The Aird

Moniack Castle is a 16th-century tower house located 7 miles (11 km) west of Inverness, and just south of Beauly in Highland, Scotland. The castle was built in 1580 by members of the Clan Fraser. The castle is protected as a category B listed building.

Inchmore (Scottish Gaelic: Innis Mhòr, meaning "Large Island in the Marsh") in the Highland council area of Scotland, just south of the Beauly Firth. It is 0.9 miles southeast (1.5 km) southeast of the village of Kirkhill and 6.2 miles (10 km) west of Inverness. The A862 runs directly through the middle of the village. Historically, part of the village was known as Bogroy, from the Scottish Gaelic "Bòg Ruadh" meaning "Reddish-brown bog". Although the bog has since been drained, the village's pub, the Old North Inn, is colloquially still known as "The Bogroy". The village has a progressive art gallery within the old church, showcasing new works by Highland artists.

Kirkhill (Scottish Gaelic: Cnoc Mhoire, meaning "Big Hill") is a small village and civil parish in the Highland council area of Scotland. It is 10 miles (16 km) west of Inverness and 2 miles (3.2 km) southeast of Beauly, close to the south opening of the Beauly Firth.The village of Kirkhill encompasses the historic parish of Wardlaw to its north, the two areas merging in 1618.Kirkhill also has a village hall and primary school, Kirkhill Primary, with a catchment area including Inchmore, Lentran, Drumchardine, Cabrich, Bunchrew, Clunes and Newtonhill.

Clunes railway station was a railway station on the Inverness and Ross-shire Railway, on the Inverness to Dingwall section. It was situated to the north of the village of Kirkhill. The line became part of the Highland Railway on 1 February 1865, then, at grouping in 1923, it became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway. A passing loop was opened at Clunes in 1904. In 1914, this became the end of a 6 mile long double track section from Clachnaharry. This section reverted to single track in 1966.

Moniack Burn (Scottish Gaelic: Mon-ìothag, meaning "Burn of the Corn Moss") is a small river in the Highland council area of Scotland. The stream flows from the hills of the Aird, its source near the hamlet of Foxhole, passing the settlements of South Clunes, Easter, and Kirkhill before draining into the Beauly Firth. In the past, Moniack was the name given both to the burn and its surrounding area. According to a late-14th century transumpt of charters detailing the bishopric of Moray, Moniack (or Munythoc), was one of the nine davochs of Dunballoch, a former parish in modern-day Kirkhill.In the Wardlaw Manuscript, written by the Rev. James Fraser in 1666, Moniack is referred to as the "Burn of Jack"—believed to be a corruption of its original Gaelic name. In 1637, the river suffered severe flooding, destroying several houses and drowning livestock in Easter.The river is also known as "Newton Burn" at its mouth, near the village of Kirkhill.

Lentran is a small hamlet in the Highland council area of Scotland. It is 1.8 miles (3 km) east of Kirkhill and 5 miles (8 km) west of Inverness, on the south shore of the Beauly Firth. The area was served by Lentran railway station as part of the Inverness and Ross-shire Railway, which opened in 1862. However, the station closed to passengers in 1960 and goods in 1964.In the past, Lentran was part of a much larger area of land known as Drumchardine (now situated just south of Inchmore). In the late 17th century however, the lands making up the hamlet were bought by John Mackenzie of Clan MacFarlane. They were then sold to a Mr. Warrand in 1787, and until 1812 the estate was known as "Warrandfield". It was then bought by Major Thomas Fraser of Clan Fraser, and restored to its former name.The name Lentran is of uncertain origin; some theories suggest it was previously called "Lanthon", though this is disputed. In July 1963, Lentran saw a flock of 153 Canada geese land on its shores, following a few, much smaller incidents in Yorkshire the year before. This was the first evidence of moult-migration for the bird within the British Isles.

Lentran railway station was a railway station serving Lentran on the Inverness and Ross-shire Railway, on the Inverness to Muir of Ord section opened in 1862. The line became part of the Highland Railway on 1 February 1865, then, at grouping in 1923, it became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway. Initially it had two platforms on an extended loop and there was a small single siding with a loading bay. From 1, June 1914 the section between Clachnaharry and Clunes, which included Lentran, was doubled and was the only such track north of Inverness. There was a small timber-clad station building with a shelter and a small fifteen lever signal cabin The station closed in 1960 though the line is still in use as a single track controlled by Radio Electronic Token Block as part of the Far North Line. However, for one weekend in March 1982, Lentran had to reopen and serve as the line terminus while repair work was carried out on the canal bridge at Clachnaharry.

Cabrich (Scottish Gaelic: Cabarach, meaning "Place of Tree-trunks") is a scattered crofting community in the Highland council area of Scotland. It is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northeast of the village of Kiltarlity, and around 11 miles (17 km) west of Inverness. Situated on a gently sloping hill, Cabrich is roughly a mile square and is a popular site for cyclists, runners, and wild-campers. It has a wide variety of wildlife including deer, rabbits, and a large amount of pheasants. Many of its fields are used for sheep-farming. The area is described in the Aird local walking guide as "a peaceful valley", with no special footwear required.

Blàr nam Fèinne (Battlefield of the Fingalians) on Cnoc na Moine (Hill of the Peat) in The Aird, to the west of Inverness, is the site of the 11th century battle between Scottish forces led by Malcolm III of Scotland and Norwegian forces led by Thorfinn the Mighty.The site is also traditionally believed to be the location at which Domhnall Ballach, leader of Clan Donald, and his forces were defeated in the 15th century.

Belladrum (Scottish Gaelic: Baile an Druim, meaning "Farm of the Ridge") is a small settlement in the Highland council area of Scotland. It is about 0.9 miles (1.4 km) east of the village of Kiltarlity, and 9 miles (14.5 km west) of Inverness. Belladrum is synonymous with the Belladrum Estate, a large area of land once owned by Clan Fraser of Lovat, before being sold to the Gibbs' family in 1857.In the early 16th century, Belladrum was one of two davochs of Moy, under rulership of the Barony of the Aird. It was confirmed by King James IV to the Haliburton family (an offshoot of Clan Chisholm) in the year 1512Nowadays, Belladrum is better-known for its Tartan Heart Festival, a rapidly-growing music and arts festival that has in recent years seen acts like Tom Jones, Jess Glynne, and Lewis Capaldi. The Belladrum Estate is also a popular site for weddings, held within an octagonal "temple" on the estate grounds.Outside of the festival, Belladrum is chiefly concerned with sheep farming and forestry. Belladrum Forest is a popular destination for both bikers and walkers, climbing to a radio mast atop Phoineas Hill. The hill was the site of an ancient Pictish fort, though its remains are no longer visible. There is also a pony club located on the estate. In 2016, the Belladrum Estate registered its own tartan with the Scottish Register of Tartans, said to represent the estate's "ancient green forests and native lichens ... coupled with a contrasting russet red, a colour that signifies the passion and pride many generations have had for the Belladrum Estate."

Abriachan (; Gaelic: Obar Itheachan), is a village in the Highland council area of Scotland. It is situated high above the western shore of Loch Ness, 15 km to the south-west of the city of Inverness. The village has a population of approximately 120. There are no schools in Abriachan, so children travel by bus into Inverness or to Dochgarroch or Tomnacross for their education. At the bottom of the Abriachan hill, where the Kilianan stream meets Loch Ness, is Abriachan Garden Nursery, with a woodland walk and plant selling area.

Killearnan is a civil parish in the Black Isle peninsula of Ross and Cromarty in the Highland area of Scotland. It is bordered by the parish of Urquhart and Logie Wester on the north, Urray to the west and Knockbain in the east. It borders the Beauly Firth on the south and its church lies on the banks of that firth. The coastline is 5 miles (8.0 kilometres) and has no marked bay or indentation. The civil parish extends about 8 miles (13 kilometres) from east to west. The name Killearnan means "Iurnan's church" in Gaelic. The parish is mainly rural with no major villages or towns. The land gently rises to 518 feet (158 metres) at Carnurnan, on the northern border with Urquhart and Logie Wester. At the 2011 census, the population of the civil parish was 697. 4.9% had some knowledge of Gaelic. A hundred years before, in 1911, 46.7% were Gaelic speaking (and 52.7% in 1881). The area of the parish is 7,735 acres (12.1 sq mi; 31.3 km2). The most significant buildings historically are Redcastle, near the shore of Beauly Firth and Kilcoy Castle in the centre of the parish. Redcastle was built of local Old Red Sandstone on rising ground near the firth. Kilcoy Castle (built early 17th century) was the seat of a barony belonging to the Mackenzie family and has a commanding view of the upper part of the parish. The parish church, west of Redcastle, is also made of local red sandstone and dates from 1450. It was extensively altered in 1892, when the major part of the manse was built. The parish war memorial is sited at the crossroads in Newton about one mile (1.6 km) to the north-east from the church. The small village of Tore in the north-east of the parish has a population of 307 (in 2011) and has a school, hall and other public facilities. Prior to 1891 Torre formed a detached part of the parish of Killearnan, separated from the rest by a strip of Knockbain parish, 280 yards (260 metres) wide at the narrowest. In that year the strip was annexed to Killearnan, uniting the two parts of the parish. The parish council was formed in 1895 with 7 elected members. This was replaced by Avoch District Council in 1930, which was made up of the parishes of Avoch, Knockbain and Killearnan. The District Council had 7 members, 2 of whom were the County Councillors for the area and 5 elected to the District Council from the parishes (Avoch had 2 members, and the other two parishes 1 member each). From 1976, this was superseded by Killearnan Community Council community council covering the area of the civil parish, within Highland Region. The community council has 7 members. Tore is in the ward of Black Isle of Highland council and the remainder of Killearnan is in the ward of Dingwall and Seaforth