All about Inshriach House

All about Inshriach House

Inshriach House was originally a grand sporting lodge built in 1906 for the Black family. It was passed on to the famous alpine gardener Jack Drake before coming into the Micklethwait family in 1970. The whole estate needed restoring by the time Walter Micklethwait and his mother Lucy, (an antique dealer turned serial DIYer and art historian respectively) took over 2 years ago, setting about the renovations in a characteristically resourceful style. Now that the main house (all 10 bedrooms of it) is finished and getting a following for itself, Walter has turned his attention to the other buildings on the estate and to running the yurt, as well as a sideline restoring classic British cars down on the farm and hosting The Insider Festival.

Environmental Policy

The Micklethwaits view themselves as being a bit like The Wombles. All over Inshriach you will find resourceful re-use, from stiles to bridges, furniture to fencing, all made from foraged and flung out materials. The platform for the yurt is made from discarded fence posts, scaffold planks and timber, the barbecue from a truck wheel and all the furnishings are relics from the house and restored bits from junk shops. There are extensive kitchen gardens at Inshriach and at certain times of year the family and other residents on the estate get to gorge themselves on salad.

Inshriach is also the scene of the Insider Festival, another exercise in making brass from muck. All the bars and backdrops are made from recycled, donated and reclaimed materials. The festival features some of the hottest folk and emerging acts from across Scotland, and this year also turned its attention to firewood, renewable fuels and whittling things from wood. It is also a chance to taste the best food in the valley, all locally sourced, and a fully Scottish (as in very full and sourced from Scotland) bar.

Wildlife

There are 3 separate SSSIs on the estate and they are working with the RSPB to improve habitats for rare birds. Keep your bacon in the yurt or the badgers or pine martens will have it. You get the odd wild cat and red and roe deer come down from the moors through the winter to graze in the gardens. There are red squirrels in the trees, ospreys nesting across the river, buzzards, eagles and other birds of prey in the sky. Along the river you could meet anything from oystercatchers to goldeneye ducks, otters and voles. There are also highland ponies kept on the farm, highland cattle, a small spaniel cross called Monty and there have even been recent sightings of a panther in the woods.

Also at Inshriach

Inshriach House is available to rent for groups of up to 17 people for holidays, weddings, photo shoots, location work, creative courses and events.

In & around Inshriach Yurt

• A woodburning stove with a hot plate and oven
• A fire outside that doubles as a barbeque with a supply of charcoal if you don't fancy cooking on wood
• Crockery
• Kettle
• Tables and chairs

• A proper Victorian double bed
• All bedding and towels provided

• A torch is always handy
• A bit of ingenuity is a good thing

• Check in time is 3pm
• Check out time is 11am
• Kids are not unwelcome, but there is no room for an extra bed.
• Pets are welcome at Inshriach
• There is no electricity in the yurt
• Mobile phone service with most providers
• You can hear the A9 on a very still day
• Gardens around both the house and the cottages are off limits to guests

Getting there

Inshriach House, nr Aviemore PH22 1QP

By car

Take the A9 to Aviemore, at the roundabout at the south end of the town turn towards Coylumbridge, then take a right turn to Inshriach and Feshiebridge on the B970. After 4 miles go past the Inshriach Nursery Gardens and Inshriach Farm is your next turning on the right.

By train

Aviemore is 4 miles from Inshriach, taxis or bikes can take you the rest of the way.

By Boat

Come down the Spey. You enter Inshriach waters half a mile from Loch Insh, 2 miles later keep your eyes peeled for a yurt on your right hand side. Disembark.

If you are getting to the Cabin by train, bus or any other non-car means you can think of be sure to take a photo and enter our Go Greenly competition to win a 4 night stay at The Wagon or The Ark.

Local activities

Outdoor & active

The National Park has something for everyone, Loch an Eilean and Glen Feshie are an easy hike from the house and, for the more determined, the Argyll stone gives spectacular views down Glen Einich and into the Cairngorms.

Rothiemurchus estate offers all sorts of activities from mountain bike hire to clay pigeon shooting, off road driving and dog sledding.

Sailing, canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing and fishing are available on Loch Morlich and Loch Insh.

Alvie Estate have a riding school and also offer falconry, archery and more.

Or you can go flying at the gliding school, climbing at the climbing wall or in the mountains, or to the Kincraig Wildlife Park to see the tigers.

If all of this sounds a bit too much, kick back and go fishing with the Inshriach Fishings or take a stroll around one of the local museums.

Places to visit

Inverness is a 45 minute drive if you feel the need to do any shopping in its old Victorian Market or new, award winning shopping complex.

Loch Ness is only an hour away should you fancy your chances of seeing the monster.

Festivals, celebrations and special days

Inshriach house is home to the Insider Festival, which showcases some of the hottest folk and emerging acts from across Scotland over the 16th, 17th and 18th of June. The festival is a celebration of local music, crafts and locally sourced food and drink, of course.

Eating & drinking

Eating & drinking at Inshriach House

The Old School Shop at Rothiemurchus sells meat from the neighbouring estate, as well as the best selection of whisky and wine in the area and good local cheeses. And right next door is the well-known Inshriach Alpine Nursery Garden where, as well as plants, there is an excellent cake (we can vouch for their delciousness) and coffee shop open every day except Wednesday. Whole cakes to take away can be ordered in advance.

Pubs & restaurants

The Ord Ban Restaurant, Aviemore (2 miles). An intimate space now open every night with excellent local food all beautifully prepared.

The Old Bridge Inn, Avienmore (2.5 miles). An excellent pub with fine food.

There are plenty of bars in Aviemore and a handful of distilleries within reach of Inshriach for that tasty nightcap.

All about Inshriach House

Inshriach House was originally a grand sporting lodge built in 1906 for the Black family. It was passed on to the famous alpine gardener Jack Drake before coming into the Micklethwait family in 1970. The whole estate needed restoring by the time Walter Micklethwait and his mother Lucy, (an antique dealer turned serial DIYer and art historian respectively) took over 2 years ago, setting about the renovations in a characteristically resourceful style. Now that the main house (all 10 bedrooms of it) is finished and getting a following for itself, Walter has turned his attention to the other buildings on the estate and to running the yurt, as well as a sideline restoring classic British cars down on the farm and hosting The Insider Festival.

Environmental Policy

The Micklethwaits view themselves as being a bit like The Wombles. All over Inshriach you will find resourceful re-use, from stiles to bridges, furniture to fencing, all made from foraged and flung out materials. The platform for the yurt is made from discarded fence posts, scaffold planks and timber, the barbecue from a truck wheel and all the furnishings are relics from the house and restored bits from junk shops. There are extensive kitchen gardens at Inshriach and at certain times of year the family and other residents on the estate get to gorge themselves on salad.

Inshriach is also the scene of the Insider Festival, another exercise in making brass from muck. All the bars and backdrops are made from recycled, donated and reclaimed materials. The festival features some of the hottest folk and emerging acts from across Scotland, and this year also turned its attention to firewood, renewable fuels and whittling things from wood. It is also a chance to taste the best food in the valley, all locally sourced, and a fully Scottish (as in very full and sourced from Scotland) bar.

Wildlife

There are 3 separate SSSIs on the estate and they are working with the RSPB to improve habitats for rare birds. Keep your bacon in the yurt or the badgers or pine martens will have it. You get the odd wild cat and red and roe deer come down from the moors through the winter to graze in the gardens. There are red squirrels in the trees, ospreys nesting across the river, buzzards, eagles and other birds of prey in the sky. Along the river you could meet anything from oystercatchers to goldeneye ducks, otters and voles. There are also highland ponies kept on the farm, highland cattle, a small spaniel cross called Monty and there have even been recent sightings of a panther in the woods.

Also at Inshriach

Inshriach House is available to rent for groups of up to 17 people for holidays, weddings, photo shoots, location work, creative courses and events.

Booking terms for Inshriach Yurt

Booking Conditions

Please note that Canopy & Stars is acting as an 'Agent' in the booking of Inshriach Yurt on behalf of Walter Micklethwait (hereafter referred to as the 'Owner'). The Owner of the property is responsible for your stay and is the 'Principal' in this agreement. Customers renting property through Canopy & Stars are referred to as the Guest. The rental arrangements are made by Canopy & Stars, on behalf of the Owners and the contractual relationship is directly between the Owners of the property and the Guest.

The Canopy & Stars booking line (01275 395 447) is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm except public holidays. When using the online enquiry form, please allow 24 working hours for us to contact you by telephone to confirm the booking. If we are unable to reach you by phone we will attempt to contact you by email. We will contact you during Canopy & Stars working hours. Online enquiries will be dealt with in the order they are received, but please be aware that we cannot guarantee reservation of your selected dates until the receipt of suitable payment.

1. Booking and payments

1.1 The dates of your booking will be held upon payment of a non-refundable deposit of 25% or payment in full. Deposits are only payable when booking more than 10 weeks in advance of your check in date. Any booking less than 10 weeks in advance of your check in date must be paid in full immediately.

1.2 On receipt of the deposit, a booking confirmation will be sent to you within 24 hours in the case of email and seven working days in the case of post, containing the details of your stay and of payments made and due. If you have not received your booking confirmation within the specified time, please notify us as soon as possible. We're sorry for any inconvenience, but payments can only be made by credit and debit cards. A 2% surcharge will be applied to credit cards. We do not accept American Express, cheques or cash.

1.3 Where a deposit has been paid, full balance payment will be due 10 weeks in advance of your check in date and a reminder will be sent to you two weeks prior to this date, where applicable, by email. If you are unable to pay the balance before the stated due date, you will forfeit your deposit and your booking will be cancelled.

2. Cancellation

2.1 Cancellation by you at any time will result in your deposit being forfeited, as all deposits are non-refundable.

2.2 All monies paid for a holiday (deposit and balance) are non-refundable within 10 weeks before check in date.

2.3 Cancellation of any holiday after it has been paid in full and at a date 10 weeks or more in advance of your check in date, will result in forfeiture of your deposit (or an amount equivalent where one was not paid as the holiday was paid in full) and the balance being returned to you.

2.4 Cancellation insurance is available but will be a third party arrangement and not involve Canopy & Stars or the Owner in any way.

2.5 If the location of your booking is inaccessible due to adverse conditions your booking can be deferred to a later date subject to availability and at discretion of Canopy & Stars on behalf of the owner of the property.

3. Alteration

3.1 Alterations to your booking can only be made more than 10 weeks prior to the check in date, after which time alterations will be treated as cancellation. All alterations will incur a £30 administration fee and are subject to availability and at the discretion of Canopy & Stars on behalf of the Owner of the property.

3.2 Differences in the total amount payable resulting from alterations will be refunded to you in the case of a decrease in price and paid by you in the case of increases in price.

4. Complaints

In the event that you have any complaint about your stay, please notify the Owner of the property as soon as possible and they will use all reasonable endeavours to resolve the issue. Whether or not your complaint is dealt with satisfactorily, please also contact us as we appreciate all feedback.

5. Pricing

Prices on the website are not binding, but costs stated in any booking confirmation email you receive from Canopy & Stars will be honoured as shown and will include all VAT and any charges.

6. Information

Information on the website is correct to the best of our knowledge, but circumstances outside of our control may cause it to become inaccurate. We apologise for any inconvenience that may result from this.

7. Liability

7.1 Canopy & Stars accept no liability for accident, loss of property or personal injury whilst on your stay.

7.2 Canopy & Stars will not be liable for any act, neglect or default on the part of the Owners or any other person not within their employ or otherwise under their control, nor for any accident, damage, loss, injury, expense or inconvenience, whether to person or property, which the Guest or any other person may suffer or incur arising out of, or in any way connected with the rental unless Canopy & Stars is responsible. In addition, the Owners and Canopy & Stars accept no liability for loss of or damage to the Guest’s possessions on the Owners’ property or land.

7.3 Nothing in these conditions excludes or limits the liability of Canopy & Stars or the Owners:

a. for death or personal injury caused by Canopy & Stars or the Owners negligence.

b. for any matter which it would be illegal for Canopy & Stars or the Owners to exclude or attempt to exclude their liability.

7.4 The use of swimming pools, lakes, climbing trees, tractor rides and any other activity on the Owners land is the responsibility of the Guest and is done so at their own risk.

8. Pets

Pets are only permitted with the prior consent of Canopy & Stars and the Owners and where pets are permitted they are to be kept under control. Pets must not be left in the Property unsupervised as this could result in damage to the Property and distress to the animal(s). A weekly charge may be made for each pet.

9. VAT

Many of the Owners of properties in the Canopy & Stars portfolio are not registered for VAT in which case no tax is payable. Where VAT is payable the tax is included in the weekly rent.

10. The Holiday – Guest Conditions of occupancy and Conduct

10.1 The Guests have the right to occupy the Property for the paid for holiday period only (within the meaning of Schedule 1 Paragraph 9 of the Housing Act 1988).

10.2 Guests undertake to behave in a proper, appropriate and legal manner with due respect to the Owner, the Property and other guests and their property. If any guest behaves inappropriately or improperly (of which the Owner will be the final judge on their Property), or illegally, the Owner reserves the right to ask the guest and their party (at their discretion) to leave the Property before the end of the holiday period. Any refund for so doing will be at the entire discretion of the Owner in consultation with the Agents. In addition, the Owner reserves the right to sue the guest for any loss, damage or injury caused to the Owner, the Property or to other guests and/or their property.

11. Breach of Booking Conditions

11.1 If there is a breach of any of these conditions by the Guest or any of their party, the Owners or Canopy & Stars reserve the right to re-enter the Property and end the holiday and ask the Guest and their party to leave in addition to their other rights specified in these Booking Conditions.

11.2 Ending the Holiday by either the Owners or Canopy & Stars, or the Guests does not affect that party’s other rights and remedies.

12 Governing Law and Jurisdiction

Any dispute will be governed by the non-exclusive law and jurisdiction of the English or Scottish Courts depending on the location of the Property.

13. Authority to Sign

The person who signs the Booking Form certifies that:

1. he or she is authorised to agree the Booking Conditions on behalf of all persons included in the Booking Form, including those substituted or added at a later date;
2. the signatory is over eighteen years of age;
3. they agree to take responsibility for the party occupying the Property, and to notify Canopy & Stars if they are not a member of the holiday party.

14. Discrepancies

In case of a discrepancy between these Booking Conditions and any other Canopy & Stars literature, these Booking Conditions shall prevail.

15. Validity clause

In the event that a court finds that a condition in these Booking Conditions is illegal or void, the illegal or void provision will be severed from the remainder of the Booking Conditions, which will continue to be valid and have full force and effect.