Make Yourself At Home
Our home is your home, so relax, enjoy the peace and sink into holiday mode.
Nestled within the Cairngorms wilderness and with easy access to Aviemore, our self-catering lodge and cottages offer the perfect escape for family holidays, retreats and gatherings.
Unwind, stoke your fire, re-connect and breathe deep.
Go barefoot on the lawn, pick a hammock, toast your toes and slow right down.
Allow your ears to ring with silence amongst the trees.
Make yourself at home.
What people are saying about us
Accommodation
At a glance
The Dell Grocer
For our guests and community we have put together a careful collection of our favourite things.
Made, Gathered and Grown from as close to the Dell as possible, our home is yours for this while and we want to make this really easy for you.
We now have our own little Grocer on site which is open Monday - Saturday (via walkie talkie) and is stacked with easy oven meals, delicious wine, fresh sourdough most Fridays, holiday treats and all the essentials. Also a piping hot espresso machine for your morning pick me ups and icy cold wine for sundowners.
You can also pre-order your groceries with 48 hours notice and we can make sure your cottage is stocked for your arrival. Tasty things to throw in the oven, fun meal kits to get the kids involved or grazing platters to share around the fire with a carefully matched wine.
We have brought together some of our favourite local producers, stuff you won't find with the big guys, each showcasing our unique local larder.
Explore
The Dell is a peaceful retreat just on the edge of Nethy Bridge, ‘The Forest Village’ - a sleepy, friendly place reached by riverside walk or through the endless trails of the Abernethy Forest. The RSPB Osprey Centre at Loch Garten is just a 10 minute drive, to the north, the wild Moray Coast beaches and to the south, the heart of the Cairngorms. The Dell is an hour from Inverness airport, 20 mins from Aviemore train station and around 3 hours north of Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The Line Up
Music . Workshops . Retreats
Gather Inn - our weekly Friday pub night
1 Sep - 30 Nov
5 - 10pm
Our favourite night is back! The Gather Inn will be opening again from Friday 3rd April and we personally can't wait.
A space for you to unwind on a Friday evening and kick off your weekend in the right way
The tipi has always been the perfect space for gathering and enjoying a drink around the fire, but to top it off we will be joined (most Fridays) by 'Highland Slice' serving up tasty pizzas and Rik's kitchen with their delicious plant based Asian inspired offerings. You can pre-order with both Highland Slice and Rik's kitchen from the Monday prior from 9am, just follow the links on our Instagram or Facebook pages.
We don't take table bookings for the Gather Inn, just turn up, we have plenty of seats inside and out, kids welcome until 8pm. A friendly reminder that if you're coming with kids, please keep them supervised at all times, particularly on the play area.
The Gather Inn will NOT be running on the following dates:
12th June and 25th September
We hope to see you there sometime x
Cheese Making and Food Retreat with Kristen Allan
2 - 6 Nov
from £1095
Cheesemaking, seasonal cooking, long lunches and a slow week in the Cairngorms.
Join cheesemaker Kristen Allan at The Dell for a week immersed in good food, slow cheesemaking and the beautiful landscape of the Cairngorms. Over the course of the week, you’ll make a variety of cheeses from scratch, from fresh cheeses and mozzarella to more traditional, longer-aged styles, while discovering the craft, traditions and simple pleasures of making food by hand. You’ll have plenty of cheese to enjoy during the week and take home with you, too.
There will be plenty of time in the kitchen, but this is no cookery school. Days will unfold at a relaxed pace, with long lunches around the table, seasonal suppers, walks through the forest, time to swim or explore, and plenty of space to simply slow down.
If you’re familiar with Kristen’s workshops, you’ll know she’s passionate about using the whole of the milk. Throughout the week, you’ll cook delicious food incorporating everything we make, from curds to whey. Think rich tomato sugo, venison ragù bianco, polenta with wild mushrooms and buttermilk farmers cheese, whey sodas and focaccia made with whey, alongside mozzarella, burrata, stracciatella, butter, yoghurt and fresh cheeses.
Expect generous tables, good conversation, fireside evenings and the occasional glass of something lovely. A week to learn, make, eat and enjoy the simple rhythm of life in the Highlands.
Suitable for: anyone who loves good food and enjoys making it — from absolute beginners to passionate home cooks and experienced chefs. No previous cheesemaking experience is needed; just come ready to cook, learn, eat and slow down. Get in touch to book
Pauli Pocket Eats Mexican Fiesta
24 Oct
Pauline & Lindsay will be cooking up a feast full of bold flavours and vibrant sharing plates taking you on a journey through Mexico with a nod to our amazing Highland produce. They will be joined by local story teller & author of cookbook 'The Native Mexican Kitchen'. Rachel will take you on a journey into Mexican cuisine, culture & mezcal!
Gather for an evening of long table feasting with new & old friends
To book email hello@paulipocketeats.com