2 Best Sights in The Northern Highlands and the Western Isles, Scotland

Discover Ring of Bright Water, Gavin Maxwell's much-loved account of his work with otters on the island of Eilean Ban, at this center just across the bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh, 8 miles east of Broadford. There's an interesting exhibit illustrating Maxwell's work, as well as displays on local history—including, most obviously, a 70-foot-tall, 165-year-old lighthouse designed by Robert Louis Stevenson's father. The center also offers wildlife tours that promise otters, seals, and birdlife.

Learn more about life in the Western Isles and trace your Hebridean ancestry at this informative visitor center. Photographs and interpretive signs reveal the long and turbulent history of Harris and its residents, with the owners organizing guided walks and cultural evenings every week between May and September.