The Road to Belladrum

Few festivals are in such scenic locations as Belladrum Tartan Heart, which has been described as 'camping in the woods, with bands.' Dylan Reed suggests you make a trip of it
Feature by Dylan Reed.
Published 01 August 2009

1. Falls of Foyers
Foyers, Inverness-shire

The road along the south east side of Loch Ness winds up over the plateau of the Monadhliath Mountains, and is spectacular in its own right. Take a turn towards Foyers, and stop at the top of a (clearly-signed) short walk to one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the country. Burns even wrote a poym about the place.

2. Findhorn Ecovillage
near Forres, Morayshire
In summer the visitor centre is open 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 1pm-4pm Sat-Sun.

Formed in 1972, this spiritual community is a great example of the hippie ideal working long-term. A good festival will always inspire feelings of common love (and this one has 'Heart' in the name); why not investigate the sustainability of this with a tour of The Park, or over a slice of 'heaven on earth' gooseberry cake?

3. Pottery Bunkhouse
Laggan Bridge, Inverness-shire

This hostel is part of a quaint wee cluster including a café, pottery shop and hostel. In summer it's guaranteed to have some other young folks hanging around; it's ideally placed for the whole of the Highlands and the Belladrum drive in particular; and they've an outdoor hot-tub with quality views.

If extended travel sounds like a hoot but you're stuck for wheels or pals with wheels, have a look at Liftshare.org - their Belladrum page will get you on the right track, and a roadtrip with fun new folk could be a brilliant frame to the whole shindig.

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