Tain is a small Easter Ross town north of Inverness, set just inland from the Dornoch Firth. It is old by Highland standards: Scotland's oldest royal burgh, a medieval pilgrimage stop for St Duthac, and now better known to many travellers as the home of Glenmorangie whisky.
The town itself is quiet, but the pieces add up well for a spare day in the north Highlands. You can tour Glenmorangie Distillery, look into the burgh's pilgrimage and Clan Ross history at Tain Museum and St Duthac's, and walk or play the old links at Tain Golf Club with the firth and hills around you.
Tain works best as a gentle stop on the A9, the Far North Line, or the North Coast 500 rather than as a base for a long stay. It is close enough to Inverness for a day trip, but far enough north to feel like the Highlands have properly opened out.