. The tip of the point is exposed with little shelter even in summer, but the views across the firth are wide and open. Dolphins often leap close to shore when the tide turns, especially around midsummer afternoons. A small pier and cottages sit near the road end, and the nearest facilities are in Rosemarkie village.