Location and Background Information
Set in an rural location just a few miles from Grantown on Spey, in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, Lochan Lodge offers visitors an intimate and beautiful open panorama of unspoiled natural countryside.
Lochan Lodge is located just outside the village of Cromdale (500m East). The Lodge is situated approximately 1/2 mile up a private track off the A95 ensuring an easy to find, yet secluded and quiet location
The Lodge is situated on Balnafettach, a 450 acre Highland Cattle farm in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park.
Lochan Lodge is also very unusual in that it is situated on one of the 23 registered battlefield sites in Scotland. Full historical information here – Battle of Cromdale 1690.
Lochan Lodge is an ideal base for many outdoor pursuits including hiking, skiing, mountain biking, golfing, bird watching and sporting activities etc.
One of our regular guests is a much better photographer than we are and he has a blog with some of the truly amazing photographs he took at the Lodge in 2016, including some absolutely spectacular pictures of a snipe in flight and no less than 3 different Ospreys – David Potter Lochan Lodge Blog 2016
David has been back this year and taken more stunning photographs within the grounds of Balnafettach (Ospreys, Butterflies, Flowers and …. a Pine Marten!) David Potter Lochan Lodge Blog June 2017
A recent RSPB survey (our second) of wading bird populations in the Spey Valley has again identified Balnafettach as a land area of great importance for conserving the habitat for these wading and other ground nesting birds. The 2015 Survey Report can be downloaded here:- 2015-balnafettach-rspb-survey-report
Balnafettach farm is a haven for Lapwings, Curlew, Oyster Catchers, Redshanks, Woodcock and Snipe to name but a few. In season – Ospreys are regular visitors to the Lochan immediately in front of the Lodge where they breakfast on the brown trout in the Lochan!
The local area is also ideal for walking, biking, sporting and as a base for exploring the wondrous beauty of the Scottish Highlands. For keen walkers we would recommend that you visit our near neighbour’s website where they have descriptions and details of nearly 2000 walks in the Highlands – WalkHighlands
The Lodge is located some 800m off the A95 in a beautiful, private spot yet is also only 10 minutes from Grantown on Spey, a lovely historic town with a good selection of shops (including a well-stocked Co-op). Inverness, capital of the Highlands, is approximately 40 minutes away.