Activities and Attractions

Loch Ness is just a 30-40 minute walk downhill, (longer coming back!) or a 5 minute drive, and although both Silver Birch Chalet and Rowan Cottage have lovely (and different) views, they are set in the hills above Loch Ness, and because of the lie of the land, the loch itself cannot be seen from either property.

Just over a mile away at Inverfarigaig is a Forest Centre, and the North side of the gorge, known as the “Pass” of Inverfarigaig, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its flora.

Experienced hill walkers can scramble up the side of 500′ Dun Dearduil – with a vitrified Iron Age hill fort at the top, and site of part of the Irish legend “Deirdre of the Sorrows”.  If you are less experienced (or energetic!) you can take a stroll up what our visitors like to call the “secret” road nearby (known locally as “the corkscrew”)* for fabulous views over Loch Ness.

Don’t feel like cooking? Local hotels – Whitebridge, Craigdarroch Hotel and the Dores Inn also offer excellent bar or restaurant meals, or the City of Inverness is just a half-hour drive. Here you will find cinemas, shops, and Eden Court theatre plus clubs and a wide variety of restaurants.

We provide plenty of tourist information, and are always pleased to help you plan your holiday outings.

Swimming at the Aquadome (voted a great hit by some of our younger visitors), or boat trips on Loch Ness, or to see the dolphins in the Moray Firth are also very popular.

Ros at Scottish Highland Art offers workshops and fun sessions of painting – whether you are a complete beginner or experienced artist, at the studio and gallery on her croft just 3 miles away. A qualified teacher her sessions are always fun for both adults and children.

If you are a history buff then a visit to Culloden battlefield – site of the last battle fought on British soil, Fort George, Urquhart Castle and Cawdor Castle are all within easy reach. Don’t miss the spectacular Falls of Foyers* – admired by Boswell and Johnston on their tour of the Highlands.  Relax after your visit to the Falls and enjoy a coffee or lunch at the Waterfall cafe in Foyers.

Fans of the author Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series will be intrigued to try and find the location where “the Dunbonnet” hid – a local story featured in one of her books.

A trip on Loch Ness with the Jacobite Queen, or a faster ride on the Fort Augustus RIB (rigid inflatable boat) are a must, and children will be thrilled with a ride on the steam train from Fort William to Mallaig featured in the Harry Potter films, or the Strathspey Steam Engine experience.

Loch Ness Hideaways are centrally situated for touring and there are lots of interesting historical sites and castles to visit. Walkers will find a network of local paths, including The South Loch Ness Trail, and the Trail of the Seven Lochs – (we can arrange to drop you off or pick you up if you want to walk a long section) and there are many opportunities for mountain biking.  If you are a hill walker or more serious mountaineer Loch Ness Hideaways are within easy reach of the Cairngorms National Park, Ben Nevis, Lochaber, Glen Affric and Ben Wyvis. In the winter months the ski centres at Cairngorm Mountain near Aviemore and Nevis Range near Fort William are open (each about an hour’s drive away) and their funicular and gondola systems are also open in the summer – each centre has a cafe with spectacular views at the top.

The scenery here is stunning – in the spring the banks of the “Pass” are studded with thousands of primroses, followed by broom and gorse. Through the summer the colours change with the purple of foxgloves and heather followed by the spectacular shades of autumn, accompanied by the sound of stags roaring in the hills. Winter can bring snowy days – but also rain, so we provide plenty of books and games, so you can just curl up and relax…

Many of our guests return time and time again and become good friends. We hope, very much that you will join them!

Whatever the season you can be sure of a warm and traditionally Highland welcome to your Loch Ness Hideaway.

Ceud Mile Fàilte – A hundred thousand welcomes!

Got a query?  Phone us on 01456 486711 or contact us. We’ll do our best to help you.

Some Useful Web Sites

We have listed some useful web sites that you may find useful when planning your holiday…