Keeping up the things they love is most of what makes a day good. This page shows what the Highlands offers for each interest, and how to find a live-in carer who shares your mother's or father's.
Interest 1
The Highlands offer everything from riverside town paths to loch shores and pine forest tracks, so a walk can be as gentle or as remote as someone wants.
Somewhere to go
Inverness
A chain of wooded islands in the River Ness linked by Victorian footbridges, close to the middle of Inverness. A carer can drive to the Bught Park or Ness Bank side, keep the outing short, and pause on the benches by the water.
Source: visitinvernesslochness.com. Check opening times and access before you go.
Somewhere to go
Aviemore
A well used track round a loch in the old Caledonian pine forest at Rothiemurchus, with a ruined island castle in view. A carer could walk out to the first viewpoint and back rather than the full circuit, which suits a slower pace.
Source: walkhighlands.co.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
How a companion helps
A companion walks at their pace, knows when to turn back, and drives to the flat, well-surfaced routes so a short walk is still possible when a long one is not.
Live-in carers who enjoy walkingCarers list their interests on their profiles. Search live-in carers in the Highlands and the ones who share this interest are shown first.
Interest 2
Warmed on the west coast by the Gulf Stream and sheltered in the glens, Highland gardens grow an unlikely mix of tender and hardy planting.
Somewhere to go
Poolewe
A National Trust for Scotland garden created on a bare headland, now planted with rhododendrons, Himalayan and Southern Hemisphere species. A carer can plan the visit round the walled garden and glasshouse, then the cafe, so there is somewhere to sit between borders.
Source: nts.org.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
Somewhere to go
Strathcarron
A long established private garden above Loch Carron with water gardens, ferns and sculpture among the woodland. A carer driving there can keep to the lower paths near the entrance and work out which sections are flat enough on arrival.
Source: scotlandsgardens.org. Check opening times and access before you go.
How a companion helps
Potting on at a table rather than kneeling, deadheading from a stool, visiting gardens with level paths and a tearoom: a carer keeps the garden in their week.
Live-in carers who enjoy gardeningCarers list their interests on their profiles. Search live-in carers in the Highlands and the ones who share this interest are shown first.
Interest 3
Gaelic song and fiddle music remain everyday culture across the Highlands rather than something kept for tourists.
In the calendar
An annual traditional music festival run by Feisean nan Gaidheal, with concerts in village halls and churches from Caithness to Lochaber each September. A carer could pick a nearby hall date, book seats near the door and arrange the lift home afterwards.
Source: feisean.org. Check opening times and access before you go.
How a companion helps
Old records, a choir concert, singing along in the kitchen. Music often stays with people long after other things fade, and a companion who enjoys it makes it part of the day.
Live-in carers who enjoy musicCarers list their interests on their profiles. Search live-in carers in the Highlands and the ones who share this interest are shown first.
Interest 4
Scottish country dance and Highland dance are part of the social calendar here, from branch classes to games field competitions.
In the calendar
Bught Park, Inverness
The city's games day at Bught Park includes Highland dancing competitions alongside piping and heavy events. A carer can check the day's layout in advance, bring a folding chair and keep the visit to the dancing platform and refreshments.
Source: invernesshighlandgames.com. Check opening times and access before you go.
How a companion helps
From tea dances to seated movement to music, a companion can find the right session, drive there, and make sure it is enjoyable rather than tiring.
Live-in carers who enjoy dancingCarers list their interests on their profiles. Search live-in carers in the Highlands and the ones who share this interest are shown first.
Interest 5
Few counties have as much fishable water as the Highlands, with salmon rivers, hill lochs and stocked fisheries within easy reach of most towns.
Somewhere to join
Inverness
Inverness Angling Club issues day and visitor permits for stretches of the River Ness inside the city. A carer can buy the permit, carry the tackle to the bank and stay for a short session rather than a full day.
Source: invernessanglingclub.co.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
Somewhere to go
Rothiemurchus Fishery, Aviemore
A stocked trout loch on the Rothiemurchus estate where rods and bait can be hired by the hour, with no licence or experience needed. A carer can book the time slot, sort out the gear and sit alongside for an hour on the bank.
Source: rothiemurchus.net. Check opening times and access before you go.
How a companion helps
A carer can sort the permit and the tackle, drive to a bank spot close to the car park, and bring the chair, the flask and the patience.
Live-in carers who enjoy fishingCarers list their interests on their profiles. Search live-in carers in the Highlands and the ones who share this interest are shown first.
Interest 6
Waterfalls, lochs and big skies mean the Highlands reward photographers who can get close to a good view without walking far.
Somewhere to go
Rogie Falls, Contin
A Forestry and Land Scotland site near Contin where a short forest path leads to falls on the Black Water and a suspension bridge, with salmon leaping in late summer. A carer can park at the site, help with the tripod and keep the outing to the falls viewpoint and back.
Source: forestryandland.gov.scot. Check opening times and access before you go.
How a companion helps
A companion can plan an outing around the light and the tide, carry the kit, and help sort the pictures afterwards.
Live-in carers who enjoy photographyCarers list their interests on their profiles. Search live-in carers in the Highlands and the ones who share this interest are shown first.
Interest 7
Highland light, water and hill shapes have long drawn painters, and the area's towns keep active art societies and print workshops.
Somewhere to join
Inverness
A long running local society for painters, with a programme of meetings, demonstrations and annual exhibitions in Inverness. A carer can help with getting materials to a meeting and with framing or delivering work for a show.
Source: artinverness.com. Check opening times and access before you go.
Somewhere to join
Inverness
An open access studio in Inverness that runs printmaking courses and has delivered workshops aimed at older people. A carer could book a short taster session and stay to help with the heavier parts, such as inking and pressing.
Source: baringfoundation.org.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
How a companion helps
Setting up the table, washing the brushes, finding a gallery with a lift: a carer handles the practical side so the time goes on the painting.
Live-in carers who enjoy paintingCarers list their interests on their profiles. Search live-in carers in the Highlands and the ones who share this interest are shown first.
Interest 8
Highland reading life is tied to its libraries and to a literature of Gaelic song, local history and northern landscape.
Somewhere to go
Inverness
The main High Life Highland library in the city, with lending stock, large print and reference collections and a local studies section. A carer can arrange the transport, help with choosing and renewing books and sit in with them for a reading hour.
Source: highlifehighland.com. Check opening times and access before you go.
In the calendar
Nairn
An annual festival of author talks, readings and arts events held in venues around Nairn. A carer can pick one or two afternoon events, book in advance and handle the walk between venues.
Source: nairnfestival.co.uk. Check opening times and access before you go.
How a companion helps
Library trips, reading aloud when eyes tire, audiobooks set up and ready, and somebody to talk about the book with.
Live-in carers who enjoy readingCarers list their interests on their profiles. Search live-in carers in the Highlands and the ones who share this interest are shown first.
Interest 9
Shinty and the Highland games are the county's own sporting traditions, and most towns also have a council leisure centre.
Local tradition
Inverness
Shinty is the Highlands' own stick and ball game, and Inverness Shinty Club has played at Bught Park for generations. A carer can check the fixture list, drive them to the ground and bring a flask and a chair for the match.
Source: en.wikipedia.org. Check opening times and access before you go.
Somewhere to join
Nairn
The High Life Highland centre in Nairn runs a weekly class timetable including pool and gentler studio sessions. A carer can book a place, provide the lift and stay for the session so getting changed is not a barrier.
Source: highlifehighland.com. Check opening times and access before you go.
How a companion helps
Watching the match together, a trip to the bowls green or the cricket, or gentle exercise done safely with someone alongside.
Live-in carers who enjoy sportsCarers list their interests on their profiles. Search live-in carers in the Highlands and the ones who share this interest are shown first.
Interest 10
With scattered communities across a large area, Highland charities rely heavily on local volunteers, including older ones.
Somewhere to join
Inverness
Highland Hospice runs charity shops across the Highlands and takes on retail volunteers for short regular shifts sorting stock or serving customers. A carer can help with the application, the first shift and the travel until the routine settles.
Source: highlandhospice.org. Check opening times and access before you go.
How a companion helps
A carer can help find a role that suits sitting down or short sessions, and handle the lifts there and back.
Live-in carers who enjoy volunteeringCarers list their interests on their profiles. Search live-in carers in the Highlands and the ones who share this interest are shown first.
Closer to home
Not every good day involves going out. Each of these is easier, and more fun, with somebody to share it, and plenty of live-in carers list them.
From interest to introduction
Use the link under any interest on this page. It opens a search of live-in carers in the Highlands with the carers who list that interest first; nobody else is hidden, so you still see everyone who could come.
Each profile shows the carer's interests next to their experience, the conditions they have cared for, their day rate and their reviews. Shortlist two or three.
Message and meet them for free. Ask about the hobby: someone who really gardens will tell you what they grow. Nothing is booked until you decide.
We set up the contract, handle invoicing and payment, and insure the care while the carer works. The rest of the week is theirs to fill.
Lee-Ann
Care manager for families in the Highlands
Someone to talk to first
Most families start with a call: what your relative needs, what it would cost, which carers share your parent's interests, and whether live-in care or companionship visits suit them better, and what to ask a carer when you speak to them. Lee-Ann has those conversations every day and can tell you which of the carers in the Highlands might suit, though the choice is always yours.
Questions
Yes. Getting out is a normal part of a live-in carer's week: a walk (Ness Islands is a good one), a garden visit, a choir concert, the bowls club or a lunch with friends. Many carers drive, and the search shows who does. Mileage is only charged if you agree it in advance and in writing, and 55p a mile is the usual figure when a carer uses their own car. Entry tickets and cafe stops for the carer are worth agreeing up front too.
Use the link under the interest on this page: it opens a search of live-in carers in the Highlands with the ones who list that interest shown first, and the rest still there below them. Every profile shows the carer's interests alongside their experience, rates and reviews. Message the ones you like, and talk about the hobby when you meet them: it is the quickest way to tell whether the interest is real.
For live-in care it matters more than people expect. A live-in carer shares the house for weeks at a time, and the hours between the care tasks are most of the day. Somebody who likes the same programmes, games or garden fills those hours naturally. It is still second to experience and temperament, so treat it as a tie-breaker between good carers rather than the first thing you filter on.
Live-in care through PrimeCarers is typically about £1,120 a week, with our fee included, and each carer sets their own rate, shown on their profile. That covers somebody living in and helping through the day. If your parent needs company rather than round-the-clock help, hourly companionship visits start from about £15 an hour. Companionship care in the Highlands compares the two.
Then the interest comes to him. A carer can bring the garden to a table on the patio, put the old records on, set up the jigsaw, read the paper aloud or play cards most afternoons. The interests further down this page are mostly the ones done at home, and plenty of carers share them.
Each local suggestion was researched from published sources, and every one on the page has passed a check before appearing: either it was found on a map inside the Highlands, or its source page, which we link to, is live and names the area. Anything that failed was left out. Opening times, prices and access change, so check with the venue before you go, especially for gardens such as Inverewe, where it is worth asking ahead about wheelchairs or mobility scooters.
Yes. Before a carer appears on PrimeCarers they have passed an enhanced DBS check, an identity check and a right-to-work check, and had an online interview with our team, with renewal or rechecks depending on the accepted route. Carers write their own profiles, including their interests and skills, so ask about anything that matters to you when you meet them. How we vet carers sets out each step.
See live-in carers with their photos, interests, rates and reviews, and talk to your favourites for free. Nothing is booked until you say so.
