Aldourie Castle

YOUR STAY

Aldourie does not feel like a modern hotel. It feels like a proper Scottish country home, with years of history still visible throughout the castle.

Walk inside and you will find antique furniture, old paintings, wood panelling and Highland fabrics. Open fires add to the feeling, particularly when the weather turns cold outside.

With twelve rooms, larger families and groups have plenty of choice. Some people might want to stay up talking after dinner. Others may prefer to head upstairs, close the door and have some quiet.

The Laird's Suite gives you a four-poster bed, an open fireplace and views towards the loch. Other bedrooms have their own character, with period furnishings, comfortable beds and views over the estate.

Downstairs, the drawing room is somewhere you will probably keep coming back to. Have a drink beside the fire, pick up a book or challenge someone to a game of billiards.

There is no need to fill every part of the day either. Find a chair, look out towards the water and let everyone else do their own thing for a while.

LOCH NESS & THE HIGHLANDS

You have 500 acres to explore before you even think about leaving the estate. Follow the paths through the gardens, walk through the woodland or make your way down towards the loch.

Fishing is a natural choice here. Spend a few hours on the water or go out with a local ghillie who knows the area and the best spots to try.

If sitting beside the loch sounds better than fishing in it, that works too. Bring a book, take a walk along the shoreline or simply spend some time watching the weather move across the Highlands.

There are more active options when you want them. Kayaking, paddleboarding, wildlife outings and clay pigeon shooting can all be arranged during your stay.

Maybe you want to see more of the surrounding countryside. Your team can help arrange excursions beyond the estate, giving you a chance to explore more of the Highlands before coming back to the castle.

Then again, you might decide that the castle is enough. With this much land around you, there is no shortage of places to spend a quiet afternoon.

WELLNESS & RELAXATION

After a cold morning outside, getting into the lochside hot tub feels like a pretty good idea. Sit in the warm water, look across Loch Ness and stay there until you feel ready to move.

The sauna gives you another place to warm up. You can use it after outdoor activities or simply make it part of a slower afternoon at the castle.

Treatments can be arranged too. If you want a massage without leaving the estate, your team can organise one for you.

Your bedroom gives you another option. Run yourself a bath, close the door and take an hour to yourself while the rest of the group carries on downstairs.

For something even simpler, head outside. Walk through the gardens early in the morning or take the longer route back from the loch. You have plenty of space to clear your head.

FOOD & EVENINGS

Meals are planned around you rather than around a hotel timetable. Start with breakfast when you are ready, especially if you have an early fishing trip or a full day planned outside.

Your private chef can prepare menus using Scottish ingredients and seasonal produce. Local fish, estate venison and other regional ingredients could all feature during your stay.

Lunch might be a relaxed affair before everyone heads off in different directions. Later, come back for afternoon tea and give yourself some time before dinner.

When evening arrives, gather around the dining table and take your time. The wood-panelled dining room gives you the sort of setting where dinner can easily stretch into a few hours.

Afterwards, you might head to the whisky room for a dram or find a comfortable spot beside the fire.

If the weather is doing its best to keep you indoors, embrace it. Put another log on the fire, open a bottle and let the evening take care of itself.

PRIVACY & SERVICE

You are staying on a private 500-acre estate, so there is plenty of room around you. Walk out of the castle and you can be in the gardens, woodland or beside Loch Ness within minutes.

A dedicated team takes care of the details while you are here. Butlers look after the house, your chef handles the meals and local ghillies can take care of fishing and other outdoor activities.

Want to spend tomorrow on the loch? Tell someone. Thinking about clay shooting after lunch? That can be arranged. Prefer to do absolutely nothing? Nobody is going to fill your diary for you.

The layout also works well for larger groups. You can bring several generations of the family or a group of friends and still have somewhere to escape when you need a little peace.

Arriving by helicopter is possible too, with a private helipad on the estate available when arranged in advance.

Once everyone has settled in, the castle starts to feel like your own place. You decide when breakfast happens, where you spend the afternoon and how late dinner carries on.