To the side of the garden the little pier that was once used by a steam ferry service can still be seen and it is a good spot to admire the water and fish below from. Walks lead off into the countryside all around and a wander around nearby Littleferry woods is particularly picturesque.

Over on the other side of the loch is the Loch Fleet National Nature Reserve where the tidal basin and surrounding forest provide the perfect habitat for a variety of wildlife. Birds, ospreys and seals call the reserve home and lovely walking trails peppered with wildflowers lead through the scenic woodland.

Golspie (3 miles) has a supermarket and several cafés, not to mention a restaurant and an excellent chippie. The Golspie Angling Club offers day tickets for fishing on Loch Fleet itself or on three local lochs.

A few miles outside Golspie is the Ben Bhraggie peak that sits at 1,300 feet above sea level and takes about 3.5 hours to climb up and back with the Sutherland Monument, that can be seen for miles around, marking the summit. For an adrenalin rush, the Highland Wildcat Mountain Bike Trails (3.5 miles) has blue, red and black trails, as well as the longest singletrack descent in the UK from the top of Ben Bhraggie.

Golfers are spoilt for choice as there is a course at Brora (9 miles), two links courses at Dornoch (13 miles) and another links course at Tain (18 miles). The Brora Heritage Centre offers an insight into the village’s interesting past and even has resources for tracking genealogy for those with family ties to the area.

A great coastal walk leads from Brora back down to Golspie and fishing boat trips out on Loch Brora can be arranged. Those on the whisky trail will enjoy a tour around the Clynelish Distillery (10 miles) or the famous Glen Morangie Distillery at Tain.