Scot Mountain Holidays – Walking, Biking & Adventure Holidays in Scotland

Scot Mountain Holidays have created a wonderful paradox. You have the comforts of home whilst stepping off your doorstep to explore somewhere cherished or new. Andy’s more extreme and challenging trips can take you decidedly out of your comfort zone. He also introduces a ‘wild side’ of Scotland and Europe that are delightfully unexpected.

The Lodge

Fraoch Lodge, the ‘base camp’ of Scot Mountain Holidays, came from our mutual love for mountain areas. We enjoy travel, geology, locally-sourced and home-grown organic food, living green, and teaching and sharing our knowledge. We began working at the lodge in 1999, opening it up as a home to our guests who quickly become part of our extended Highland family. They pay attention to the details – those small but meaningful touches – that make a stay so memorable.

The comfy lodge is now a 5* hostel with home-style hospitality, such as Rebecca’s signature ‘cake ‘o clock’ for returning hikers and daily fresh baked bread. Guests gather in the lounge with hot coffee and tea to share their adventures, or in the dining room over exquisite home cooked meals prepared in-house using organic home grown produce.

From the moment you arrive you will know our heartfelt hospitality. Whether you arrive by rail or air in nearby Inverness or Aviemore, Andy will be there to collect you and bring you to their home in Boat of Garten. (The village is named after the old ferry of the nearby River Spey.) Most guests stay at Fraoch for at least two nights, and depending on the itinerary may also stay in other boutique lodgings especially selected for their tours.

Green Tourism

Scot Mountain Holidays is a Gold-Green Tourism business. We are passionate about the environment and sustainable living. We believe the greater the indigenous biodiversity, the stronger and more productive the environment. If this is the case then the environment is more likely to support the high human demands we put on it.

Scot Mountain Holidays operates with a very small ‘footprint’, having designed their operation to minimize environmental impact. We are ardent supporters of the ‘farm-to-table’ movement.

Now in their 19th year, Andy and Rebecca bring an unparalleled combination of experience, passion, style and sensibility to set a new standard for sustainable travel. Scot Mountain Holidays and their guests are kindred spirits celebrating the beauty of the Scottish Highlands, respecting and preserving the bounty of its biodiversity.

Walking Holidays

Join us for a self-guided or guided walking holiday in the breathtaking landscape of the Highlands of Scotland. From Torridon to the Cairngorms, we love to experience the unique and wild landscapes across Scotland. You’ll be safe with Scot Mountain Holidays in our small, owner-run business which is part of our family lifestyle.

Visit the Highlands of Scotland and enjoy our guided walking holidays with wildlife watching, cultural visits to Culloden, Loch Ness, Speyside Whisky distilleries, or the Blair Atholl estate. DUE TO COVID-19, cultural visits are temporarily on-hold until government guidelines allow safe access. All our groups will be self-contained during their time with us. Please see our guidelines for what to do before, during and after your trip with us so we can all stay safe.

With safety and instruction from Andy, experience the added benefit on our walking holidays of seeing and learning all about our flora, fauna and geology walking in a beautiful and unique terrain.

With nearly 300 peaks over 3000ft and a wealth of low level routes, our walking holidays in the Scottish Highlands offer a lifetime of adventure. Being one of Europe’s least populated areas, the Highlands possess the rare qualities of wilderness and solitude; perfect for walking holidays.

The sense of space and the soft light, combined with the wild and rugged scenery make the Highlands a must for walking holidays in the UK.

Enjoying self-guided or guided walking holidays with us offers a unique perspective on Scotland. You will stay in the heart of a family home and hope you will leave feeling as if you have a ‘home away from home’ here in Scotland.

A GUIDED WALKING HOLIDAYS OR A SELF-GUIDED HOLIDAY?

Whether you choose a guided walking holiday or a self-guided walking holiday in the Highlands of Scotland, find hospitality to discuss your day with us and relax in front of our open log fire with tea and home-baked cake.

A RANGE OF WALKING HOLIDAYS TO SUIT ALL

Our walking holidays range from mountain challenges to gentle walks, helping give a different perspective on the iconic sites in the Highlands.

Self-Guided Holidays in Scotland

Whatever your passion for hiking or mountain biking in Scotland, be it on-road or off, there’s such a range of opportunities here in the Cairngorms that our home should become part of your bucket list. We can put together a unique choice of routes for you or stick with the standard options we’ve picked out focussing on the best of the park and including distilleries, lochs, ancient forests and hills, as you wish. There may even be the chance to indulge in a spot of wild swimming.

At Scot Mountain Holidays we have made it easy for you to explore to the utmost by providing a range of trips including all the logistics to make mountain biking & hiking in Scotland an amazing experience, and relaxing for everyone.

Mountain biking in Scotland, particularly in this area, is natural, not man-made. There’s an extensive network of mountain biking trails suitable for all ages and abilities. If the routes are planned carefully, there are some of the best cafes and cake shops in the world along the way, including “cake o’clock” here at Fraoch Lodge.

You can be as independent at you want to be. Plan and research the whole experience yourself, utilising social web sites and forums online, then make the most of our extensive local knowledge and book one of our mountain biking or hiking in Scotland packages below. You’ll benefit from accommodation facilities like a lockable bike store, daily weather forecasts, a purpose-built drying room and wash-down area, as well as pick-up/drop-off service; “cake c’clock”; route planning and detailed maps all organised for you.