Carndaisy House offers quite simply Highland hospitality at its finest. This modern single level house is run by owners Linda and Dougie Watson who operate as a well organised team to ensure that all guests are made to feel welcome, comfortable and at home.
Easilly accessible from the A9 and about 3.5 hours drive from Edinburgh, the Carndaisy is tucked along a back road just outside of Muir of Ord. The location is quiet with lovely views of the eastern Grampians. It is also a stone’s throw away from the Moray Firth with some lovely drives and walks overlooking the Firth and the Black Isle.
The rooms are modern, comfortable, well appointed and spotlessly clean and can cater for families, couples or singles. For those who are overly concerned about covid worry not in the Carndaisy where meticulous cleaning procedures would shame most hospitals.
The food though is the star of the show and whilst Dougie is the front of house man, Linda works her magic in the kitchen to produce some of the finest food I have ever come across despite spending many years travelling and living in hotels across the world.
Notwithstanding the horrendous difficulties lockdowns have caused the hospitality business and it’s customers I felt myself thankful to Nicola Sturgeon for closing restaurants because Dougie and Linda decided to fill the gap by providing evening meals for their guests. This is in addition to the magnificent Highland breakfast cooked to perfection using locally sourced and tested ingredients. Evening meals included such culinary delights as lentil and sweet potato soup, home made chicken curry, local venison cooked to perfection, smoked salmon salad, lasagne sourced from a local Italian cook and a cheese board sporting the finest Scottish and English cheeses. All absolutely fresh and delicious.
I thought I would treat Molly to a bit of romance on this trip and this was catered for by the provision of a dimmed, candlelight dining area overlooking the mountains and below clear Highland starlight sky which was a sure way to win my Lady’s heart. Dougie playing his pipes outside our window in Highland dress one morning only added to the romantic spell. She was fair chuffed.
We will be back
Carndaisy House, Muir of Ord.
IV6 7UL
carndaisyhouse.co.uk