...Come and relax surrounded by the
beautiful mountains of the Highlands...

Outdoor activities

Walking
Enjoy beautiful low-level walks of easy to medium standard straight from the lodges; a favourite outing is to walk over the hills, then down through forest tracks, have lunch in the Cnoc Hotel, then take a taxi home again. For Munro enthusiasts, we recommend the Munro Magic website. There are enough Munros in the area to last a few months!  We should know as we joined the prestigeous list of Munroists in 2007!  

Cycling
A real joy here on quiet country roads or hire mountain bikes and explore forest trails.  Cycle all the way up Glen Strathfarrar to the dam.

Golf
For golfing enthusiasts, over fifteen courses lie within a radius of 45 minutes drive, including championship courses such as Royal Dornoch and Nairn and just a few minutes further up the glen from us is Aigas, a nine hole course in a beautiful setting. 

Fishing
Dunsmore Lodges are situated just above the River Beauly and you will find it hard to beat the magnificence of the scenery in this area whether fishing in the rivers or hill lochs.  Daily permits can be purchased from Morisons of Beauly.

Pony Trekking
There are several centres in the area, including Borlum Farm offering scenic rides by Loch Ness.

Canoeing
For fun and adventure on the water and other activities for all the family, contact Boots ‘n Paddles. 

Childrens Activities

With 6 acres of woodland next to the Lodges, the children have enough space for letting off that extra energy!  And experience fun for all the family at the Black Isle Wildlife and Country Park, Bogbain Adventure and Heritage Farm in Inverness and Inverness Leisure Centre with flumes, wave pool and outdoor pool.
Further afield we recommend the Landmark Forest Theme Park at Carrbridge and the Strathspey steam railway in nearby Boat of Garten.
For more information on all activities check out the Beauly Visitor Centre website and the Highlands of Scotland Tourist Board web site
and being sports enthusiasts, we are always happy to give advice.

Exploring Locally

Just below us is the dramatic Aigas gorge and the salmon lift which is open to the public. Heading towards Beauly, you can visit the Kilmorack Art Gallery with its impressive exhibition of Scottish artists, the Beauly Gallery with a range of arts and crafts and beautiful prints; both aesthetically converted from two previous Kirks.
In Beauly, explore the unique gift and antique shops, the visitor centre and the 13th Century Priory and see the weekly performances of the Beauly Pipe Band and Highland Dancers in the Square.
A few miles west of Beauly is the Glen Ord Whisky Distillery and Visitor Centre, one of the many whisky distilleries in the Highlands:-  Whisky tour
The city of Inverness, the Capital of the Highlands, with excellent communications by road, rail or air, lies 15 miles to the east and has plenty to offer for your enjoyment, including a magnificent Theatre and Cinema, Eden Court; Inverness museum and art gallery and Inverness Castle and several music venues for Traditional Music.

Dolphin spotting

A short distance away in the Moray Firth, around high-tide, you can see Dolphins from many vantage points along the shore, in particular on the Black Isle at Channonry Point in Fortrose.  You can also take a short boat trip from Avoch.  The most popular boat trips are from Cromarty with EcoVentures, who have both long and short outings.

Glens and falls
Visit the glorious glens of Strathfarrar, Cannich, Strath Conon and the renowned Glen Affric, a designated National Nature Reserve, with splendid forests of Caledonian Pine and surrounding mountains. Dog Falls and Plodda Falls are close by. Walk in nearby Reelig Forest where you can find the tallest tree in Britain, or stroll through the woods at Rogie Falls, a short distance away, where you also see the salmon leaping.

Castles
Loch Ness is only 20 minutes away via a scenic drive through Glen Convinth, where you can visit the spectacular setting of Urquhart Castle. Or take a boat trip from Inverness with Jacobite Cruises.
Cawdor Castle and Gardens is half an hour’s drive away and in the same tour can be included Fort George, the mightiest artillery fortification in the UK and the famous Culloden Battlefield and Visitor Centre.
There are many castles to visit in a day trip, including Dunrobin Castle in Golspie where they also have a magnificent Birds of Prey display and Eilean Donan Castle on the west coast.

Notes for those interested in local history and archaeology – Beauly and Strathglass.
This area has had settlements for 7000 years. There is a series of Duns ( Hill-Forts) up on the hill behind the lodges. They are probably built 2500 years ago and there are also plenty of other remains such as stone circles, stone sites etc. There is even an old abandoned settlement, Urchany, which you will find at the end of a track about 3 kms west of the lodges. Later the Vikings invaded and the river Beauly became the border between the Norse and the Celts. Many local place-names are identical to the area near Gothenburg where Åke comes from.

It is interesting to note that just 100 years ago 90% of the population was gaelic speaking in this area.