Positioned halfway up the A9, just before the scenery gets properly rugged and remote, the Storehouse of Foulis is an oasis of enormous cakes, gorgeous sea views and seal-spotting.

I’ve always thought that there aren’t many problems – or indeed endless car journeys with two restless infants – that a meringue the size and shape of a rugby ball can’t fix. The Storehouse serves generously-sized treats all day, starting with mega breakfasts, buckets of coffee and a spread of newspapers. Sweet scones are available from daybreak and there’s a savoury version to go along with your homemade soup at lunchtime.

Staff have sunny smiles and move like the clappers, which is just as well because this place is always busy. Locals congregate here for a gossip and a bun, travellers weep with delight at the array of bakes (pistachio cake, key lime pie, and, yes, those meringues, on last inspection), and wildlife enthusiasts fuel up before descending on the pebbly beach with their binoculars in search of waterfowl and bottlenose dolphins.

There’s outdoor seating with uninterrupted views across the Cromarty Firth to the Black Isle if the weather is kind. There’s a shop selling produce fresh from the farm next door as well as from hand-picked UK producers. There’s a lovely playpark for little ones who need to stretch their legs. And there’s even a museum exhibiting the history of this neck of the Scottish woods. By the time you climb back into your car and continue north on the long and winding road, you’ll be hale, hearty, heavy, and the happiest car-load on the A9.

Image courtesy of Beryl Baxter