Forest Cottage

The highlights

• Renovated 19th Century forester’s cottage on the Rothiemurchus estate.
• Pretty interiors, and comfy furnishings ensure a wonderful stay.
• Fantastic as a romantic retreat for couples, or a great holiday spot for small families.
• There are a number of activities to undertake in the surrounding area, including a Range Rover safari with a local guide, canoe rental, and a trip on the Strathspey Steam Railway.
• The walk around the loch is breath-taking and only three miles in total.

You should know

• Advanced notice is required if you’d like to use the upstairs bedroom as well as the ground floor main.
• Check your preferred dates using the dropdown menu as there are some restrictions.

The detail

Up a rough track in the tranquil wooded glades of the stunning Rothiemurchus Estate, sits Forest Cottage, a two storey converted forester’s lodge with whitewashed walls and a red pitched roof. This Highlands estate is celebrated for its shimmering placid loch, dramatic mountain views, and dense pine forests. A picturesque National Park, the Cairngorms attracts ramblers, bird watchers, and outdoors enthusiasts from all over the world with its all-season beauty and rugged vistas.

Forest Cottage has been lovingly restored to a comfortable and romantic two person retreat, from a chalet-style lodging which the estate’s woodsmen used in the 1800s. Set in a private clearing, Forest Cottage is an architectural celebration of wholesome exposed timber and airy open space. Step from a traditional wooden porch into the double-height living room, a versatile multi-purpose space heated by a traditional woodburning stove in a magnificent stone hearth. Behind this hygge-packed space you’ll find a high-tech contemporary kitchen which proves that traditional architecture doesn’t have to mean a compromise on luxury.

The exposed beams and high ceiling of the living room guarantee a feeling of cosiness without being cramped, making this the ideal space to relax after a long day’s walking, with a bottle of wine chilled in the specialised wine fridge. On the same level, you’ll find the master bedroom, finished in clean white timber, with a luxurious double bed for a great night’s sleep. The bathroom is modern and spacious, finished in glossy teal tiles and with a double-ended bath which comes with a shelf alcove, the perfect place to rest your gin & tonic or candle for an intensely relaxing post hike soak. Upstairs, a cosy twin room can be made up with prior notice.

With gorgeous light and unmatched scenery, Cairngorms is a truly magical place to spend a long weekend or entire week away from the rat race. The only sounds out here are the wind rustling through the pine trees, and the calls of the ospreys which draw ornithologists from all over the world. Although you won’t find yourself bothered by the urban cacophony at Forest Cottage, you’re by no means isolated either.

Aviemore is a mere thirty minutes along a gorgeous woodlands walk, the perfect distance to work up an appetite. The atmospheric Old Bridge Inn is a popular eatery and pub with both locals and travellers who are drawn by the fine selection of local beers and whiskeys, as well as the menu with its emphasis on local produce. With a guided Range Rover Safari through the estate available, and the ruins of a fourteenth century castle on your doorstep, there’s plenty for history buffs wanting to learn a about this fascinating region.

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