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Candacraig

Candacraig

Rooms : 12 bedrooms with 12 private bathrooms  Type :  Family or friends gatherings, corporate retreats

OVERVIEW

Originally built in the 17th century and part of a 16,000 acre estate in the Cairngorms,  Candacraig was enlarged in 1836 in Scottish baronial style, by the same architect that built the neighbouring Balmoral Castle, the Royal family’s favourite holiday home. The current owners, Lynne & Marc Lino, bought the property in 2014 from Sir Billy Connolly, a famous comedian and actor who had it for 15 years.  Prior to this, Candacraig was owned for many years by the iconic founders of the Body Shop chain Anita and Gordon Roddick.  Considerable investment has recently been made into the interior redesign of this stunning property including a wood fired biomass heating system, magnificent chef’s kitchen, improved connectivity and upgraded bathrooms with powerful state of the art showers.

Image credits: ZAC and ZAC

ACCOMMODATION

Candacraig accommodates ideally up to 20 guests exclusively in six large bedrooms with superking/twin beds and six standard sized bedrooms with queen/king mattresses.

Each bedroom has a private bathroom, with 10 ensuite and 2 adjacent.

On the ground floor, public spaces include a vast wood pannelled drawing room, a whisky library, a full size snooker table in Games’ room and a chef’s state of the art kitchen.

TOP FIVE EXPERIENCES

 

  • Surrounded by the Cairngorms National Park, with several nature reserves on our doorstep, Candacraig is the perfect retreat to reconnect with nature

 

  • An exceptional and long standing team, including a private chef, will provide bespoke, unobstrusive 24hr service, maintaining at the same time a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere

 

  • Candacraig’s knowledgeable in house concierge will design a bespoke itinerary, whether your passion is history, heritage, wildlife, or local food and drink, you will spend time doing what you love and learning new things.

 

  • With a remarkable whisky library, there is an in-house whisky expert, and hundreds of distilleries within one hour’s drive from Candacraig, it’s paradise for the whisky enthusiast

 

  • For those who want to savour the property, we can arrange fly fishing or wild swimming in our river, games on the lawn, walks with our gardener, music evenings in the drawing room and cooking classes using the finest Scottish game and seafood.

 

ACTIVITIES

The list of activities offered at Candacraig is endless. There is something for everyone.

Experience the great outdoors with falconry, fly fishing, clay pigeon shooting, a Land Rover safari with a picnic, wild swimming, foraging, skin salmon tanning, paddleboarding and hiking.

Perhaps indulge in whisky tasting or whisky distillery tours, castles and history tours, music evenings with talented local musicians, a traditional Burns supper and ceilidh with your own kilt!

Or simply relax with drawing classes, an outdoor personal trainer, yoga and pilates, in house treatments or a breathing workshop.

FAMILY

Family is at the heart of Candacraig with the following activities mostly all on-site.  Mountain bike and ebike tours with guides, wildlife tours with ecologists, birdwatching, games on the lawn to include archery, axe throwing, mini highland games, giant chess, bushcraft and survival skills – making fires and den building  – art classes, farm visits and trout loch fishing. A highlight for any gathering is a Mini Highland Games on the lawn.

DINING

The Highland Dining room seats 20 people around a large table and with its impressive tartan fabric walls is perfect for a fabulous Scottish dinner.  There is also an outdoor barbeque area and firepit for lovely long summer evenings by the fire.

 

  • "We will always remember this special place. Its beauty is only part of its charm. The staff are the heart of this home."

    guest

  • "I felt like a Queen staying here, thanks to the amazing staff!"

    guest

  • "Spectacular! Every detail was cared for."

    guest

  • "Just wanted to thank you and the whole team for making our visit to Candacraig such a great success, it was a magical event! The house was amazing, the staff super helpful and very patient. The organisation spotless!"

    guest

GET IN TOUCH
 

ACCOMMODATION COLLECTION

Sheen Falls Lodge

Sheen Falls Lodge, a privately owned 5 star country house is fortunate to be located in one of the most beautiful places in the world.  Situated on the Wild Atlantic Way in the bay of Kenmare, there are views of cascading waterfalls, the delightful bay itself and also the magnificent McGillicuddy Reeks, the highest mountain range in Ireland looming in the distant sky.

A Condé Nast Award winner, this five-star Relais & Chateaux hotel is best described as “classic luxury” with all rooms enjoying breath-taking views.

Rooms : 60 spacious bedrooms and suites   Type : Couples, Family, Outdoor Active

 

 

Eilean Shona

Sleeps: 20  Bedrooms: 11 Bathrooms: 6

Type: Seclusion, Mindfulness, Celebration, Family

Features & Activities: Boating, fishing, kayaking, rural

Location: Loch Moidart, off the West Coast of Scottish Highlands

Those Looking For: Time to reconnect, get off the grid and re-energise

 

Gregans Castle Hotel

Gregans Castle Hotel is an oasis of comfort and genuine Irish hospitality with breath-taking views across Galway Bay. It is the ultimate luxurious and decadent hideaway idyllically situated overlooking the unique Burren landscape. The elegant bedrooms, antiques, modern art, turf fires, candlelight and garden flowers add to the indulgently relaxing atmosphere. Guests have included J.R.R Tolkien, who is said to have been influenced by the Burren when writing The Lord of the Rings, as well as other revered artists such as Seamus Heaney and Sean Scully.

Rooms : 21 Bedrooms and Suites.  Type : Couples, Families, Outdoor Active

View entire accommodation collection

Candacraig Estate. Cairngorms National Park

  • "Incredible service ! The BEST tour guides, tour options and always available to help smooth over any "snafus" that we ran across during our vacation. 5-star, A+ rating from us."

    Clients of Jessica Thompson, Fairway Travel, Virtuoso

  • "....their time in the U.K. was PERFECT – loved everything you guys did for them, and sang praises for everyone! Thank you!! "

    Connie Hanes, Herff Travel

  • "Everyone, from the Tour Guides to our excellent driver, were amazing. All aspects of the trip were beyond expectations. Even changing our day schedule for outside reasons (like the airline sending my bag to a city 120miles away) they were always happy to help and move the schedule around so we could keep enjoying our trip. Everyone made us feel at home and like family."

    Client of Leah Molinari, Molinari Travel, Gifted Travel Network

  • "Dream Escape was the trip of a lifetime. Excellent choice of hotels, tour guide was awesome, the planned tours were wonderful and very informative."

    Client of Trisha Rathke, VIP Travel Designs, Gifted Travel Network

  • "Dreamscape designed an itinerary that combined an exploration of Scottish history and culture and a visit to some of the filming locations for the hit TV show Outlander. The tour guides provided were personable and knowledgeable and responsive to our interests. Our driver who was with us for the entire trip was professional and pleasant and again, flexible and sensitive to our interests. The hotels were magnificent and the pacing of the trip, spending at least two nights in each hotel was perfect. The itinerary was everything we wanted!"

    Client of Susan Morley, Journeys around the World, Cadence

  • "Sally Strange was wonderful so knowledgable, friendly and fun. 100% would use her services again. We feel like we have a friend for life! We LOVED our tours, where we ate lunch, and spending the days with Sally......Thanks (once again!) for looking after our clients so well. We so appreciate you. "

    Lauren Ainsley, Black Tomato

  • "Rosie...thank you for giving us such a world-class experience in Scotland. Everyone had such a wonderful time and your presence was a large part of that. Your warmth and generosity in taking care of us on our little excursion is so beyond appreciated and I can’t wait to work with you again soon."

    Alex Martinetti

  • "Thank you so very much for the amazing trip to Scotland that you planned for us!! It was truly a once in a lifetime fabulous family trip!! Not only were the accommodations perfect, the activities were above expectations, given the people involved with so much knowledge and compassion for what they do....Many, many heartfelt thanks for making this trip so very special for our family. "

    Clients of Kristen Meckem, Kristen Meckem Travel, An Affiliate of Brownell

  • "I work regularly with Michael Davies, who I can not praise enough! Michael is a gem to work with and always delivers extraordinary client itineraries. "

    Jennifer McCrea, Boutique Travel Advisors

  • "We cannot thank you enough for all you did for us during our stay in Scotland! We loved every minute of it....and we loved you teaching us the history of each town and visit. "

    The Pogue Family - Clients of Amy Spence, Strong Travel

  • "We are so grateful for professionalism, expertise, and purely fun personality to entertain and educate our clients in all things royal! I do believe it was a smashing success. 😊"

    Pat Bowden, Red Letter Travel, an independent affiliate of Brownell

  • "Michael does such an outstanding job with making sure every itinerary he works on with me is well thought out. He is attentive to detail and always allows for the clients interest to be reflected in their tours. He makes sure that the perfect tour operator and chauffeur is paired with each client. I wanted you to know what a pleasure it is working with Michael and knowing my clients will always be well cared for when traveling with Dream Escape! "

    Jennifer McCrea, Boutique Travel Advisors

  • "Without a doubt, what made all of it so special and unforgettable was having the true pleasure of having Sally Strange as our guide. She was truly incredible..so full of life, energy, amazing historical knowledge anywhere we visited was extraordinary. Her sense of humor and fun personality made her extra special. Sally was a winner in every way."

    Clients of Betsy Talbot, Travel by Talbot (Brownell)

  • "Your team excelled on all levels! The execution of the itinerary was flawless!!! Well done. The clients LOVED Sally and this was just the second note from them about how exceptional she was. "

    Cathy Major, Cerulean World Travel

  • "I just wanted to send an e-mail to compliment the excellent service I have received with Susie Little. She has been absolutely wonderful to work with. She is quick to respond, easily answers all of our questions, and has had to be patient with my clients as we have made many changes and updates to the itinerary. I really appreciate all of her hard work and the beautiful itinerary she put together for my clients. They said they were in AWE and everything looked fabulous! Thank you for providing such excellent service and I look forward to working with you in the near future! Thank you so much!"

    Krista Boyles, Unique Romance Travel

  • "I want to extend my deepest gratitude for your incredible work on this project, we really could not have gotten it across the finish line without you and your team 😊"

    Marieta Carrrero, Boost Journeys

  • "I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone at Dream Escape who helped in making the Gialamas' visit to London special. I know Dream Escape has many people behind the scenes that work on making an itinerary such as this flow seamlessly and I just wanted to say thank you for all of your hard work! "

    Jennifer McCrea, Boutique Travel Advisors

  • "Activities & Tours - All the events and guides were outstanding.- Guides - Simply the best. All of them. All outstanding! "

    Black Tomato Clients

  • "Thank you for everything you did to make the entire trip, special presentations and events so special. It has added a sparkle in my life!"

    Gretchen Ashworth Stewart, Client

  • "Dream Escape, to no one’s surprise, is the best in the business. I cannot begin to thank you for crafting a perfect vacation for these clients. They had nothing but fabulous things to say about each and every event."

    Nancy Ebel, Virtuoso Travel Advisor

  • "Couldn’t have asked for a better 1st trip to London!......The sites we saw were the best & Sally, you went above & beyond to make it memorable"

    Shannon Marie Long - Reed and Mackay

  • "Delightful to spend time and see the incredible city of London with you all. Dream Escape for a flawless job in seeing the best bespoke sites, Sally you are amazing. Thank you again as this was amazing"

    Josh Whitaker - Owner, Rudi Steele Travel

  • "Probably the best of the best in the UK and Ireland for organising amazing trips. They know their stuff, have fantastic relationships with suppliers and always go the extra mile."

    Rob Arrow, Al Tayyar Group

  • "Lovely suite. Fabulous private tours. Everything has exceeded our expectations. "

    William A Heim, Client

  • "I had the most wonderful time with you and learned so much...What you offer is rare and much needed in the truly exclusive travel world. "

    Jean Newman-Glock, Signature Travel Network

  • "You were the heart and soul of the trip….I truly admired your sunny personality, sense of humor, organization and professionalism.  You also demonstrated  that a guide’s work is never done as you were constantly researching….. Did you ever rest??? "

    Sharon Delano, Frosch

  • "We want to thank you and the team from Dream Escape.  All six of us in our group had a wonderful time, and we all agreed we owed that in large measure to the work of Dream Escape. From the onset of working with you, you demonstrated a tremendous knowledge about all the activities we wished to pursue —from playing golf to dining at excellent restaurants to seeing historical sites and the Tattoo and Fringe Festival.  And, then you executed "

    Thomas Cohen, Client

  • "THANK YOU a zillion times over for choosing/assigning Rosie to be with this family.  She MADE the trip for them – there’s no other way to put it! "

    Jill Jergel, Frontiers International Travel

  • "Our holiday in Scotland now tops their lists of best trips…… To their growing list of amazing and memorable first-time experiences, our sons may add fishing for trout and salmon on the River Tay; steering a motor boat on Loch Ness; and taking private guided tours on Culloden Moor Of the eight full days we were in Scotland, Alex and Mattie thought each and every day was the best"

    Michael Guadarrama & Trammi Nguyen, clients of Peter Carideo. CRC Travel

  • "All six of us were deeply moved by the whole experience. Bravo Dream Escape "

    Max Levy, Direct client

  • "Thank you Karen and all of the staff and guides affiliated with Dream Escape…..the Flemings are having an awesome tour of Scotland. You all have made me look like a star! "

    Joni Gerace, The Travel Society, LLC

  • "Thanks for all your help and we can chalk this one up as a big success!   Our anniversary celebration was all we could have hoped for "

    Clients of Courtney Regan, Affiliate of Brownell Travel

  • "Rosie was MORE than outstanding – she went out of her way to help us in every regard...She was so knowledgeable – we all loved her"

    Jill A. Jergel, Frontiers International Travel

  • "I cannot thank you, Nicola and all the Dream Escape “clan” for the wonderful care & attention you have provided, and are providing for my clients"

    Cindy Evans, Travel Consultant

  • "I hope I have another opportunity to work with Dream Escape in the near future. The company is so professional, yet approachable and easy to work with. It has been a pleasure!"

    Carole McFarland, Universal Travel

  • "Dream Escape is delivering in a superb manner. Jim Johnston is a great driver and one of the best guides we've had - I wish to very much thank the Dream Escape Team for fulfilling a Dream…"

    Donald M. Davis, President, Luxury Travel, Inc.

  • "Thank you all so much it's great to have trusted friends on the ground to take care of our clients!"

    Peter Carideo, CRC Travel

  • "The trip was great.... Dream Escape is the name of the game"

    Ann Lipschitz, Worldview Travel

  • "Your level of service is just outstanding"

    Debra Fini, VWTI

  • "Dream Escape don’t just organise trips – they create adventures"

    Financial Times, How to Spend it

  • "It was, without doubt, one of the most spectacular weekends I have ever had"

    Country Life

  • "David Tobin’s an ace at getting inside private castles and estates and he’s well connected.... "

    Conde Nast Traveller Magazine

  • "The level of service they provide is outstanding. They truly care about every aspect of the trip to ensure you have a fantastic stay. Rosie is a hidden gem of a tour guide. Just fabulous."

    Yvonne Malka, Signature Travel Network, April 2018

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