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Cairngorm Bothies

Highlands Aberdeenshire Nr Ballater

12 Cabins sleeping 2 to 4.
Great Outdoors

Cosy cabins in a glorious off-grid Cairngorms location, deep in the heart of the forest.

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Most people looking for a wilderness holiday tend to look beyond the UK. That's a mistake: parts of England may be full but vast swathes of Wales and Scotland still boast some of Europe's most remote and untouched landscapes – for example, the UK's largest national park – the Cairngorms – in the northeast of the country. If you want to lose yourself to nature and wildlife and have literally thousands of acres almost to yourself, this is just the place...

Deep in the heart of this natural paradise, about a mile into a 100-year-old forest of Scots Pines, the 12 cabins of Cairngorm Bothies provide the ultimate off-grid experience in the centre of the Cairngorms National Park, not far from the lovely Deeside town of Ballater. A sister business to the very popular Cairngorm Lodges, they're not only very comfortable but eco-friendly too, with power provided by a solar farm and purified water from a local spring. Each has an outside deck and entrance hall and a main living and cooking area that gives way to a bathroom on one side and a bedroom on the other. The living area has a wood-burning stove fuelled by locally sourced logs to cook on and keep things warm and cosy – half oven and half hot plate, with a back boiler that doubles as a heating system and also heats the water for the shower, the kitchen and bathroom sinks. Lighting is provided by the same solar energy that powers the fridge and shower, and each bothy comfortably sleeps a couple up to a family of three to four across the living area and bedroom that house a UK standard-sized double bed and a trundle single bed (two mattresses 76 cm by 155cm) that's typically suitable for children of 10 and under.

The dictionary definition of a 'Bothy' is a hut used by farmworkers or as a refuge for walkers or climbers, and true to their name these bothies provide a real sense of peace and seclusion. Carefully constructed with the aim of creating as little disturbance to the forest as possible, each is elevated from the ground and positioned to give the best possible views of your location while not imposing on the landscape at all. The estate is primarily used for forestry so the roads in and out are decent, making it a relatively easy place to access by car, although once here you might want to lock your car keys away and spend your time exploring this remarkable location on foot, or even just breathing in the surrounding peace from your deck.

The bothies are all dog-friendly, and the forest has a multitude of paths, plus there are plenty of hill and mountain walks beyond. It's also a fabulous area for horse riding and in particular mountain biking, with some great routes through the forest. And it's not far from the two mountain-biking centres at Tarland Trails, and bike hire is available at Cycle Highland in Ballater, a great Royal Deeside village offering lots of independent shopping, restaurants and coffee shops. Whatever you decide to do, waking up here, surrounded by the sound of the forest, or going to sleep to the same rhythms of the natural world that surrounds you, is pure heaven.

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Details

Open

Available all year.

Short Term Let Full Licence Number AS 00913F

EPC Rating Exempt

Pricing

Rates from £330 for 3 nights, minimum 3 night stay.

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