Local attractions
Polmaily Farm is centrally located for exploring the Highlands and Islands. You are close to ideal sites for touring, walking, climbing, riding, golf, fishing, stalking and many more outdoor pursuits.
Scottish TV and movie locations
Polmaily is within easy travelling distance of Beauly, Fort Augustus, the Kyle of Lochalsh and Hamish Macbeth's Plockton. Visit the Kingussie area where Monarch of the Glen was filmed or Glencoe, where the third Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, was filmed.
Cross the bridge to Skye, travel north to Torridon, east to the Black Isle or the Moray coast for a bit of dolphin spotting.
Drumnadrochit
Drumnadrochit transforms from a tranquil Highland village in winter to a busy tourist attraction in summer – partly due to the charms of the romantic ruin of Urquhart Castle, the venue for many Loch Ness Monster sightings.
The village has a couple of grocery shops, post office, bank, doctors surgery, police station, a number of eating establishments, a resident glass blower, kilt makers and whisky shop, as well as gift shops and two Nessie attractions.
Loch Ness can be visited on foot via local woodland trails, viewed from many vantage points on the surrounding hillside or by hiring a boat trip available from a number of local operators.
Horse riding and pony trekking
Pony trekking and riding is available from The Highland Riding Centre at Borlum Farm where a number of horses and ponies to suit all abilities are available for hire.
Walking
Walking is particularly well catered for in the area with the provision of many established walks. The Great Glen Way passes through Drumnadrochit. The 73-mile cross-Scotland walk links the Atlantic Ocean in the west with the North Sea in the east. This is also open to cyclists but is not all easy going. Part of the Glen passes through the newly created Abriachan Woodland, which is community owned and has other nearby walks featuring highlights suited to children and adults, such as a tree house, a bird hide and turf roofed sheiling. Another section passes close to the Bunloit Pottery. Much of the Glen is owned by the Forestry Commission and there are many forestry tracks to walk. There are many fine beaches throughout the area; they're not often used for sunbathing but they are ideal for exploring rock pools and beachcombing.
Other walks in the area include canal pathways at either end of Loch Ness, both at Fort Augustus and the Caledonian Canal in Inverness. On the other side of Loch Ness you can visit Foyers, about a third of the way up the loch's eastern shore. Corriemony, with its historical cairn and RSPB reserve, is another ideal place to walk and explore.
Glen Affric
Glen Affric is a nature reserve and an area of natural beauty, with ancient Caledonian pine forests: it also sports many walks. From here it is just a 10-mile walk to the west coast, with a Bothy provided for those who want a half-way house. There are many sites of interest including some dramatic waterfalls such as Dog Falls and Plodda Falls (found near the quaint village of Tomich). Nearer to Drumnadrochit are Divach Falls.
Inverness
Polmaily Farm is 16 miles (a 20-minute drive) from Inverness, which is host to a great many attractions and activities, including a new shopping centre. Unique to Inverness is its Victorian shopping arcade and Leakey's second-hand bookshop with a variety of old prints as well as books. Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, with an ever-changing theme of displays, is worth a visit, along with the Cathedral. To stock up on your winter woollies and golfing knitwear try Pringles Woollen Mill, west of Inverness on the south side of the River Ness.
The recently refurbished Eden Court Theatre, beside the River Ness, features many dramatic and musical entertainments and a small cinema screen. There’s also a Vue Cinema to the east of the town, a leisure centre and Aquadome with water flumes, an ice rink (for curling as well as skating), and a ten pin bowling centre. Bught Park caravan park and campsite has a boating lake and children's play area: and the nearby Floral Hall is a refreshing place for parents to recover with a cup of tea.
There are all types of restaurants in the town, from fast food to bistros and a range of ethnic choices. Plus the nightlife in Inverness is lively, with a nightclub and several bars that feature live music or DJs.
Skiing
Skiers have the choice of Aviemore (Cairngorms) or Aonach Mor (Nevis Range); both centres only a 50-minute drive and all surrounded by ski and boot hire centres.
Castles
Apart from our own Urquhart Castle there are a great many worth a visit such as Brodie, Cawdor, Eilean Donan, Dunvegan and Dunrobin. Many have wonderful gardens, heritage museums, falconry displays etc as well as their individual historical interest.
Golf
Scotland is regarded as the home of golf, and the Highlands has 45 golf courses: that’s double the number per person that Scotland has as a whole. Not all courses are 18 hole; some of the smaller 9 holes are just as high in standard, challenging and enjoyable to play, if not more so, than some of the more famous courses.
Stalking
Stalking in the Highlands is unique, unlike any other part of the world. If you’re interested in experiencing this, we can make arrangements depending on the sporting season.
Fishing
The area offers many different types of fishing:
- salmon and sea trout fishing on local river systems
- trolling for salmon and trout in Loch Ness
- brown trout fishing in the local hill lochs
- sea fishing
- stocked rainbow lochs and ponds
A good guide to the fishing in the area, with details of the open season, cost and permit availability is Fishing Scotland by James Coutts.
