Dog-friendly Cottages Highlands

This truly magnificent, split-level property, with its own hot tub, enjoys wonderful views of the Cairngorm mountain range and is situated just a few minutes’ walk from the lively centre of Aviemore. Providing guests with an unforgettable holiday experience, Lochnagar Lodge offers spacious detached accommodation. There are two living rooms, one with a cosy wood-burning stove and the house has been equipped and furnished to a very good standard throughout to ensure an extremely comfortable and relaxing holiday. Aviemore nestles in the heart of The Cairngorms National Park, at the head of the Speyside Way and boasts a wonderful range of shops, restaurants and bars. There is also a very wide range of outdoor activities to partake in including ski-ing, snowboarding, mountain and quad biking, climbing, hill walking and a variety of water sports on nearby Loch Insh, Loch Morlich and the River Spey, to name just a few of the myriad of activities available. Take a trip on the Cairngorm Mountain Railway, visit the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre or take a trip to the Highland Wildlife Park at nearby Kingussie, all of which are within easy reach. About 12 miles from Kingussie lies the Ardverikie Estate, which has been the setting for films including the BBC TV’s drama series Monarch of the Glen as well as the location for movies such as The Missionary and Mrs Brown. Another visitor attraction for all the family to enjoy not far from Kingussie is the Highland Folk Museum which offers an insight into Highland life in a living history setting. All in all, this is a fantastic base for exploring the many delights that this area has to offer, and there is so much to see and do for all ages. Shop and pub ½ mile.

The Glebe is an 18th century, stone-built, detached property that has been an important part of the historical parish of Duthil, near to the village of Carrbridge. Not only was it an ecclesiastical building, but before it became part of the church, it was a girls’ school. It is a very attractive building that when first spotted from the road on your approach, you really hope it’s where you’re stopping. Situated only 2 miles from Carrbridge, and set just off a quiet road, The Glebe has a lovely position with a large enclosed garden and private pine forest with resident red squirrels, deer and an amazing array of birdlife throughout the year.

It truly is an excellent place to relax and spend your day in tranquillity. On entering the property from the driveway, where there’s space for up to 4 cars, the hallway leads off in multiple directions, but straight across is a spacious boot and coat room, ideal for after a long day exploring on foot. The dining area is a large double-aspect room with views out onto your own woodland. The large farmhouse-style kitchen is conveniently linked with an open doorway. Also on the ground floor there are 2 bedrooms and a separate toilet. The master bedroom is huge with an historic stone fireplace across an entire wall. The second bedroom is also a great size and has twin beds and an en-suite shower room.

Up to the first floor and you will find a large, impressive living room, again with a huge fireplace spread across an entire wall. This fabulous room is great for everyone to gather and enjoy spending time together. There are 3 further bedrooms, one a twin with large en-suite bathroom, double bedroom with en-suite bathroom (can also be accessed from hallway), and a comfortable single bedroom.

There is much to see and do in the surrounding area. Carrbridge, with the oldest stone bridge in the Highlands, has a pub, two excellent cafés, a restaurant and an ancient pine forest that hosts an adventure park and a series of walking trails, offering a good chance of spotting the elusive capercallie. Beyond Carrbridge, Aviemore offers the gateway to the ski slopes in the winter and is an all-year destination for adventure travel with mountain biking and watersports readily available. Boat of Garten with the Abernethy Forest, where Springwatch and Winterwatch have been known to film, and Loch Garten are a birdwatcher’s paradise, with a good chance to see Osprey in the summer. Grantown-on-Spey is also nearby and the gateway to some of the best whisky distilleries in the world.

Aviemore, Boat of Garten and Grantown-on-Spey are all linked by the River Spey, offering some of the best salmon and trout fishing in Europe. However, if you want to simply enjoy the river, the Speyside Way hiking trail is a good option linking the towns. If walking isn’t your thing, there is the Strathspey Steam Railway giving an alternative, more historical view. The Glebe has been lovingly restored and finished to ensure visitors have a memorable Scottish Highlands holiday. A week isn’t enough time to enjoy The Glebe and its surroundings. Shop, pub and restaurant 2 miles.

Darris Farmhouse is a spectacular, luxurious holiday home near to the shores of Loch Ness. Situated on an amazing plot of land the farmhouse enjoys a wrap-around garden with panoramic views across pasture to woodland and mountains. The farmhouse has been extended beyond its original nineteenth century dimensions to include an attached, self-contained annexe which sleeps up to three. Darris Farmhouse sleeps nine people in total and is therefore perfect for an extended family, two families or group of friends.

On entering the farmhouse through the front door, there’s a cute vestibule before the hallway. Off to the right is the main living room with wood burner and large Smart TV, and enjoys fantastic views of the dramatic landscape. To the left of the hallway is a large kingsize double bedroom with en-suite shower room. The en-suite is in fact a Jack-and-Jill bathroom, so it serves as a downstairs toilet as well for the living accommodation. Through the Jack-and-Jill bathroom you reach a back hallway which has a door out to the courtyard area of the garden, a useful utility room and then to the right the brilliant open plan kitchen/dining room unveils itself with additional living room and another large Smart TV. This open plan space is accessible from the front hallway too. The kitchen has everything you’ll need to cook up a storm for family and friends and then gather round the large dining table. There’s access from the open-plan space to the patio and large garden. Back to the hallway and upstairs you reach the first-floor accommodation consisting of three large bedrooms and a spacious bathroom. There’s a kingsize double bedroom and a twin room, which are both double-aspect.

The annexe is self-contained, so has a separate entrance to the farmhouse. A few steps from the front door of the farmhouse you find the entrance to the annexe. Inside on the first floor there is a surprisingly large open-plan kitchen/dining/living space. The kitchen in well-equipped, but if yuou are part of a large family it’s more than likely you won’t use it but instead stroll over to the main kitchen in the farmhouse. The living space has a wood burner and large Smart TV, as well as access out to the courtyard garden. Stairs lead up from the living space to a kingsize double bedroom and a single room, as well as possibly the best bathroom in the whole farmhouse. There’s a fabulous freestanding bath with fabulous views of the surrounding countryside.

The garden is large, laid mostly to lawn and enjoys views in all directions. It’s very child and dog friendly, as it’s fully enclosed, and even has a small grassy paddock at the back where dogs can roam about easily from the back door. Darris Farmhouse makes an ideal holiday base for exploring the many delights of the Northern Highlands. Located on the outskirts of the Highland capital of Inverness and close to Loch Ness and the Moray Coast. The area is renowned for its natural beauty along with the many activities available, with fly fishing nearby costing £30 per permit. Other activies include golf, kayaking, water sports, mountain biking, climbing and hill walking to name just a few. Discover some of the many historic sites, such as Culloden Battlefield and Fort George, or stroll along some of the many unspoilt beaches. Beach 23 miles.