Great wee course

We spent a week here with a program hosted by the Lister-Kaye family and their team. The food is fresh, organic, delicious, and nicely presented. Each comfy cottage has a private bathroom. Our hosts were competent and welcoming. We enjoyed daily excursions to surrounding areas to learn about Scotland's history, heritage, clans, and natural environment. They told us Scottish lore (witch trees!?), explained the history of battles, castles, subsistence farming, and remnant Caledonian forest. We had time to wander among ruins of churches, castles, and graveyards, and to imagine what life was like so many years ago. We wandered through gardens and forests, along rivers, and past waterfalls. Bring your bug spray (for midges), curiosity about history, and wonder about the natural world. You will not be disappointed.

I’ll start with a description of the individual elements of a stay at Aigas, with the caveat that the sum of each component, all excellent, doesn’t come close to approaching the whole. A stay at Aigas is a magical, unforgettable experience. The cabins are as they appear in photos. They are basic, sturdy, and well-maintained. They’re not charming; they aren’t beautifully decorated, but are simply and comfortably furnished and are immaculate. They are a short walk from the House. My cabin had two bedrooms, each with its own bath (tub/shower), separated by a large communal living area. I spent no time in my cabin, other than to sleep. If my week hadn’t been planned out, I’m not sure if I would have enjoyed downtime in the cabin, although the House’s inviting gathering room and library are open from 7:45 a.m. until around nine at night. The grounds and gardens are beautiful in design, perfectly maintained, and are extensive. They are themselves a reason for visiting, encompassing a large variety of named specimen trees, all labelled; long herbaceous borders; well-planted beds, and nature paths. The food is superb. There are no gimmicks—no dollops or swirls or foams or deconstructions, just simple food, locally sourced, exquisitely prepared. I was fortunate enough to have had seven dinners here, all perfect, including savory braised venison, and an impeccably roasted shoulder of lamb, accompanied by fresh, perfectly-prepared vegetables and other sides. The desserts and the “bakes” served at tea were all in-house made, and to die for. The owner, professionally trained, has written a cookbook, and I am certain could win The Great British Baking Show. Porridge for every breakfast was a bit tiring, but this may have been part of our contract/package. And, my pet peeve with almost every place in Europe is the lack of palatable artificial sweetener, and I had forgotten my Splenda stash. So, with daily porridge and no Splenda, breakfast was not my favorite meal here. As an example of their attention to detail and perfect hospitality, which I noted over and over again throughout my stay: they sent our tour leader a form on which our names were listed, requesting emergency contact information, allergies, special dietary needs, etc. The form also included space for “Comments.” Idly, I wrote in that I didn’t like salmon or trout. An hour or so after our arrival, we were seated for dinner, and plates of salmon began arriving. I figured I’d be served my plate of salmon, and it would have been no big deal—just not my favorite taste. I was amazed when one of the staff placed a delicious spinach frittata in front of me, calling me by name as she did so. And the next day, when everyone else was packing a lunch from a long table of salmon sandwiches, cheeses, fruit, etc., there was a personalized lunch bag for me, packed with a non-salmon sandwich. They really mean it when they say no request is too small. (I toyed with the idea of asking for Splenda, but there’s such a thing as being a good guest, and I felt I’d already gone too far indicating my dislike of salmon!!) The young rangers, all of whom are bright, earnest, knowledgeable and well-educated, were uniformly a joy to travel with. They drove us all over the Highlands. They took detours to show us a treasured view. Fund of knowledge excellent. On our last night, they organized a Cèilidh, a Highlands evening of poetry reading, music, and dancing; and they were genuine in their enjoyment of an evening spent with us. The hosts, Sir John and Lady Lucy were warm, concerned, and define hospitality. Lady Lucy is among the most wonderful women I have ever met. I was with a group of twenty like-minded intense garden lovers. I see on the web site that they sponsor days to weeks of special interest/themed stays, providing a base for artists and their students, photographers and their students, and various enthusiasts. During our week there were two different couples each staying a night or two. I’m not sure I would have had the same experience staying here as the primary purpose instead of using it as a base for forays around the Highlands (with the caveat that I am not a fan of long, restful, idle vacations). I think the family is wise not to have the property listed on TripAdvisor or other sites as a lodging. A photo of the rustic cabins would mislead/prejudice a casual seeker of a place to stay in the Highlands. My take-home is that this is a stellar experience, run by a family passionately committed to their ideals. They promote a good life. They promote love of the environment and an intense devotion to conserving what we have. They have brought thousands of children to their learning center for hands-on teaching of environmental conservation, believing strongly in inculcating young minds with a love of nature, and the environment.