There are several themes to explore during a stay in Croy: the discovery of the Croy Hoard, the Croy Village Memorial, church and cemetery monuments, and the landscape around Croy and Tornagrain. For time outdoors, two other options are the Ardcroy Road Playpark, reopened after renovations in November 2023 with an activity trail, and the 4.4-kilometre Croy–Holm Rose Loop.

Discovery history and remembrance

The Croy Hoard is part of the collections of National Museums of Scotland. Part two of the hoard was found by James Shearer at Mains of Croy, either in 1875 or 1876. Its history therefore has two distinct points of reference: the specific discovery at Mains of Croy and its current place in the collections of National Museums of Scotland.

The Croy Village Memorial is a grey granite Celtic cross commemorating the Second World War (1939–1945). It therefore has a different focus from the hoard: here, the emphasis is on remembrance of the war, not the story of a discovery. Anyone interested in Croy’s history can thus consider archaeology and commemorative culture as two separate topics.

Churches and cemeteries offer several clearly distinct points of interest. Croy Parish Church is a Category B listed building. The churchyard of Croy & Dalcross Church contains 298 recorded gravestones; the cemetery around Croy Church includes some gravestones dating from the 17th century. This distinction matters when choosing a focus on church history: Category B refers to a building’s listed status, the figure of 298 to the churchyard of Croy & Dalcross Church, and the date to individual gravestones in the cemetery around Croy Church. You can therefore focus on the building, the recorded gravestones or the older gravestones, rather than grouping all three under the same aspect.

Landscape and outdoor activities

The Ardcroy Road Playpark reopened after renovations in November 2023 and includes an activity trail. The Croy–Holm Rose Loop is 4.4 kilometres long. These two details relate to different planning considerations: the activity trail is the playpark’s specific feature, while the loop is defined by its length. If you want to choose a route with a clearly stated distance, the loop is a distinct option; the park, by contrast, offers an activity trail.

The area around Croy and Tornagrain is characterised by gentle slopes. This broadens the perspective beyond individual named places and activities to a landscape that encompasses the wider area. If you prefer a landscape perspective, you can consider this feature alongside the route and playpark; it offers a different focus from the historic sites.

The dates also differ: some gravestones in the cemetery around Croy Church date from the 17th century, part two of the hoard was found in 1875 or 1876, and the memorial commemorates 1939–1945. This creates a historical span from burial culture to archaeology and remembrance of the war.

Discover more destinations: Strathpeffer, Culbokie, Tain, Bonar Bridge, Strathan, Totscore, Polloch, Letterfinlay.

For the broader travel overview: Highland.