At the seaward end of Loch Carron lies the picturesque village of Plockton. A row of neatly painted cottages hug the shoreline following the curve of the tiny harbour. Palm trees (yes, palm trees! the Gulf Stream is generous in the bounty tossed on Scotland's shores) line the main street and the whole picture is framed by a craggy landscape of heather and pine. A haven for artists, for whom it is a favourite haunt, in the summer the light in Plockton seems to have a magical quality.

Originally called Am Ploc, the settlement was a crofting hamlet until the end of the 1700s, later becoming an embarkation centre for those displaced to make room for sheep during the Clearances. Sometime later an enthusiastic local laird transformed it into a prosperous fishery and renamed it Plocktown. The fishing boats are long gone but Plockton remains a lively place. In the mid-1990s, the BBC chose to film a drama series - Hamish Macbeth - here for three seasons and tourists flocked to see its setting.

Close by, and certainly worth the visit, is Craig Rare Breeds Farm, midway between Plockton and Stromeferry, featuring the ancient breeds of Scottish farm animals as well as Lochalsh Woodland Garden, maintained by the National Trust for Scotland.

Your purchase will provide unrestricted financial resources to endow the acquisition fund for the National Museum of Scotland.