Morning at Eagle Brae

Begin with breakfast in your cabin at Eagle Brae. Provisions can be pre-arranged, with local produce ready in the fridge when you arrive. Many guests keep it simple before a day on the road, whether that’s bacon rolls in the kitchen or coffee out on the deck. If you want to stretch your legs, the short estate trails are a good way to wake up – the Meadow Walk loops past Hebridean sheep, while the Hydro Weir trail climbs to a wide view across Strathglass. Once ready, set out east toward Muir of Ord, about a half-hour drive.

The Singleton of Glen Ord Distillery, Muir of Ord

Begin the day at The Singleton of Glen Ord Distillery, about half an hour from Eagle Brae. Founded in 1838, it is one of the Highlands’ long-established distilleries and remains distinctive for producing its own malt on site. The tour takes you through the full process: steeping and germinating the barley, mashing and fermenting, and finally distilling in the tall copper stills that give The Singleton its light, fruity style.

Inside the still house the atmosphere is unmistakable, with the warm scent of malt rising from the washbacks and the gleam of polished copper catching the light. Guides explain each stage clearly, balancing technical detail with stories from the distillery’s long history. The experience ends in the tasting room, where you can sample whiskies only available here at the distillery.

Allow around ninety minutes for the visit. From here, the route turns back through Beauly and on toward Cannich, setting up a stop for lunch before the afternoon in Glen Affric.

Lunch at Corner on the Square, Beauly

From the distillery it’s a short drive back into Beauly, where you’ll find one of the Highlands’ best cafés and delis at Corner on the Square. This award-winning spot sits right on the village square, opposite the priory ruins, and has built a reputation for using local produce with care.

The menu is broad enough to suit most tastes: fresh soups and sandwiches, seasonal salads, and daily specials that often include fish or venison from nearby estates. The cakes and baking are well worth saving room for, and coffee here is reliably good. If you’re planning to eat later in Glen Affric, the deli side of the shop is also useful – it’s stocked with cheeses, charcuterie, chutneys, and local products you can pack for a picnic.

It’s a lively place, popular with both locals and visitors, so expect a bit of a buzz at lunchtime. Once you’ve eaten, it’s only a short walk across the square to the priory if you want to stretch your legs before continuing the drive west. From Beauly, the road leads directly into Cannich and on to the entrance of Glen Affric for the afternoon.

Glen Affric National Nature Reserve

From Beauly the road carries you west through Cannich and into Glen Affric, often called one of the most beautiful glens in Scotland. It’s a landscape of lochs, ancient Caledonian pinewoods, and surrounding Munros. There are several walking options here depending on how much time and energy you want to commit.

For something short, the Dog Falls Trail is ideal. It loops through the pine forest to a viewpoint over the river, then leads on to a small lochan surrounded by trees. It’s an easy to moderate walk and takes under an hour.

If you’d rather stay closer to the lochside, the River Affric Trail is another good choice, following the shore of Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhoin with fine views across the water and up into the hills. It’s a gentle circuit, well marked, and a good way to take in the scenery without a major climb.

For a fuller afternoon, the Loch Affric Circuit is the standout. This longer loop around the western loch takes several hours but shows off everything the glen is known for: pine woods, open moorland, and mountain views that widen with every turn.

Whichever route you choose, Glen Affric offers a chance to step into one of the Highlands’ most complete natural landscapes.

Plodda Falls

If you have time for one more detour, continue past Cannich to Plodda Falls, near the small village of Tomich. The drive takes about 20 minutes from Glen Affric and brings you into another stretch of forest.

The waterfall here is one of the highest in the Highlands, dropping more than 40 metres into a deep pool. A short woodland trail leads to a platform that juts out over the edge, letting you look straight down into the gorge. Another path takes you down to the base, where you can watch the water thunder past before it settles into the river below. The combination of height, spray, and the tall Douglas fir trees surrounding the falls makes it a dramatic and memorable stop.

The walk is short, no more than a kilometre round-trip, so it doesn’t demand much time. It works well as a final highlight before turning back toward Strathglass. From here it’s about 45 minutes’ drive to return to Eagle Brae for the evening.

Evening at Eagle Brae

The return from Tomich or Glen Affric takes you back through Strathglass and into the quiet of Eagle Brae. After a day of whisky and walking, dinner here is easy to arrange without leaving the cabins. Many guests pre-order meals through the team – venison curries, Highland stews, and homemade pies are prepared in advance and ready to heat in the oven. The reception freezer also keeps a supply of ready-made dishes if you decide on something last minute.

For those who enjoy cooking, Eagle Brae’s hampers provide local meats, cheeses, and seasonal produce, all sourced from nearby farms and suppliers. Each cabin has a fully equipped kitchen, so it’s simple to put together supper with a glass in hand while the log burner takes the chill from the air.

Whether you’ve taken the longer walk around Loch Affric or just dipped into the forest trails, the evening at Eagle Brae is about slowing down. Dinner at your own table, with the sound of the glen outside and the chance of red deer grazing nearby, brings the day to a close in the way the Highlands do best: quiet, comfortable, and close to nature.