Our B&B and Gallery in Craigellachie is in Victoria Street on the left hand side of the road after going over the first bridge then the Telford Bridge. The Highlander Inn is on the same side of the road while the Craigellachie Hotel is on the right after the bridge which flows over the River Spey next to the, A941/A95 (Elgin - Grantown-on-Spey) road.
The Telford Bridge
The second bridge is the famous Telford Bridge built in 1814 which was the main road until 1974. Craigellachie is home of The Highlander Park with two tennis courts (free) and a children’s playpark with swings and shutes. Bar meals, lunches and dinners are available at both the Hotel and the Inn.
While a full dinner at the Hotel is expensive they do encourage visitors to partake of one main course - I have never been disappointed with the quality of their steaks prepared from a local herd of Highland Cattle. Naturally, the Highlander Inn serves a good selection of bar meals.
The Speyside Way, which used to be the old railway line runs below The Gallery, providing easy walking for a good part of the way, or if you wish, you can hire bicycles from Clark’s Shop, just opposite The Fiddichside Inn, just seven minutes walk from The Gallery. Although the pub does not do meals it is a must for the visitor. The bar is small and even half-a-dozen people make it seem busy, with a fire burning in the grate and Dorothy and Joe to look after you.
The Fiddichside Park used to be the main junction for the railway, with a turntable that could send trains to Rothes & Elgin, Dufftown and Grantown-on-Spey. All the local whisky (and there is an awful lot) was sent from Craigellachie, with the station employing about fouteen people. Sadly only part of a platform remains to remind the visitor of those glorious days. Still, which is an appropriate word for these parts, you can enjoy a very pleasant and easy walk, following the River Fiddich to Dufftown, about four and a half miles away along the old track. Dufftown is home to the famous Glenfiddich Whisky which is open to visitors throughout the year.
Incidentally they also produce the beautiful Balvenie Single Malt which to my mind is vastly superior. There is a very good restaurant among many Pubs and Hotels, called Taste of Speyside, using local, salmon and venison, some of it smoked. They also produce Cullen Skink, a north-east soup using smoked haddock which is almost a meal in itself and thoroughly recommended. A few buses leave Dufftown during the day which will return you to Craigellachie if the thought of returning on foot is too much.
Aberlour is only two miles away from Craigellachie where you can visit the factory and shop of Walkers Shortbread. There are two banks, Bank of Scotland & The Clydesdale Bank plus shops and the delightful Old Pantry for lunch and teas.
A further 10 miles along The Speyside Way is Ballindalloch Castle and Gardens which are open to the public for an entrance fee. If time is limited I would suggest hiring a bicycle from Craigellachie or alternatively I could collect you by car at some predestined spot..
The Macallan Distillery offers a unique experience and surely must be top of the agenda. They are open to the public by appointment only and I would be most happy to try and arrange a visit for you. The Macallan is regarded as the "Rolls-Royce" of Speyside Malts and their video will take you by surprise with its ‘Monty-Python’ approach. I keep a copy of Michael Jackson’s Malt Whisky Companion which is available for our guests and I commend it for those interested in Malt Whisky.
Morayshire is blessed with many golf courses; from the highest, just outside Dufftown, a nine-hole course in Rothes (2 miles away) and another two in Elgin (12 miles). At the latter, golf clubs can be hired. Trout fishing is available just beyond Rothes at The Rothes Glen Fishery - three man-made lochs stocked with both Rainbow & wild Trout. If you catch any I shall be pleased to cook it for your breakfast. Rods and tackle can be hired.
Salmon Fishing is slightly more difficult to obtain although locally there should not be much trouble during March - about £15 to £20 a day on the two and a half mile beat of Craigellachie. In Aberlour water a limited number of permits are available on a first come basis, varying in price depending on the season (mid February until end of September).
Going further afield, first to Elgin, you will find it an easy walkable town with plenty of shops and services, a museum and Elgin Cathedral, dating from about the 13th Century. If you enjoy fine cloth and clothes I would strongly recommend Johnstons of Elgin Cashmere Centre. Their shop is most beautifully laid out and they also serve delicous teas and coffee. Travelling along the coast to Fochabers (about 8 miles from Elgin) you can visit the famous Baxters of Speyside. Tours around their factory continue throughout the day and within their compound are several shops.
Spey Bay is just before Fochabers where you can visit The Wildlife Centre, perhaps being lucky enough to watch the Dolphins, Grey and Common seals and maybe an Osprey during the summer.
Glen Livet is only about 12 miles away with a number of marked walks through The Crown Estate. There is also a Smoke House where you can purchase smoked salmon, venison and trout - all of which is vacuum packed, ready to take home with you and enjoy with some Speyside Malt Whisky.
We look forward to welcoming you to Craigellachie. Of course, you are welcome to visit our Green Hall Gallery, which is attached to our B&B. It used to be a Gospel Hall but fell out of use over 50 years ago. Maggie and I converted it about six years ago when we moved from Deeside. All the work is our own with over 100 different prints plus paintings and cards.
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