By Jackie Trotter

Mike and Jackie Trotter are long-time members of Scottish Heritage USA and official Ambassadors at several Highland Games in the US. This year will mark their 20^th visit to Scotland in as many years. They were instrumental in recruiting the Coylumbridge Highland Lodges Club as the newest corporate sponsor for SHUSA.

 

Scotland is a treasure chest full of beautiful gems of places to see, to enjoy, to explore, to learn, to fall in love.

You can reach in and pull out the gem of Skara Brae, a neolithic village on the Orkney Islands or discover a necklace made from all the shiny glass bottles on the famous Whisky Trail, or you might find a map of the Castle Trail to explore.  Of course, nothing shines brighter in the world of golf than the courses where the game originated.

The best way to enjoy all the treasures of Scotland is to have a home base, a place to park your luggage and not spend precious time packing and unpacking at hotels. Coylumbridge Highland Lodges Club is where you need to stay.

Coylumbridge Highland Lodges Club is in the heart of the Highlands at the entrance to the Cairngorm National Park. Inverness Airport is just over an hour’s drive away, or you can take a train from Edinburgh and rent a car once you arrive in nearby Aviemore (book prior to arrival).

The Coylumbridge resort has 61 two and three-bedroom lodges, each beautifully decorated and fully equipped for a wonderful two-to-seven-night stay.  While it is a timeshare resort, there are lodges available to rent throughout the year.

Day trips from Coylumbridge are one of the best ways to see Scotland. You can use your SHUSA membership for free admission to these National Trust for Scotland sites in a single day and be back home for dinner that evening. Sample day trips might be:

• Abertaff House in Inverness, Culloden Battlefield, and Brodie Castle (Brodie Country Fair market is a great place for lunch and shopping)
• Craigievar, Fraser, Crathes and Drum Castles
• Haddo House, Fyvie Castle, Pitmedden Garden (my favorite!)

Some other day trip suggestions:

• A drive around Loch Ness with a stop at the Loch Ness Center Exhibition Center, Urquart Castle and the Caledonian Locks at Ft Augustus
• Take the train from Aviemore for a day in Edinburgh without negotiating driving on the “wrong” side of the road
• Spend a day on the famous “Whisky Trail” (with a designated driver, of course)
• Head south to Stirling to visit Stirling Castle or the magnificent “Kelpie” structures. Plan the day to take a ride on the Falkirk Wheel for a truly unique experience

Each evening you can be back in your lodge, enjoying the evening nestled in the Caledonian Forest or having beverages at the nearby Woodshed Bar, just a very short walk from your lodge.

For families, the best part of staying at the Coylumbridge Lodges is to take advantage of all the activities offered on the adjacent Rothiemurchus Estate.  You can take the kids to castles and museums one day and then let them have a day to just relax and have fun. Take the family on a bike ride or hike the incredible trails through an ancient forest, zip through the Tree Zone, learn archery, feed “hairy coos” and deer, take on the obstacles of a dirt bike course, view the hills from the back of a sure-footed Highland Pony and much more.  Don’t miss the Royal Highland Wildlife Park with mountain lions, tigers and polar bears, oh my!

Coylumbridge is also a great place to bring your foursome for the ultimate golf vacation.  St Andrews isn’t the only golf course in Scotland!! In fact, there are more than 580 courses, a multitude of those within an easy day trip of your lodge. Boat of Garten, a Scotland top ten ranked course, is just 15 minutes away. In a little over an hour, you can be on the first tee at the Cabot Highlands (Castle Stuart) Courses, or Royal Dornoch Golf Club, ranked Number 2 in the world by Golf Digest.

Coylumbridge Highland Lodges Club is the perfect place to enjoy the gems found in the treasure chest which is Scotland. Find more information about rentals at Coylumbridge Lodges on their website www.coylumbridge.info.

(There are more tips about traveling in Scotland on Jackie’s website www.kiltsandcoos.com.)

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