This special holiday combines two unforgettable Scottish wildlife experiences with a beautiful, historic hotel, conveniently located and offering superb food.

Day with a private wildlife guide

What better way to experience Scotland's wildlife than in the company of a highly experienced and knowledgeable guide? Your programme for the day will be tailored to suit, with your guide using their unbeatable local knowledge to track down the species you most want to see.

Choose from the following themes:
Highland Glens for golden eagles, red deer, red-throated divers, red kites, ring ouzels
Pine Forest, with such species as capercallie, black grouse, crested tits or Scottish crossbills, and the chance of red squirrels.
Moorland & Moray Firth – begin the day exploring moorland for red grouse, black throated divers and mountain hares then on to the Moray Firth for osprey, seaduck and reans, with a good chance of bottlenose dolphins and otters.

Evening wildlife watching

This unique experience includes up to three hours at a comfortable purpose-built hide in the Cairngorms National Park, where pine martens and badgers, as well as other wild mammals, are regularly seen. (Bill Oddie and the BBC have visited here regularly to film.) Throughout your visit to the baited hide - which is fitted with outside spotlights - you will be accompanied by an expert guide who will keep you informed about everything that you see. You will be in a small group of no more than 12.

Your Hotel

This delightful family-run restaurant with rooms retains the character and many original features of the 19th century watermill from which it was converted. Delicious award-winning fare featuring fresh seasonal produce is served in the fire-lit oak-beamed restaurant, perhaps followed by a dram of your favourite malt in one of two cosy lounges. The mill is set in four acres of riverside grounds, home to red squirrels and teeming with wild flowers - the bedrooms overlook either the forest canopy or the mill stream which lulls you off to sleep as it babbles over the rocks below. Rated by the AA as one of the top 200 places to stay in the country, and by the Good Food Guide as one of the six best places to eat in the Highlands, this is a wonderful base from which to explore the Cairngorms (closed Sundays and Mondays).

What else to see and do

The village of Kingussie is a great touring centre for the stunning Cairngorms National Park and the surrounding highland landscape of majestic mountains, rivers and lochs. The hotel is a mine of information on local walks and excursions, several beginning in and around the village itself. The towns of Aviemore and Grantown on Spey are within easy reach, as are the glorious sandy beaches of the Moray coast and the myriad distilleries of Speyside.

From £365 per person for holidays in February, March & April 2008, £429 per person for May to September 2008 and £399 per person for October 2008.
based on 2 people sharing a double room, for 3 nights, 2 on a dinner, bed & breakfast basis, 1 with bed & breakfast, including a day with a private wildlife guide exploring the highlights of Cairngorms wildlife, and an evening visit to a wildlife hide to view badgers and pine martens.

A room with king sized bed & river view at the hotel costs an additional £25 per person per night.
This holiday is only available from Tuesdays to Saturdays due to hotel opening times.

Note for wildlife trips: We of course cannot guarantee that you will see any of the wildlife described - these are wild animals and as such cannot be called to order, and no refund will be made if you are unlucky enough not to see any of the animals described, despite the very best efforts of the guides.

All our touring holidays include a map of Scotland with recommended routes from your specified starting point, suggestions on places to see and visit depending on your personal interests and our expertise to help you get the most from your holiday. All itineraries and room types are presented subject to availability at specific hotels.

The McKinlay Kidd Guarantee

All our holiday prices include a service charge of £7 per person per night towards the costs we incur in researching, planning and designing your holiday. We guarantee to refund this service charge if you believe that arranging your holiday through McKinlay Kidd has not met your expectations for value. All we ask is that you write to us within 7 days of your return and explain your reason for claiming the refund. This will ensure that we can improve the experience for all our future guests.