Our main focus is always to speed up your transition into holiday mode.
Time is precious and we strive to create an environment that immediatley makes you feel at ease, where you don't need to hunt around for things, its all on your doorstep.
From the natural kids playground amongst the trees to the woodland firepit to the homemade meals delivered to your door, there's no need to travel far. Have a browse through what we have on offer here at The Dell and please get in touch for more information.
Our woodland tipi is our pride and joy. Nestled in the tall pine trees and surrounded by nature, it is the perfect place to host an event, workshop, class and even a good knees up or a chilled out family dinner. A beautiful fire pit sits in the centre surrounded by vintage seating, German beer hall tables, a locally stocked bar and soft lightning and candles which create a wonderful ambience. We even have a gas heating system for those chilly winter days. Even though it is a popular and great space for dinners and parties, we can clear the furniture to make it an equally fantastic space for classes and workshops also.
Non guest rental - £25 per hour unheated/£35 per hour heated or £250 for the day
Guest Rental - £150 for an afternoon or evening. We will have the tipi set for you with whatever you would require.
Just next to our tipi, we have a stunning stone fire pit built by our dear friend and wonderful stone mason Jack Mallalieu. The perfect place to toast some marshmallows, warm up your toes and have a good old fashioned catch up. We offer this out to our guests in residence at a price of £25 for a two and half hour session. The fire pit will be pre lit for you, with an ample supply of wood as well as cushions, sheep skin rugs and blankets to make the atmosphere all the more cosy. Why not make it extra special with some delicious Smores from our Dell Grocer.
Or why not cook a feast on our fantastic spit roast BBQ. The superbly stocked local butcher in Nethy Bridge has all you could wish for throwing over the hot coals. The BBQ can be booked by our guests in residence at a price of £40 for exclusive use along with all the coal and utensils you will need. A great way to eat out!
Like we said, we want to make your time at The Dell as easy as possible, and what better way than having local produce and home-made meals right on your doorstep. Our onsite Dell Grocer shop is stocked full of goodies and gifts, providing you with all your whimsical holiday needs to maximise your experience with us and help support the local economy at a much needed time. As well as for our guests in residence, we also open our grocer doors to those in our local area. We are open Monday through to Saturday from 9am - 5pm. If one of our team is not there to greet you, you can simply catch us on the walkie talkie by the shop door and we will happily come and open up and have a blether with you.
We also have all of our items available to buy and pre-order online so that they are there waiting for you in your cottage when you arrive, we just ask that you give us 48 hours notice to get this organised for you. Just head to the Dell Grocer section of our website to see what is on offer.
You don’t need to go far to find fun at The Dell, it’s right on your door step. Amongst our woodland we have a small exciting adventure playground for kids and adults alike. Fly through the trees on our zipline, practice your acrobatic skills on the sunken trampoline or test your balance on the slackline over the burn. For those who like to burn off some energy, we recommend hide and seek in the trees or a kick around on the slightly rugged football field. Or for some, it’s just slowing down and connecting with nature.
With an extensive maze of paths surrounding The Dell and Loch Garten in cycling distance, hiring a bike is the perfect way to explore the local area. So we have teamed up with our good friend Kev of Garten Gears to offer bike hire from right here on your doorstep. We have four high quality mountain bikes for hire (2 small, 1 medium and 1 large) with helmets and padlocks included, as well as a double kids trailer, and these can be rented at a price of £20 for a half day or £35 for a full day. We recommend booking in advance so please get in touch to do so.
We have also recently partnered up with Wildtrax 4x4 hire with their amazing fleet of classic Landrovers, a perfect vehicle for the ultimate Highland road trip. Located just 10 minutes from Inverness Airport this is a great solution for touring or basing yourself at the Dell and exploring our bespoke day trip itineraries.
It’s so important to take the time to switch off, chill out and breathe easy when you are on holiday and here at The Dell we want to give you the space to do that. You can read a book while gently swaying in a hammock, take a casual stroll through the beautiful ancient pine tree forest, watch the abundance of birdlife that visits our gardens or use the spacious lawn to stretch out and meditate.
We also have Katie White, a wonderfully talented yoga instructor, who you can book for a private session in our tipi for groups up to 12. She combines her years of experience in traditional hatha vinyasa with modern mobility and strength training techniques to curate a life long sustainable practice. We have mats, block and bolsters available for hire here at The Dell so no need to worry if you don't have your own.
If you want to take relaxation to the next level, then why not book yourself a private massage in your cottage with the amazing Carrie Wilde. Carrie has several massage packages on offer to match your requirements and her magical healing hands will leave you feeling deeply pampered and reset! If you are interested in booking with Katie or Carrie then please do get in touch for more information.
The amazingly talented Amy Niven, of The Third Aye, offers private jewellery making workshops in her purpose-built studio just down the road in Nethy Bridge for 2 to 3 people. A unique and wonderful chance to connect, create, celebrate and choose to make a silver ring, necklace, bangle or pair of earrings as a lovely memento of your time in the Cairngorms National Park. She also offers a workshop for couples with wedding bells on the horizon, to make your own unique wedding rings. If you would like to book with Amy, then please get in touch.
Music has been our true tonic over the last little while and we have built a stack of our 'Woodland Wireless' playlists on Spotify to form a connection with the woods, even when you're not able to visit. Soundscape draws from this library, carefully selecting tracks that stir us and resonate with the landscape surrounding us to take us on a meditative musical journey into the deeper, more hidden trails surrounding the Dell.
Each walk takes around an hour and will be punctuated with birdsong interludes and hot cups. Only requirements are Premium Spotify account, good headphones and some sturdy footwear.
This is available all year round and costs £20 per person.
The Dell is perfectly placed for wildlife watching and we're delighted to be linked up with the teams at Instinct Guides, Highland Nature and Lost Sheep guiding.
Ruari, of Instinct Guides, grew up in this area and he has a wealth of local insights and secret locations. He offers guided nature walks, ‘Wilderness days’ and a 4x4 safari adventure from the Dell and he is always able to tailor his programme to suit what you’re most interested in finding.
Meanwhile, John, of Highland Nature, is a bird enthusiast and a very experienced Wildlife guide. Whether you're a keen birder looking to get the Scottish Specials under your hat or looking to just enjoy a leisurely day out bird and wildlife watching, John can tailor the day to your needs and provides transport.
Or if you are feeling more adventurous then Matt of Lost Sheep adventures can cater a day just for you. Whether you're interested in learning the skills required to hike safely in winter or going wild camping for the very first time, then why not join Matt and experience his passion for sharing nature and promoting mental wellbeing through conversation.
If you are interested in finding out more or booking with any of these wonderfully enthusiastic wilderness guides, just get in touch