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NAIRN

THE LOCAL AREA

Local Area

Nairn is an excellent base from which to explore a variety of castles, gardens and places of historic interest.

Having one of the best sunshine records in Scotland, the Moray coast is popular for leisure pursuits such as golf and also has some gorgeous stretches of unspoilt sand.

We would be delighted to assist in planning your tour to help you make the most of your time.

Here is just a glimpse of some of the things our region has to offer.

Brodie Castle

The ancient seat of the Brodies has a collection of fine furniture, porcelain, and paintings. Extensive gardens and grounds which are famous for their collection of over 400 different varieties of daffodil. Just 10 minutes drive from Nairn.

Ballindalloch Castle

Home of the Macpherson-Grant family since 1546. Beautiful gardens and grounds. The Ballindalloch herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle is the oldest herd in the world. 40 minutes drive south of Nairn.

Cawdor Castle

The most romantic castle in the Highlands is 15 minutes south of Nairn. Home of the Thanes of Cawdor and famous for its links with Shakespeare’s Macbeth. It has a collection of fine paintings, tapestries and furniture. You can also enjoy the wonderful flower gardens and forest nature trails.

Near Cawdor, Kilravock Castle offers guided tours and afternoon teas on certain days.

Inverness

Capital of the Highlands with its castle, cathedral, museum, theatre, shops and markets. Venue for music festivals and many events throughout the year.

Historic Towns

Forres (one of Scotland’s oldest towns) features Sueno’s Stone. This huge monument, some 23 feet tall, was carved with battle scenes possibly as long as 1000 years ago.

Elgin, with its ruined Cathedral, 13th century Abbey and unusual Biblical Gardens, is just over 20 miles from Nairn.

Clava Cairns

Mysterious standing stones & burial cairns dating from the Bronze Age. Between Culloden and Cawdor.

Culloden Battlefield

Site of the battle which ended Bonnie Prince Charlie’s dream of the Jacobite Uprising in 1746. 20 minutes drive from Nairn.

Fort George Fort George

An outstanding, unaltered artillery fortress built just after The Battle of Culloden.

Golf

The area in and around Nairn offers the visiting golfer great choice of Highland links and parkland courses including the magnificent new course Castle Stuart Golf Club which has hosted the Scottish Open and is located between Inverness and Nairn.

The choice for short golf breaks and golfing vacations makes Nairn an ideal base for golfing holidays of all types.

Nairn has 2 excellent championship golf courses – Nairn Dunbar and Nairn Golf Club which was host to the 37th Walker Cup in 1999. There are also over 20 golf courses within less than an hour’s drive.

There are also over 20 golf courses within less than an hour’s drive some of which have web links below. 

Nairn Golf Club – www.nairngolfclub.co.uk

Nairn Dunbar – www.nairndunbar.co.uk

Castle Stuart – www.castlestuartgolf.com

Royal Dornoch – www.royaldornoch.com

Moray Old – www.moraygolfclub.co.uk

Boat of Garten – www.boatgolf.com

Elgin – www.elgingolfclub.com

Fishing

Anglers are spoilt for choice with the rivers Nairn, Spey and Findhorn.

Nairn

Spey

Findhorn

 

Nature & Outdoors

Close to Nairn, the Culbin Sands form one of the largest shingle & sand dune bars in Britain. This RSPB Nature Reserve also has some lovely woodland trails and cycle paths. Ideal for spotting birds and other wildlife.

Culbin Forest

The area known as the Culbin Forest was formerly fertile farm land which was covered on beach sand during raging sand storms in 1694 and later. The drifting of the coastal sands was due to the harvesting of marram grass for thatching.

During the 1920 ‘s branches cut from trees were laid over the dunes to form a thatch which helped stabilised the dunes and allowed trees to be planted and create what is now the Culbin Forest. Over the years a great diversity of wild live has made the forest their home.

If lucky you may sight Ospreys, Roe Deer, Red Squirrel, Badgers, Otters and Bats. The forest where one always comes across something of interest is a fantastic area to explore either on foot or by bike. If you wish to hire a mountain bike we can arrange delivery to the hotel by a local company.

Dolphins

Cruises to see the dolphins, porpoise and seals which are resident in the inner Moray firth are available from from Nairn Harbour with Skipper Eric Wardlaw’s Phoenix boat trips.

Mountain biking, canoeing, hill walking and skiing (in season) are all possible in the nearby Cairngorm area.

Whisky Distilleries

The Malt Whisky Trail lies by the River Spey in the Grampian Highlands of Scotland. Some of the finest malt whiskies available are distilled in this beautiful area of Scotland. Visitors can take a guided tour at most of the distilleries – you will be given an insight into the secrets of whisky production and enjoy a ‘dram’ at the end.

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival takes place in April each year.

Loch Ness

The largest body of freshwater in Britain covering an area of 21 square miles and almost 800 feet deep. It is reputed to be the home of the Loch Ness Monster. An excellent way to see this very scenic area is to drive down the loch from Inverness to Fort Augustus and back along the opposite side via the Falls of Foyers and Dores. Boat trips and Nessie exhibitions can be found in the floral village of Drumnadrochit. Nearby are the ruins of Urquhart Castle, now owned by Historic Scotland.

Just a brief taste of what’s on offer in the Highlands, Moray & Speyside.

All within easy reach of Nairn

 

Whisky Trail

The Malt Whisky Trail lies by the River Spey in the Grampian Highlands of Scotland. Some of the finest malt whiskies available are distilled in this beautiful area of Scotland. Visitors can take a guided tour at most of the distilleries – you will be given an insight into the secrets of whisky production and enjoy a ‘dram’ at the end.

We can highly recommend a visit to Benromach distillery and are happy to arrange private tours for our guests.

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival takes place in April each year.

Our expansive Whisky list includes over 100 whiskies from all regions as well as some fantastic cask strengths.