3 days
Three days from Inverness
A city bed, the river islands, a day up to Tain, and the pinewood loch near Aviemore.
Inverness has the beds, the station, and the roads going out like spokes. A fine place to unpack once.
Day one. Arrive and stay put. Walk the Ness Islands and eat in town. The Malt Room is the bar if you want one, a short walk from the station. The distillery is tomorrow, when you are not already tired from a flight or the A9.
Day two. Glenmorangie in Tain. Book the tour. Cocoa Mountain in Dornoch is the chocolate stop, and it sits nicely on the way. Back to Inverness afterwards, or a night in Tain if the bags are feeling brave. The firth is the scenery, and it does not need improving.
Day three. South into the Cairngorms by train as far as the strath allows, or with someone happy at the wheel. Dalwhinnie if you are staying nearby. Otherwise Landmark at Carrbridge, or the walk round Loch an Eilein near Aviemore.
Skye and Mull prefer a night of their own. They have never been an afternoon. 8 Doors, at John o’ Groats, is further again, and it wants the top of the map to itself.