Bamff Ecotourism

Bamff is an inspiring experience The perfect envioriment for getting back to nature for a peaceful holiday, and also to observe nature being allowed to revert back to its earlier existence. Bamff is apealing to everyone we are not experts but enjoy being in a rural setting. We stayrd for 4 nights, but this was not long enough explore everything the is to see and absorb. But that is the nature of the place, there is always something new and unpredicable to enjoy, from the Cuckoo and the red squirrel, to the pigs ,who lke a good scratch, and the ponies with their foals careering over the fields. And ofcourse there are beavers where booking a walk with the owners, Paul and Louise, who are delightful, and dedicated to their project makes the visit more worthwhile.

Stayed in Easter Bamff cottage as 4 adults. What a wonderful location and the cottage has all the basics you need. Did the daytime woodland walk with the house owner which is really interesting to get the history of the rewilding work there. Saw beavers every night by the pond. Magical place.

I recently stayed with a small group of friends at Easter Cottage and the Brewhouse. We loved our stay, there is a magical quality to the place that comes from the Ramsay family's gentle and deeply intelligent and sensitive management of this place. The cottages were charming, very comfortable and nicely equipped, but better than anything were full of the quirks and charms of family and a million miles away from the soulless, sterile experiences of the luxury eco-lodge or chain hotel. Sophie Ramsay took us on a tour and while the beauty of the place is self evident the tour is a must. She has a sensitivity to nature and of course involvement in the management that means you feel deeply connected to the fine and complex magic of the place. We have visited a number of ecotourism places in Scotland and for us this wins hands down.

We stayed in north yurt which was advertised as ‘luxury’ on the website. I’m not sure that’s how I would describe it. Great for people who want to get back to nature but not luxury. No electric in the yurt which we weren’t prepared for. Also no WiFi or mobile signal so quite hard to contact anyone or do any research on the local area. The hosts were friendly and clearly enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Paul showed us around and was happy to answer any questions. Unfortunately I think the yurts may be better suited to a summer visit as my belongings are now permeated with a smell of damp despite having the wood burner lit. The wild lands walk along the beaver trail was very interesting and we saw the beavers twice, as well as seeing a lot of their activity (gnawed trees etc) which was interesting. All in all probably excellent for someone from the city who wants to escape the rat race and get back to nature, but not the experience we were expecting from our booking.

There are numerous accommodations on offer here. We were originally going as a couple to one of the yurts but we decided to upgrade to Easter Bamff cottage and went along with another couple for 3-nights. Easter Bamff has two bedrooms as well as numerous other rooms - it’s a full blown holiday cottage. Very rustic, warm and comfortable. We cooked and ate in every night - perfect for us. We either walked around the estate or walked to Ailyth by day and went to the Beaver pools in the late evening. We were never disappointed. You have to be still and quiet but the beavers are true showmen, coming out to “perform” on time and demonstrating their hydrological skills. The barn owl and red squirrels were great supporting acts too. Seek out Paul to go on a guided walk. He’s very knowledgable and informative. All in all a great break. We hope to be back.

Bamff estate is the best place in Scotland to see wild beavers, and a woderful demonstration of what can be achieved by the rewilding of farmland. The Gate Lodge, where we have stayed on our last two visits, is simply and traditionally furnished and is welcoming and comfortable.