Nairn

"At Nairn we may fix the verge of the Highlands; for here I first saw peat fires, and first heard the Erse language."

— Samuel Johnson, A Journey to the Western Isles of Scotland (1775)

James VI had earlier remarked on a visit of 1589 that Nairn High street was "sae lang that the inhabitants of the one end did not understand the language spoken at the other" - though that would simply reflect property prices. The town is in a fertile region on the road from Inverness towards Aberdeen, and grew from 1820 when a fishing harbour was constructed. By 1861 Nairn was also connected to the railway network, and became a seaside resort, and still is. It was the county town of Nairnshire, if anyone could say where that was - until 1889 there were many exclaves elsewhere, until local government boundaries were reformed. The county was in turn subsumed into Highland Region in 1975.

Charlie Chaplin often took his summer holidays in Nairn. Willie Whitelaw, UK deputy Prime Minister 1979-88, was born in Nairn, and the actress Tilda Swinton came to live here.

Trains run every hour or two from Inverness, taking 20 min via the airport (INV IATA) to Nairn. They continue to Forres, Elgin, Keith, Huntly, Inverurie, Dyce and Aberdeen.

1 Nairn railway station is just south of town centre. There's a staffed ticket office and machines, and a cafe and waiting room with toilets. Platform 1 northside towards Inverness has step-free access. Platform 2 for Aberdeen is via the footbridge, no lift, or lump across rough ground from Balblair Rd southside.

Stagecoach Bus 10 runs every 30 min from Inverness, taking 40 min to Nairn and continuing to Forres and Elgin. There alternate buses turn back, with an hourly service trundling cross-country through Fochabers, Keith, Huntly and Inverurie to Aberdeen.

By road follow A96: Nairn is 17 miles from Inverness and 78 miles from Aberdeen.