Starting with location, you can choose from:

• 5 different properties at Balnagown Estate which is located close to the Cromarty Firth
• 3 different properties on Invercassley and Duchally Estate which are further north in the rugged county of Sutherland

Then there’s size to consider and also the level of luxury:

• Grieve’s Cottage sleeps up to 6 (Balnagown Estate) and is 5 star rated by the Scottish Tourist Board
• Gardener’s Cottage sleeps up to 4 (Balnagown Estate) and is 5 star rated
• Swiss Cottage sleeps up to 6 (Balnagown Estate) and is 5 star rated
• Hill House sleeps up to 8 (Balnagown Estate) and is 5 star rated
• Marybank Lodge sleeps up to 12 (Balnagown Estate) and is 5 star rated
• Inveroykel Lodge sleeps up to 10 (Invercassley Estate) and is 5 star rated
• Tigh na Rhos sleeps up to 7 (Invercassley Estate) and is 4 star rated
• Duchally Lodge sleeps up to 8 (Duchally Estate) and is 4 star rated

Next you might want to consider the sort of things you want to do in and around your holiday cottage or lodge, so here’s a short summary of what each estate has to offer…

Balnagown Estate

The first thing to say about Balnagown Estate and where it’s located is that it will appeal to visitors who:

• would like rather less rain than the west coast of Scotland endures – at Balnagown we only get about a third of the rainfall
• don’t want to be too far away from places to shop and eat out – the lovely town of Tain is about a ten minute drive and Inverness barely half an hour away

Balnagown also appeals to golfers, as within easy drive we have some of the best links courses in Scotland including Brora, Royal Dornoch, Tain and Golspie.

But perhaps the best aspects about staying in a cottage or lodge at Balnagown is the privacy it offers and all the things there are to do on site. The reason for the privacy is that the estate also has Balnagown Castle, a private residence of the estate’s owner Mohamed Al Fayed, and therefore entry to the estate is permanently controlled through security gates.  As for the things to do here’s a quick summary:

• Cycling – there are many miles of tacks and safe private roads to cycle on, and you don’t even have to bring your own bikes – we have plenty here which are free to use
• Fishing – trout fishing is on one of our well-stocked lochs for rainbow trout, or on the Balnagown River for brown trout
• Archery – we have all the equipment here which is also free to use
• Bird watching and nature – the rich mosaic of habitats at Balnagown makes for very rewarding bird and more general nature watching, and we’re especially proud of our nesting ospreys which arrive each spring
• Sports and games hall – this really is something we can boast which few other estates can, plus it’s also free to use for all guests

Watch a video to learn more about the above.

Invercassley and Duchally Estates

Staying in one of the cottages or lodges on these estates is more for those that come to us for sporting pursuits, plus a more remote and rugged Highland location compared to Balnagown Estate.

Recent News

• “Winter warmers” Offer
• Further investment in our Duchally Estate
• How we maintain our lochs at Balnagown for both trout fishing and wildlife
• Marybank Lodge – a Georgian masterpiece in the Highlands of Scotland for you to stay in
• September Special Offers
• A late summer break in one of our luxury Highland cottages or lodges
• How about a new year break in one of our luxury Scottish Highland lodges or cottages
• A winter break in a luxury Highland cottage or lodge
• Fish and chips?
• Watch the new video of our secluded and romantic Gardener’s Cottage