Brylach Steading

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Brylach Steading

Brylach Steading, in the heart of Speyside, is a beautiful victorian property with 3 gorgeous self-catering short term let cottages. Visit Brylach.com

With stunning views across the Glen of Rothes, surrounded by beauty and endless adventures.

31/08/2026

Behind the Scenes at Brylach Steading

Part Three of our 12 months, 12 Lessons series.
By April, May and June we were beginning to find our feet.
Sort of!
But these three months taught us that running Brylach Steading is as much about staying flexible, looking outward and getting stuck in as it is about having a plan.

April | Plan, Pivot, Prioritise.
There was plenty we wanted to get done before our first peak season.
But planning works at Brylach means balancing a lot of moving parts - weather, guests, cash flow, trades, suppliers and lead times, to name just a few.

We’ve learnt that having a plan is essential.
But that we couldn’t become too attached to it!
Sometimes you have to pause, reshuffle and focus on what matters most.

May | Get Out.
It’s certainly easy to spend so much time working in the business that you forget to step outside it.
So we made a conscious effort to explore more, support local events and businesses and experience the places we wanted to recommend to our guests.

And in doing so, we found inspiration everywhere.
Perhaps most notably at Balmoral, which has given us plenty of ideas as we continue to renovate Brylach.
No Balmoral budget, obviously…
But plenty of inspiration.
We’ll do it the Brylach way!

June | Get stuck in.
We’ve been incredibly lucky to work with brilliant trades, suppliers and experts.
But we’ve also got very used to rolling up our sleeves and getting our hands dirty.

And by doing so, we’ve learnt so much about Brylach - every detail, every quirk, and increasingly parts of its history too.
Hard work pays off.
Epsom salt baths help too!

Three more months down.
Three more lessons learnt.
April - June ✔️

And now just three more months to go until we reach our first anniversary.
3 more months
3 more lessons

Follow along for the final part.

29/08/2026

Behind the Scenes at Brylach Steading, Speyside.

Part Two of our 12 months, 12 Lessons series as we approach our one year anniversary at this special place.

If part one was about jumping in at the deep end, part two is when we realise that running Brylach was going to involve a lot of learning on the job.

January | Be Prepared
Our first winter at Brylach brought a storm followed by the most snow the area had seen in around 10 years.
Typical!
Luckily we’d already done some winter planning for life in a rural location.

Our neighbours helped with advice and contacts. We spent many hours digging tracks through the snow and, when it kept coming, we called in the big guns - a local farmer and his plough.
Lesson learnt: Plan for the worst. Hope for the best

February | Double it.
Our first full renovation at Brylach: The Hayloft.
We learnt very quickly that finding good, available trades in a rural area can take time. The timeline stretched. The budget followed

But we also learnt that waiting for the right people pays off.
So next time? Double it…. Then double it again!

March | Show up.
This one has been one of the biggest and best surprises since moving here.
We came from London - a city of millions - where you can be surrounded by people and still feel a little lonely at times.
Here, there are far fewer people. But somehow we’ve found a much stronger sense of community

We made an effort to get to know people, listen, learn and try to become part of the place we’ve moved to. This won’t stop.
And in return we’ve been welcomed with open arms, offered advice, given insight and received support.
Lesson learnt: Show up and they will too

Three more months down.
Three more valuable lessons learnt.
And we’re now half way through our first year at Brylach.

6 more months
6 more lessons
April - September
Follow along for Part Three.

28/08/2026

In our last post we said there were a few things we hadn’t told you…
As Brylach approaches its first birthday (with us) we’re looking back at the last 12 months… the things that surprised us, what we’ve loved, what we’d do differently and, perhaps most importantly what we’ve learnt along the way.
So we’re starting at the beginning, here’s part one of 12 lessons we’ve learnt in 12 months.

October: Sink or Swim
Completion was delayed, and four hours after finally getting the keys we welcomed our very first guests.
Into not one, but 2 cottages.
At that point we didn’t even have a full set of labelled keys or know where everything was.
We explained, smiled and trusted… we gave the warmest welcome possible.

And what we learnt very quickly was that people can be just wonderful and that we CAN SWIM!
Our first guests were genuinely excited to be part of the beginning. They wanted to hear our story, celebrate with us and even left thoughtful cards, notes and tokens of appreciation.
We’ll never forget it.

November: It takes a village
Friends and family arrived - not expecting a free holiday, but offering help, ideas and encouragement and an unbelievable amount of positivity.

And they reminded us that when the people around you believe in what you’re doing, they’ll often want to be part of it too.
We’ve also been amazed by how many of them had never visited Scotland before… and are now planning second and third trips back!

December: Basics or magic?
We very nearly didn’t do Christmas.
Not because we didn’t want to - we really wanted to!
But because we were very much still working things out, dealing with the winter, fixing things, elevating where we could and keeping things going.

But Jan felt strongly that we should do Christmas properly - for our guests and for ourselves.
I’m really glad he won that one!
Because everyone loved it.
The huge tree in the courtyard, trees in each cottage and wreaths on every door.
And it brought us so much joy as well.
Sometimes, even when there’s a hundred reasons to stick to the basics, it’s worth making room for a little magic.

Three months of lessons down.
Nine more to go.

We’ll be sharing the rest of ou

27/08/2026

In a few weeks time, Brylach Steading, Speyside turns one.
And as we get ready to celebrate our first year here, we’ve been looking back at everything that’s happened along the way.
The things we didn’t expect. The things we’ve learnt. The people we’ve met.
The mistakes, the surprises, the jobs we’ve taken on ourselves and, perhaps most importantly what we’ve discovered about Brylach by actually living and working in these spaces every single day.
So throughout September, we’re during a little more of the story.
What we’ve loved. What we’d do differently.
And what’s coming next.
One year in.
A few secrets still to tell.
Follow along. 🤍

26/08/2026

The Brylach walk is the perfect start to the day. 🌅
Ease into life with nature waking you gently, settling the mind and body for the day ahead.
As you ascend the hill your endorphins kick in giving you a natural high (even before coffee!).
Take your time or power depending on how you feel.
Then back to your cottage at Brylach to seize the day or take things slow - whatever works for you.
Wishing you all a lovely day.

25/08/2026

Behind the Scenes at Brylach Steading 💫
Inspired by the beautiful mews buildings at Balmoral Castle, we originally hoped to match their distinctive door colours exactly. With the similarities in the stone, age and original purpose of the buildings, it just felt like the right direction.
But, after speaking to the lovely team at Balmoral, we discovered that their colour is - perhaps unsurprisingly- completely bespoke.
They did tell us it was inspired by the originally colours of the building though which reassured us that we were on the right track.
Finding the right shade has taken a little longer than expected, but we’re really happy with where we’ve landed.
And, according to Jan, it’s all in the prep.
Several hours of masking, sanding, elbow grease and patience and we’re getting there…
🔈 Sound on for a little Brylach DIY ASMR 🔈
And, of course no project would be complete without Edna supervising proceedings.
We can’t wait to show you the final result.
🎬

21/08/2026

We don’t really do trends at Brylach Steading.
Not the ones that tell you what to wear, how to live or what your idea of a perfect holiday should look like anyway.
But recently we’ve seen some travel trends emerging that sound quite lovely!
🤍Sleep Tourism
Going away to properly rest. Early nights, lazy mornings and absolutely no alarms.
🤍Wellness
Less about complicated routines and fads and more about getting outside, breathing fresh air and giving your mind a little space.
🤍Coolcations.
A welcome breeze, green landscapes and summer temperatures that don’t leave you searching for the nearest air conditioning.
🤍Dark skies
Swapping streetlights for stars, the quiet of night and occasional reminder of just how small we are in the grand scheme of things - in the best possible way.
🤍Slow, sustainable travel.
Taking the scenic route, staying a little longer. Discovering the places and people that make somewhere truly special.
Apparantly these are trends.
We just think they’re rather lovely ways to spend time.
So perhaps we do like trends after all.

Just not all of them.
Just the good ones.
The ones that bring us back to what matters.

Which ones are you on board with and which ones are you letting go? 🤍

18/08/2026

There’s something about the changing of the seasons that makes you pause.
The days are getting shorter, the mornings a little cooler and Autumn will be here soon enough.
And it feels like the rifht moment to look back at the last 11 months.
When we arrived at Brylach we knew we were taking on three beautiful cottages. We knew there would be guests to welcome and plenty to learn along the way.
What we didn’t expect was the stories we’ve heard, the friendships and connections we’ve made.
We’ve loved welcoming so many different people here for so many different reasons.
The artists, creators, families, friends, colleagues and plenty of furry friends too!
We’ve loved playing a small part in so many moments and memories.
The celebrations, firsts, escapes, adventures, recoveries and everything in between.
We’ve realised that we’re no longer just custodians of this beautiful place but keepers of the stories, moments and memories made here.
And what a privilege that is.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey so far.
We’re looking forward to what’s next…x

17/08/2026

Take a walk, wiggle and paddle with Edna along the River Spey.
We’re so fortunate to have this incredible and famous river on the doorstep here at Brylach Steading.
With so many ways to enjoy it you really are spoilt for choice, or, like us keep things simple and just enjoy a walk or stroll.
You’ll likely see Edna along the way! 🐾

15/08/2026

Beautiful wild flowers at Brylach this summer. 🌺
We’ve loved watching and waiting to see what comes up during our first summer here and can’t believe how abundant and lush everything is.
While NE Scotland doesn’t get the hot weather elsewhere does, the cooler temperatures, more modest sunshine and touch of rain means that we have vibrant, colourful landscapes and gardens all year round.
If you’re thinking about escaping the extreme temperatures where you are this year or next, get in touch and we’ll be happy to welcome you to Brylach.

Address

Brylach Steading
Aberlour
AB783AQ

Telephone

+447523107472

Website

http://Brylach.com/, http://Brylach.com/

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