Activities
Drimnin offers a wide variety of activities to visitors including stalking, fishing, cycling and walking. Surrounded by mountains and with the Isle of Mull and the town of Tobermory a boat ride away, there is plenty to explore on the Estate with:
- Nine miles of fantastic coastline on the Estate with cliffs, peninsulas, rocky coves, tidal rock pools and an abundance of wildlife
- Forests and woodlands to wander through – Mungosdail, Auliston and Drumbuidhe
- Dark Skies, ideal for a little astrophotography, including on occasions the Aurora Borealis or North Lights.
- Spectacular picnic places at Lochan na Buick, on the peninsula by the chapel, at Auliston point, An Fhaodhailin beach in Drumbuidhe woods, Doirlinn or one of the many exceptional viewpoints on the hills above the Port a Bhata lochan – the choice is endless
The Estate also offers:
- Fishing along the Estate shoreline or by chartered boat and trout fishing, by permit only, on the hill lochans. Rod and tackle hire is available (Free of charge for cottage and house guests). Please contact the Estate office for further details.
- Cycling - the six mile Estate track to Doirlinn is one of the most spectacular bike rides in Scotland, while the road back to Lochaline is one of Jon Snow's favourite rides in Britain. We have a number of mountain bikes available for use by the cottage and house guests. Please contact the Estate office for further details.
- Stalking – Drimnin’s open hill, which unusually is enclosed by deer fence, is home to some 80 stags and 125 hinds. An annual cull is required to keep numbers to about this level to ensure that the ground is not overgrazed and that the animals are maintained in good condition. There are also a small numbers of deer in the Druimbuidhe regeneration area to the north, where there is immigration by sea or shore from neighbouring land or islands. These numbers have to be kept to a minimum to allow regeneration to continue. Stalking on the hill is relatively gentle, while that in the regeneration area is more demanding because of the greater tree cover. Please contact the Estate Office for prices and availability. Stalking is available to non-residents.
- Guests in Drimnin House and Achleanan Farmhouse have use of a Games Room, equipped with a table tennis table, dartboard and a selection of exercise equipment. Contact the Estate Office for details.
- Opportunities to feed the lambs or red deer depending on the time of year. Contact the Estate Office for details.
Places to visit locally include:
- The Hayman Gallery. Landscapes and wildlife. Alan's gallery is open to non-residents 11am - 4pm weekdays
- The ruined Drimnin water mill on the opposite side of the road by the Estate entrance (now cared for by St Columba’s Drimnin Trust)
- St Columba’s Chapel
- The Achnaha community wood on the Lochaline road about a mile before Lochaline
- Old Ardtornish Castle on the promontory just south of Lochaline
- The Rahoy Hills wildlife reserve
- The ruined townships of Auliston, Carraig, Portabhata and Sornagan
- Boats can be chartered for sea fishing, family boat trips, scuba diving , puffin, seal & whale watching and day trips for larger parties (Mainly from Tobermory, Isle of Mull)
- There is a choice of sandy beaches in Ardnamurchan, Arisaig and Morar and on Mull, with gardens to visit at Ardgour, Arisaig, Ardtornish and Glenborrodale.
- There are golf courses at Tobermory on Mull, Traigh, Arisaig; Dragons Tooth, Ballachulish; Fort William; and Craignure on Mull.