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All of our self-catering holiday properties come with their own BBQ, ready for you to cook up a feast.
Cygnets on the Estate!
* Sound on * for the beautiful calls of this swan family up on the loch.
Baby swans (cygnets) are born with short necks and covered in fluffy down which they will keep for the first year or two of their lives. They are able to run and swim within the first few hours after hatching and can live up to 20 years in the wild and 50+ in captivity.
We hope our guests enjoy the new additions to the estate wildlife!
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What do you think of our new signage across the estate?
They are made from elm from trees that died on the estate from Dutch elm disease, which has now killed millions of elm trees in the UK over the last 50 years.
Gregor cut them to size and Fraser Signs in Inverness carved them. The estate team then put them out at each of the holiday properties.
Let us know what you think!
Breakfast on the Balcony 🥐
Fresh coffee, eggs and soldiers and your own private slice of heaven. Swiss Cottage's balcony is one of our absolute favourite spots on the estate ~ perfect for a special breakfast or a G&T with a book while your other half gets the BBQ started below.
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Struie Hill
Time from holiday properties: 20 mins
Wow factor: 10/10
Although you cannot guarantee whether you'll have glorious sunshine, drive through clouds or be turned away by the closed snow gates, the Struie is an experience to try when you stay with us. The viewpoint always has admirers capturing the view, and you can see why. When it's closed, you can drive the long way to the northern part of the estate, an equally beautiful journey through trees, winding roads (watch out for wildlife), past ruins and lochs.
Find the circular Struie Hill Walk on the Visit Easter Ross Peninsula website.
What a stunning part of the world!
Nature Hide 🐦 🔭
This is a very special place on the estate and one that often makes our guests squeal with delight.
Wander through one of the meandering paths, the edges left wild and long for the insects to enjoy, and find yourself at this secluded hut to sit and slow down.
Frequented by beautiful birds and resident red squirrels, you’ll find the hide on Mill Hill, tucked away between Swiss Cottage and Hill House.
We have an abundance of wildlife surrounding our holiday properties and you may well spot red deer, sika and roe deer, pheasants and black grouse during your stay. Don't forget your camera!
If you have experienced animal encounters during a getaway with us, please share them in the comments below!
Hill House August Getaway
👨👩👧👧 Sleeps 6
👨👦 Sleeps extra 2 in cottage next door (included)
🔥 Wood burning stove
🐕 Pet friendly
🔭 Incredible views
We still have a few dates available for a last minute getaway at Hill House this month!
This secluded home is the perfect family gathering spot ~ big enough for all the family (and a calm cottage next door away from 6am children wake-ups!).
Join us in the Highlands for some excellent walking, top notch restaurants, wildlife encounters and breathtaking views.
Call us 01862 843601 to book.
Swiss Cottage Tour ~ the one with the balcony!
🛏 Sleeps 4
🚽 2 bathrooms
🪟 Balcony
🏠 New flooring
🔥 New wood burning stove
🍖 BBQ
🪑Outdoor seating
🥿 Dressing gown and slippers provided
Picturesque Swiss Cottage is straight out of a story book, with pretty diamond-latticed windows and old-world charm.
Originally the estate’s schoolhouse, it is set in its own secluded private garden in an elevated position and surrounded by mature woodland.
Enjoy the outdoor gym (or indoor sports hall if it's a little chilly out), wander the walled garden and cycle up to the lochs to go paddle boarding before relaxing on your own private balcony.
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Peatland Restoration
Some incredible peatland restoration footage from earlier in the year undertaken by Taiga Upland and Caledonian Climate. The work was completed in April and shows the rewetting and restoration that is ongoing. This prevents further CO2 emission and erosion of the peat and will slowly start to build up new peat and capture CO2.
Thanks to Peatland ACTION NatureScot and to Caledonian Climate for the incredible drone footage.
Watch this space for our upcoming podcast about peatland restoration.
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Come on a virtual tour of what's edible in the walled garden just now....
Despite the wet start to the summer, the walled garden is bursting into life with greens, salads, beans, herbs, sunflowers, berries and so much more. With an abundance of wildflowers it's a haven for wildlife to enjoy ~ and the perfect spot for guests to forage for some home grown goodies to accompany their estate suppers in our self catering holiday properties.
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Do you get the impression that Harry rather likes his 'office' view? What a day job! Cows and calves and yearlings are at Hill House paddock on the estate, you might spot them from your bedroom window if you're staying with us!
Photo credit: Babs
Deer oh deer!
What a sight! A buck chasing a doe on the estate. Magical! Has anyone seen rutting behaviour early this year?
Roe buck in the Meadows recently ~ what a sight!
Family Gathering Holiday Offer
Now £37.50 per person per night
We're offering a 25% discount on Hill House & Hill Cottage for the first and last week of the summer holidays, helping families come together and enjoy the outdoors on our private Highland estate.
29th June - 6th July
and
10th - 17th August
Was £2793 now £2095 per week (£37.50 pp/night)
Hill House sleeps 6 (2 doubles and twin bunks) with a separate cottage sleeping 2 - perfect for grandparents or extended family.
* Wood burning stove
* French doors
* Dressing gowns and slippers
Hike mountains, go horseriding, swim in the sea... Send grandpa out fishing and grill fresh trout at the BBQ hut by the loch... Tire the children out cycling the estate hunting for wildlife, then relax with the crackle of the fire as you toast marshmallows with a blanket and a local dram...
The perfect Highland staycation, now 25% off. Get in touch 01862 843 601 and let us welcome you to the estate this summer.
Exciting news!!
Our nature cam shows we have some teeny fluffy kestrel chicks in the nest box!
What's in the Nest Box?
Some recent nature cam footage from our owl boxes - can you guess what's hiding in this owl's nest?? Watch to the end!
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Lambs on the Estate
As well as looking after the cows, Harry also has his pure breed Cheviot sheep on the estate - and now lambs!
The lambs travel in a different compartment to their mum so they don’t get squashed in transit, here they are being reunited in their new home. The white girl is a cade (no mother) lamb from another farm. She has joined the others because her adopted mum's lamb died. The recent weather has been appalling and many farmers are reporting high mortality rates in their lambs because of the cold and wet conditions.
Harry and Babs are doing a brilliant job of looking after these wee additions and we hope they thrive.
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Our recent nature cam footage shows that one of our resident kestrels is sitting on eggs, how exciting!
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Kestrels in the Nest Box
Some recent footage taken on our nature cam of kestrels competing with barn owls for the nest box at the tower on the estate.
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Restocking the Loch
The trout have arrived and we have restocked Loch Larrack, where guests staying on the estate can fish for free. There were around 140 fish at roughly 1.5lbs each from Invicta Trossachs Trout delivered by Oliver Underwood who has been delivering us fish for the past 3 years.