Garmoran Square

03/09/2026

🥾 30 Days of Walks – Day 3

The walking challenge is going well so far! 🙌 Two city walks done over the first couple of days, with around 15k steps each day, so I’m definitely getting the miles in!

Today’s walk, though, was somewhere I have wanted to visit for ages — Jupiter Artland just outside Edinburgh.

Okay, so it’s definitely not close to Garmoran 😂, but I still wanted to include it in my 30 days as quite a few of our guests spend a few days in Edinburgh either on their way to us or on their journey home.

And it did not disappoint! ❤️

What a really special place has been created there. Set within a beautiful rural estate, you can wander through the grounds, woodland and gardens, discovering incredible pieces of art as you go. It’s one of those places where the walk itself is lovely, but you’re also constantly wondering what you’re going to find around the next corner.

And, of course, there’s a cracking café too — because I do love a walk that involves cake and coffee! ☕🍰😜

You can even book an outdoor swim while you’re there. I gave that a miss today, although I have to say the pool looked VERY inviting… maybe next time! 🏊‍♀️

I would thoroughly recommend Jupiter Artland if you’re spending some time in or around Edinburgh. A lovely few hours exploring somewhere a little bit different.

Day 3 complete ✅ — and this one has been on my wish list for a long time!

Tomorrow we head back towards Garmoran, so let’s see where Day 4 takes us… 🥾🌿

01/09/2026

🥾 30 Days of Walks – Day 1

When setting yourself a challenge, it’s always a good idea to check your calendar first… 🤦‍♀️😂

I have done my walk today, but as I’m not actually at Garmoran or even in the Highlands 🙈@, I thought for Day 1 I would share yesterday’s walk instead — probably the walk I do most often from Garmoran Square.

Heading along the road through Mingarry, you pass the church and village hall, then just after the bridge turn left through the forestry gate and into the woods. 🌲

It’s a beautiful woodland walk and, once you’re in there, there are several different routes you can take — some of which I’m sure will make an appearance later in the month!

For this one, I walked up to the middle bridge, carried on to the forest haul road, then looped round and back down to the road and home — just under 3km.

This is probably Oran’s most regular walk 🐾 and some days we do it twice, helping me towards my 10k steps and making sure he gets two decent walks too!

One of my favourite things about this route is the burn, especially after we’ve had plenty of rain and it’s in full flow. And there’s always the chance of spotting one of our local red squirrels along the way. 🐿️

So that’s Walk 1 of 30 complete! ✅

Today and tomorrow are going to be city walks, but Thursday’s walk is somewhere completely different. It’s a place I’ve wanted to visit and walk around for ages — absolutely not Lochaber, or even the Highlands — and I’m ridiculously excited about it!

Any guesses where I’m going?👀🥾

27/08/2026

Sometimes you just need to get outside, breathe in the fresh air and clear your head after a busy day. 🌿🥾🐾

I managed a lovely walk in the hills behind Garmoran Square this week, and it reminded me how much I’ve missed getting out for a good daily walk.

It’s been a particularly busy summer and, somewhere between changeovers, work and everything else going on, my regular walks have definitely slipped!

So, come September, I’m setting myself a little challenge… 30 Days of Walks 🚶‍♀️🍂

The plan is:
🥾 One walk every day for 30 days
⏱️ At least 20 minutes each day
🌿 A different walk every day

Some will be short local walks squeezed into a busy day, while hopefully others will be a bit longer and more adventurous. I’m going to try to share them here on the Garmoran Square page and take you along with me, exploring some of the many different walks we have around Moidart, Ardnamurchan and Lochaber — and perhaps a few a little further afield too!

Maybe it will give future guests a few ideas of places to explore while staying with us… and it will definitely give me the push I need to get those walking boots on every day! 😊

Just a wee note too: stalking season has now started locally, so I’ll be sticking to recognised paths and routes and being mindful of any local signs and advice — no wandering off-piste into the hills!

30 days, 30 different walks… starting 1st September. 🍂🥾

Now I just need to come up with 30 of them! 😄

23/08/2026

A very busy summer… and learning to get off the dance floor! 💃

It’s been a particularly busy summer here at Garmoran Square!

We decided to offer more short breaks this year, which has meant lots more changeovers and keeping everything running smoothly between guests. 🧹🛏️✨

Then there’s been plenty of taxi driving! 🚕 If you’ve been following the Lochaber Fèis Cèilidh Trail this summer, you’ll know that Coll has been playing with the musicians — so there have been plenty of late-night journeys and musical adventures along the way! 🎻🎶

And then there’s my other job… S&K MacDonald Homes has been busy too, with houses being finished and some lovely clients getting ready to move into their new homes. 🏡

And, in a moment of madness, I accepted a place on Highlands and Islands Enterprise's Impact Women programme. 🤦‍♀️

The course has been running throughout the summer and finishes this coming week with a residential in Nairn, where the 30 brilliant women who have taken part will come back together to make their final pitches.

Although I’ve done the programme under the banner of S&K MacDonald Homes, I’ve realised that so many of the leadership skills I’ve learned are just as relevant to Garmoran Square.

It’s been hard work juggling everything, but I’m so pleased I said yes. I’ve meet the most amazing, inspiring ladies, learned a huge amount, had the opportunity to work with an amazing mentor and, perhaps most importantly, realised that I don’t actually have to do everything myself! 😂

So… the new me is going to be much better at delegation.

Anyone who has done anything around Adaptive Leadership will know the idea of getting off the dance floor and spending more time up on the balcony — stepping back, looking at the bigger picture and not getting caught up in every single thing that needs doing.

I’m looking forward to a bit more balcony time and a little less time on the dance floor! 💃😂

It’s been a busy summer, but a really rewarding one — and I’m very excited to see what the next chapter brings for both Garmoran Square and S&K MacDonald Homes. ❤️🏡

18/08/2026

🌿 **Something special happening locally – 29th August!** 🌿

If you’re staying with us at Garmoran Square towards the end of August, there’s a lovely local event happening right on our doorstep – the **Moidart Produce Show** on **Saturday 29th August**. 🥕🌸🍰

The Produce Show is a wonderful celebration of the people, skills and produce of our local community, with everything from home baking, flowers, vegetables and preserves to crafts, photography and lots more.

There will be plenty happening throughout the afternoon, including stalls, raffles, competitions and activities for children – and, of course, the chance to see just how talented and creative our local community is! 🌿

It’s one of those lovely traditional Highland community days that we’re very proud to be part of. ❤️

📅 **Saturday 29th August 2026**
📍 **Moidart Produce Show**

So if you’re staying at Garmoran Square that weekend, why not pop along and experience a little bit of local life during your Scottish holiday? 🏡💚

13/08/2026

Had to post this wee guy who was up a tree in High Mingarry on Oran’s morning walk! 🐾🌳

How cute is he? 🐿️🥰

We’re so lucky with the wildlife we get to see around Garmoran Square — sometimes you just have to stop and watch!

What have been your best wildlife sightings while staying at Garmoran Square? 🦌🦅🦦

We’d love to hear about them! 💚

11/08/2026

🌿 A little bit of Ardnamurchan in every cottage… 🌿

We’ve been adding some lovely little touches to the houses at Garmoran Square, and we’re delighted to now have Ardnamurchan Crafts diffusers in each cottage. 💚

We’ve chosen the Courie scent, a beautiful local fragrance, to give the houses a lovely, gentle scent as you arrive and throughout your stay.

We love using local products wherever we can at Garmoran Square, and it feels particularly special to have something made right here in Ardnamurchan welcoming our guests. 🌿🏡

A little reminder of the wild landscape, fresh air and beautiful place we’re lucky enough to call home. ❤️

07/08/2026

🍄🌿 A little walk through the woods behind Garmoran Square 🌿🍄

There’s something rather lovely about this time of year in the woods behind Garmoran. The mushrooms are beginning to appear, tucked away amongst the moss, leaves and woodland floor – little signs that autumn is not too far away.

I’ve been enjoying a wander along the burn at High Mingarry, just taking a moment to listen to the water rushing over the rocks. 💧

And after what feels like a rather wet summer for us here in the west, the burn is certainly making the most of it! It’s in full flow just now, and the sound of the water running through the woods is wonderful. 🌧️💦

It’s one of those simple pleasures of living here – no need to go anywhere, just put on your boots, head into the woods and enjoy what’s right on the doorstep.

And, of course, keep your eyes open for those little mushrooms along the way… 🍄

28/07/2026

There's something very special about summer in the Highlands... it's Fèis season. 🎻🎶

If you've never heard of a Fèis, it's one of Scotland's greatest success stories. Created to keep our Gaelic language, music and traditions alive, Fèisean give young people the chance to learn traditional instruments, singing and dance from some of the country's best musicians.

Many children begin attending when they're young, and for those who continue, there's a wonderful opportunity from 16 to join the Fèis Cèilidh Trail. After years of learning, they spend part of their summer touring villages, community halls and local pubs, performing concerts and cèilidhs that showcase everything they've learned.

This year we're especially proud because our son, Coll, is part of the Lochaber Fèis Cèilidh Trail. It's a fantastic achievement, and we know just how much time, dedication and practice goes into reaching this stage.

If you're staying with us at Garmoran Square over the next few weeks, we'd thoroughly recommend going along to one of their performances. You'll enjoy an evening of outstanding traditional music while supporting the next generation of Highland musicians.

📍 Upcoming local performances:
• Wednesday – Arisaig Games
• Friday – Glenuig Hall & Inn
• Saturday – Kilchoan Hall
• Thursday 13th August – Loch Shiel Hotel
• Friday 14th August – Salen Hall

Whether you're visiting the Highlands or lucky enough to call this place home, these evenings are full of music, laughter and community spirit – a true Highland experience.

Have you ever been to a Fèis Cèilidh Trail concert? We'd love to hear your favourite memories below. ❤️

23/07/2026

An exciting week about to start - Acharacle week is back- 🙌

A whole week of community goings-on kicks off on Saturday 25th July with Cheesy Beats at Loch Shiel Hotel 🎶 and a car treasure hunt 🚗! Quiz nights 🧠, produce markets 🥕, paddleboarding 🏄, bingo 🎱, week long scavenger hunt 🔍, sing-alongs 🎶, duck races 🦆, raft race 🚣 the lot!

So, after the amazing time we all had for Fèis week...it's all about to get lively in oor magic wee village again cos ACHARACLE WEEK is BACK! 🎉
A whole week of community goings-on kicks off on Saturday 25th July with Cheesy Beats at Loch Shiel Hotel 🎶 and a car treasure hunt 🚗! Quiz nights 🧠, produce markets 🥕, paddleboarding 🏄, bingo 🎱, week long scavenger hunt 🔍, sing-alongs 🎶, duck races 🦆, raft race 🚣 the lot! And we're chuffed to be part of it too, with a KARAOKE AFTERNOON at Toast & Tide on Sat 1st August 🎤
Keep an eye on our page all week for what's on each day 👀 .. It's going to be amazing craic! 🥳