Alladale Wilderness Reserve

The Experience

As one of the most remote locations in Scotland, the journey to Alladale is an experience in itself. Driving from Edinburgh, you have the opportunity to see much of Scotland's beauty - rolling hills, pristine rivers, centuries old castles, and if you're lucky, weather that changes by the hour and only enhances the majestic landscape.
Once you arrive, you are greeted by an enthusiastic team, led by Stuart and Mandy, eager to ensure your time on the Reserve doesn't disappoint. Alladale’s chef Natasha Buttigieg produces consciously prepared local and organic fare. Their state of the art aquaponic gardens and exterior raised beds produce the vegetables, salads, herbs, and berries. Alladale's ethically culled wild venison is available together with local game if so desired. Regional suppliers offer fresh & wild caught seafood and local trout. Bespoke menus are available upon request.

The rugged beauty of Alladale Wilderness Reserve allows for guests to experience the Highlands in its wildest form. Being out there sometimes feels like staying at the edge of the world. This makes spending a few days exploring the Reserve an unforgettable experience. Alladale offers a great range of indoor and outdoor activities for you to enjoy onsite.
Ryan is your local guide and expertly navigates his way around the terrain, through the rivers and restored peat bogs, to take you hiking to an ancient forest. Along the way, visit and feed the Highland cows, learn about how they are helping conservation efforts, and stop to visit the Scottish wildcat rewilding program. A trip to the Cairn River is a class in Atlantic Salmon spawning, and its importance to the overall ecosystem.
They also offer a variety of interesting day trips to local historic gems. Or go dolphin watching before having a nice local lunch. And what about a visit to a lovely whisky distillery? Alladale is a fantastic base from where to explore a unique part of the Highlands and northern Scotland.
You might have been drawn to the lore of the Highlands, but Alladale will capture your heart with its passion, and you'll leave planning your return.

The Accommodations

Set against rugged hills and the country’s most northerly ancient Caledonian pine forest, the Alladale Lodge is the ultimate private getaway. This beautiful Victorian manor, available on exclusive use basis only, is comfortable and spacious. Its traditional design makes it a true Scottish home away from home. The property boasts a set of lovely extras, such as an in-house sauna, gym and snooker room.
Six of the seven rooms can be converted to twin rooms on request making the lodge accommodating to larger groups and multiple families.
The lodge sets itself apart from other accommodations on site not only by its Victorian style and extras, but also by its fully catered and serviced character. With talented Chef Natasha preparing amazing meals every day, all you have to do is sit back and enjoy an evening by the fire after a day of exploring the reserve.
Both Eagle's Crag and Ghillie's Rest are beautifully restored cottages catering to those interested in a self guided and unhosted option.

History and Rewilding

Although strikingly beautiful, the Highlands are not what they once were. These barren lands used to be home to lush pine forests and large predators. Few people know that just one per cent of what the Romans called ‘the Great Forest of Caledon’ remains today. As a result, much of the flora and fauna that once thrived here, have disappeared and the landscape has altered dramatically.
In 2003, Paul Lister was fortunate enough to buy Alladale Estate, deep in the Highlands, with the goal of creating a wilderness reserve. Over the last 15 years, amongst numerous projects, his team has planted almost 1 million trees, restored damaged peatlands, brought back the red squirrel, and hosted thousands of local teenagers for week-long outdoor school trips.
The Alladale team works hard to rewild this unique part of the Highlands to its former glory, reintroducing original plant and wildlife species, including the Scottish Wildcat.