Balnacraig

Balnacraig sits high in the tiny hamlet of Craigton, just above the seaside village of North Kessock, and the first thing that hits you is the view. Big windows frame a wide, unbroken sweep of the inner Moray Firth, with the Kessock Bridge arching across the water and the rooftops of Inverness catching the light on the far shore. It is the kind of panorama that shifts by the hour, from flat morning calm to pink-streaked winter sunsets, and you will find yourself watching it from every room in the house.

The ground floor has a generous open-plan living space that flows from kitchen to dining area to sitting room, all facing that view. The kitchen is properly equipped for feeding a crowd, with an induction hob, combi oven and American fridge freezer, so big family breakfasts and slow evening dinners are no trouble at all. A separate sun room off the main living area makes a quiet reading spot when the rest of the house gets lively. Downstairs also has a zip-and-link bedroom with its own en-suite bath, handy for grandparents or anyone who prefers to skip the stairs.

Upstairs, four more bedrooms each have their own en-suite shower room, three with king-size beds and one with zip-and-link singles. Every bedroom has its own TV, so there is no squabbling over the remote. The house has been furnished to a genuinely high standard throughout, and the host, Gill, adds thoughtful touches that go beyond the usual welcome pack. Expect bathrobes, slippers, hot tub towels and a spread of coffee, tea and breakfast bits waiting on arrival. Gill meets every group in person for a proper tour of the house and responds quickly to any questions before and during your stay.

Outside, a large wraparound deck with garden furniture is where most of the holiday happens. The hot tub sits on the deck facing the Firth, and on a clear evening with the bridge lights reflected on the water, it is genuinely hard to get out. Below the deck, unspoilt wooded grounds slope away, giving the place a feeling of seclusion that belies how close you are to everything.

And you are close. The beach at North Kessock is a mile away, and the village has a pub, restaurant and shop within the same distance. Inverness itself is barely three miles down the road, so supermarket runs, restaurant bookings and rainy-day shopping are never a chore. Culloden Battlefield and Fort George are a short drive east, Cawdor Castle is just beyond them, and Loch Ness is an easy drive south. For the more active, forest trails start in the woodland right behind the house, and the Cairngorms are under an hour away.

Balnacraig works particularly well for multi-generation family gatherings. The ground-floor bedroom keeps everyone under one roof without needing the stairs, the five en-suites mean no morning bathroom queues, and the combination of a view-soaked deck, a sun room and a proper living space gives people room to spread out without disappearing entirely. There is parking for three cars, and with Inverness on the doorstep, nobody is stuck if they fancy an evening out.