Belladrum Estate

Nearby Attractions

Belladrum is ideally situated as a base from which to visit many of the Highlands’ main attractions (see Getting There for details of our location on map). As you drive through the Highland scenery, just getting to these places is a pleasure in itself. For the best site on advice for visiting the Highlands, go to www.visithighlands.com or telephone Highlands Of Scotland Tourism on 08452 255121.

Loch Ness:
Just 30 minutes away are Drumnadrochit village and the scenic ruins of Urquhart Castle on the shores of this world famous loch. For information on places to visit around Loch Ness, including the Monster Centres, go to www.loch-ness.org or try www.lochnessguide.com. The drive down to the village by the Abriachan route provides a perfect vantage point from which to indulge in some monster spotting and the Dores Inn on the South side has a great pub menu and view up the loch.

Moray Firth Dolphins:
Approx 45 minutes away at Rosemarkie is the perfect place to see one of only two colonies of rare bottle-nosed dolphins breeding off the UK coastline, as they play near the shore. Cruises to go and see the dolphins are available from Inverness as well. Try www.prestige-tous.rcom.

Inverness:
Only 15 minutes from your cottage in the depths of the Highland countryside is the lively capital of the Highlands, now created a City, with all its shops, bars, restaurants and places to visit. Try these web sites – Inverness City Directory www.invernesscitydirectory.com or Inverness/Scotland www.inverness-scotland.com for information on where to go and what to do. If you’re getting withdrawal symptoms from the sound of swiping plastic, the Eastgate Shopping Centre in Inverness (where you will see Leonie Gibbs’s ‘The Falcon’s Return’ bronze figure in the main atrium) should answer most of your needs. If you’re feeling lazy, why not dial up the 24 hours Tesco’s in the retail park www.tesco.com and get your week’s shopping delivered? And if you want to listen to the strains of authentic Celtic music, try Hootananny’s Ceildh Bar in Chruch Street www.hootananny.com.

Glen Affric, Glen Strathfarrar and
Cairngorms National Park
In under an hour, you can be in three of Scotland’s most scenic places; there, you can walk amongst the remnants of the great forest of Caledon www.glenaffric.org, view the wildlife, find some of that prized Highland isolation and enjoy Scotland’s newest national park www.cairngorms.co.uk. For the best books on walking in the Highlands, look at www.bestwalks.com and mountain bikers might enjoy www.scotlandby.com for information on local routes. To hire bikes, telephone Highland Cycles on 01463 234789. And if you fancy a trip to the West Coast, Ullapool www.ullapool.com is only an hour away.

Castles:
Within 45 minutes are three of Scotland’s most celebrated castles, all of them East of Inverness: Cawdor Castle www.cawdorcastle.com where Shakespeare’s MacBeth was set, Kilravock Castle www.kilravockcastle.com, one of the longest continuously inhabited tower houses in Scotland, and Brodie Castle www.castles.org which is run by the National Trust for Scotland. All are open during the tourist season.

Sport:
Within an hour of Belladrum are at least 10 golf courses www.scottishgolfcourses.com/, from the championship standards of Royal Dornoch www.royaldornoch.com and Nairn www.nairngolfclub.co.uk to the seaside links course at Rosemarkie www.fortrosegolfclub.co.uk, the nearby 9-holers at Aigas www.aigas-holidays.co.uk and Strathpeffer www.strathpeffergolf.co.uk and further afield, near Grantown-on-Spey, Craggan Golf Club www.scottishgolfcourses.com where you can also fish for trout.

Nearer to Home
The village of Beauly www.visitbeauly.com, two miles away, offers petrol and basic food provisions. Details on all this will be in your cottage on your arrival. Beauly and the surrounding area also offer some rewarding places to go shopping for luxuries. If you’re into antiques, you could try Ian Marr www.iain-marr-antiques.com. For clothing, go back to the mid 1950s in the timeless elegance of the world famous tweed house, Campbell’s of Beauly. And for Highland crafts and books, House Of Beauly www.houseofbeauly.com is a must.

In the surrounding area, the Kilmorack Gallery www.kilmorackgallery.co.uk always has a fine selection of art on show during the visitor season and on other occasions. Moniack Wineries www.moniackcastle.co.uk is an interesting place to sample and buy local country wines, liqueurs, jams and sauces. And there are a number of local distilleries that merit a visit www.scotchwhisky.net.

Local History
Beauly is the cesntre of the Clan Fraser heartlands www.fraser-clan.org. You can find information on local place names at www.st-andrews.ac.uk. Our local sport is shinty – a form of hockey with a rather more lethal element to it and during the season you can see our local team Lovat Sinty Club play http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovat_Shinty_Club in Kiltarlity Village. Bird watchers will find local information at www.fatbirder.com

Feeling Homesick
And if you're in London and feeling homesick for Scotland, why not spoil yourself with lunch or dinner at Boisdale's.

Both Boisdales offer a blend of traditional and modern British cooking. Boisdale prides itself on the quality of the raw ingredients used in its kitchens, many of which are sourced directly from Scotland, including haggis, salmon, game, lobster, shellfish and cheese. Where possible, vegetables are from organic suppliers. www.boisdale.co.uk.

Have a great stay!

Joe Gibbs