Grantown-on-Spey is a small town on the edge of the spectacular Cairngorms National Park and a good base for exploring Strathspey. Lying half way between the Cairngorm and Lecht Ski areas, the town of Grantown on Spey boasts attractions that range from a superb 18-hole golf course to the new Grantown Heritage Museum and the delightful Revack Estate with attractive gardens, an orchid house, nature trails and an adventure playground - great for a family day out.
Email Culdearn House enquiries & reservations: bookscotland@madbookings.com
Other places to stay in Grantown
on Spey
A small luxury hotel in Grantown on Spey, Scotland with 5 star
guest accommodation and many awards for excellence, including an AA Rosette
and "Taste of Scotland" dining.
Culdearn is personally run with a country house ambience and beautiful rooms. The hotel is a perfect location for the Spey Valley and Aviemore resort in the Highlands of Scotland.
Formerly one of the country homes of the Earl of Seafield's family, Culdearn is a traditional Victorian granite house which has retained many of its period features.
Set back from the road in 3/4 acre grounds on the edge of woodland, but within easy walking distance of the centre of Grantown on Spey, the hotel has that special combination of atmosphere and personal service that brings guests from all over Scotland and further afield back time after time.
Culdearn House Accommodation
Culdearn House Hotel offers six superb luxury bedrooms in keeping with its four star hotel status. Each bedroom has recently been individually and elegantly designed combining contemporary décor and fabrics with antique and modern furniture to create a stylish and comfortable ambience.
Our non-smoking bedrooms are all en-suite with newly fitted bathrooms/shower rooms and individually controlled heating and double glazed windows, thus ensuring a high standard of comfort and tranquility.
On First Floor (one flight of stairs):
Craigevar
Luxury room with king size double bed and luxurious furnishings. Overlooking
the front and side of the house and outlook to the Hills of Cromdale and
local woodland. High ornate ceilings. Beautiful large en-suite bathroom
with double ended bath, separate large shower and heated towel rail.
Castle Fraser
Large superior king size room with twin beds and beautiful furnishings.
High ceilings. Views of the Hills of Cromdale and local woodland. Luxury
en-suite bathroom with bath including shower and heated towel rail.
Balmoral
Large superior king size room with king size double bed overlooking the
front of the house and on to local woodland. High ceilings. Beautiful
furnishings. En-suite shower room with heated towel rail.
Dunottar
Large superior king size room with twin beds or super king size double
bed. Overlooking the side of house and local woodland. Luxury en-suite
with large shower.
Second Floor (two flights of stairs):
Dunrobin
Superior king size room with king size double bed. Views overlooking the
garden. Lovely furnishings. Luxury en-suite with large shower and heated
towel rail.
Inveraray
Superior small double room with double bed and en-suite shower room. Combe
ceiling. Overlooking the front and side of house. Lovely outlook to the
Hills of Cromdale, front garden and local woodland.
All bedrooms include:
· Freeview TV, Radio/Alarm
· Free Wifi broadband internet access
· Refreshment tray offering tea/coffee facilities including herbal
teas
· Hairdryer, Shoe Shine
· Toiletries/Bath Pillows
· Comfortable beds (with feather duvet and pillows). Blankets available
Fine Dining at Culdearn House
Culdearn House is renowned for its excellent food and this is reflected
in the numerous awards and accolades received over the years. These include
an AA Red Rosette for Food, Taste of Scotland (3 medallions), a Fine Dining
Award and recognition by Scottish food critic Wendy Barrie. The AA have
also praised our extensive wine selection by awarding us with a ‘Notable
Wine List’ designation.
Ingredients are carefully chosen and sourced from Scottish establishments including free range eggs, humanely reared beef, hill grazed lamb, game and poultry, locally grown vegetables and fish from the Moray coast. Quality and freshness is our priority and we are proud to be members of the Scotch Beef Club. The menu changes daily and can be adapted to suit all dietary requirements with prior notice.
Guests are invited to select from the carefully chosen four course menu whilst enjoying a pre-dinner drink by the fire in the Drawing Room.
Culdearn House has an excellent list of hand picked wines from around the world guaranteed to complement your meal. We have a wide range of delicious wines from medium bodied, sweet, ripe Burgundies to complex Clarets and gorgeously rich Rioja’s from Spain.
We have wines for every occasion from our affordable and fabulous French house wine to the super La Croix de Beaucaillou. For those special occasions why not try our wonderful Palmer Premier Cru non-vintage champagne.
One of Culdearn's special attractions is sampling from the extensive collection of over 60 specially selected malt whiskies, some of which are rare and many at cask strength, accompanied by interesting tasting notes. What could be better than a dram by the fire after dinner?
Attractions and Activities
Ideally situated for touring in the Cairngorms and in the heart of Speyside whisky country, the hotel is the perfect base for visiting the many attractions in the area:
Whisky tasting, whisky trails and distillery tours of Speyside
Uisge Beatha - the Water of Life!
Here at Culdearn we are committed and passionate about one of Scotland's greatest products, which should be fully celebrated, tried and tasted! We have a special selection of fine malts and some rare single barrel casks which are often complex and differ significantly from the more readily available "classic malts".
Speyside is the heart of the whisky distilling industry in Scotland and is a region that borders much of the length of the River Spey on the eastern side of the Highlands. The whiskies of this region are noted for their elegance and complexity.
The flow of water over the hills of granite and through moors of peat, adds a refined smokiness to many of the malt whiskies and the more sheltered nature of the countryside imparts a delicacy to their character.
The 'whisky trail' is famous throughout the world and there are at least
fifty distilleries within a twenty five mile radius of Culdearn. Most
of these distilleries are open to the public and tours are available throughout
the day where you can taste and nose several varieties. Each year in spring
there is the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival which is a five day event.
Speyside has much to offer the more active visitor. You can visit distilleries, castles, and other attractions such as the Speyside Cooperage in Craigellachie, the Strathspey Steam Railway, the Alpine Nursery and Gardens near Aviemore, and Logie Steading in Forres.
There is bird watching at the famous RSPB Loch Garten osprey observation hide, and forest walks on Rothiemurchus Estate close by. You can also visit a Falconry Centre or the famous herd of Reindeer on the Cairngorm Mountain.
Revack, a shooting lodge dating from 1860, is a superb visitor attraction close to Culdearn House set in 350 acres of outstanding scenery. Although the house itself is not open to the public, our guests can visit the 15,000 acre site including the ornamental lochs, 10 miles of walks and trails, gift shop and restaurant together. Highlights include rare orchids, wild flowers and wildlife.
For the more energetic, there is a choice of mountain pursuits in every season: horse riding or pony trekking, fishing, and Skiing. For the devoted golfer a myriad of courses providing over 300 holes within an hour's drive of Culdearn House.
During the summer months there are always local Highland Games and Gatherings worthy of a visit to watch energetic displays of dancing and sporting competitions.
Scottish castles and castle trails
Grantown-on-Spey and surrounding areas abound with castles, some inhabited
and some the worse for the wear, but all rich in Scottish History. Listed
below are suggestions of castles to visit, some within close proximity,
others a little further afield, but each with its own character and attraction:
Castle Roy - on the northern edge of Nethybridge, the castle may have been built soon after 1226 by James, son of the Earl of Mar, to whom Alexander II had granted the Lordship of Abernethy. One of the oldest castles in Scotland, it is a simple enclosure with plain curtain walls and tower protecting those who lived in wooden lean-to buildings within the courtyard.
Cawdor Castle - the most romantic castle in the Highlands and with beautiful grounds, situated north of Grantown-on-Spey on the B9090 between Nairn and Inverness. Romantically linked by the famous Shakespearean tragedy to "The Scottish Play", Cawdor Castle is not another cold monument, but a splendid house and home of The Dowager Countess Cawdor.
Urquhart Castle - Urquhart witnessed considerable conflict throughout its 500 years as a medieval fortress and its history from the 13th and 17th centuries was particularly bloody. The castle sits, surrounded on three sides by Loch Ness’s deep water and is the ideal spot for a fortified residence.
In the 14th Century if figured prominently in the Scots’ struggle for independence and came under the control of Robert the Bruce after he became King of Scots.
Ballindalloch Castle - a magnificent 16th Century Castle and the family home of the Macpherson-Grants since 1546. The Castle and grounds, still lived in today are open to the public from April to September (closed Saturdays). Located just off the A95 north east of Culdearn House.
Mountain Pursuits
There are numerous opportunities to enjoy the wonderful mountain scenery
that surrounds the Spey valley.
The famous Cairngorm range rises to a height of over 4,000ft and provides
a fantastic opportunity to experience some of the best walking, climbing
and in winter, skiing, in Scotland.
Recently completed, the brand new Cairngorm mountain funicular gives the less energetic a chance to experience the wonderful views that can be viewed from the high tops. It is not just skiers who use the funicular; in summer the funicular takes passengers to a height of 3,600ft, just below the summit of Cairngorm, from where you can enjoy a drink at the highest cafe in Britain.
In winter Cairngorm is Britain's premier ski resort, with 35 downhill runs for skiing and snowboarding and tuition for all standards.
The Cairngorm Reindeer Centre is a unique experience. It is Britain’s only reindeer herd roaming freely in their natural environment, and can be seen on the mountain or for a small charge at the Glenmore Centre.
For the less energetic, peace and quiet and sheer relaxation together with comfort and hospitality make Culdearn the ideal place to stay during your holiday in the Scottish Highlands. Culdearn House Hotel is open all year and is a totally non-smoking establishment.
DIRECTIONS
Culdearn House is located in Grantown on Spey in the heart of the beautiful
Spey Valley. It is easy to reach whether travelling by road, rail, air,
or sea, with good connections from all major routes. Grantown is within
easy reach of the West Highlands, Skye, Inverness, Loch Ness, Culloden,
Aviemore.
Travelling by rail:
Aviemore railway station is 15 miles away and well serviced, located on
the main line from London to Inverness via Glasgow and Edinburgh. Taxis
are readily available at the station.
Travelling by road:
Travelling north on the A9 heading towards Inverness, take the right hand
turn onto the A95 2 miles after Aviemore, signposted Elgin/Grantown on
Spey. As you enter Grantown on Spey from the south-west on the A95, turn
Left at the 30mph sign; Culdearn House is directly in front of you across
the road.
When approaching from the North East (Elgin/Aberlour/Braemar) into Grantown on Spey, turn Left at the traffic lights, signposted for Aviemore, and Culdearn House is 500 yards along the road on the Right.
Travelling by plane:
The nearest airport is Inverness, located 15 minutes north of the city.
To reach Culdearn House, follow the signs from the airport to Inverness
and then turn left onto the A9 and follow directions as above from the
A95. Internal flights are scheduled from Gatwick, Luton, Glasgow and Edinburgh
providing visitors from south of England as well as Scotland with good
travel connections.
Email Culdearn House enquiries & reservations: bookscotland@madbookings.com
