When guests sit down to dinner at Fraoch Lodge, or look around the walls and floors of the Lodge, they’re tasting and touching much more than just food and fabric. They’re sharing in the story of our community. The local suppliers and crafters in the Cairngorms form an important part of our story.

Over the years, we’ve built relationships with local farmers, crafters, and makers who share our passion for the land, heritage, and good honest produce. These connections aren’t business arrangements so much as friendships, and they shape what we can offer you when you come to stay.

Food with a Sense of Place

We’ll never forget the first time we visited Lynbreck Croft. Lynn and Sandra’s enthusiasm for regenerative farming is infectious – they’ll tell you about Highland cows, pigs, and hens as if each were an old friend. Their crofting philosophy is simple: care for the land and it will care for you. Their produce has become part of our table, and every time we serve it, we know we’re also serving a slice of the Cairngorms.

On the riverbanks of Speyside, the Tulchan Estate has been part of the fabric of Highland life for centuries. When we use their beef and game, it feels like we’re connecting directly to the traditions that shaped this landscape.

Closer to home, we often pop into the Ballifurth Farm Shop in Nethybridge – it’s one of those places where you can’t leave without bumping into someone you know. (Our son, Gregor, is currently doing work experience on the farm itself.)

Our meat often comes from skilled local butchers – Grants of Speyside and Millers of Speyside – who know exactly where every cut has come from, often just over the hill. There’s something grounding about that traceability; it’s food with a face, not just a label.

Of course, not everything can be grown in the Highlands (bananas, for instance, would struggle in the Cairngorms!). That’s where Mark Murphy (Dole Group) comes in – helping us fill in the gaps sustainably, so we can still offer variety without losing sight of local first.

And then there’s one of our favourites – the Cairngorms Connect Venison Larder. Their community project supplies wild venison harvested as part of restoring the ancient Caledonian pinewoods. Serving that venison feels like being part of something bigger: good food and ecological renewal on the same fork.

Crafting Our Highlands Story

The Cairngorms aren’t just about landscapes – they’re also about hands at work. Over the years, we’ve come to know and admire a host of craftspeople who give our region its creative heartbeat.

We’ve long admired Loch Ness Clayworks, where each piece of pottery carries the ripple of water or curve of hill in its design. Similarly, the historic Knockando Wool Mill continues weaving more than just wool – it weaves two centuries of Highland story into every blanket and scarf.

3 Bags Wool in Aberlour is a place where shelves of yarn practically sing with colour and possibility. Sarah opened up a cafe in Aberlour a few years ago and we were delighted to be asked to supply to traybakes to begin with until they became more accustomed to the local demand. Sarah has also been able to offer felting and peg loom workshops which we’ve tested out for you. You’ll see evidence of our endeavours around the Lodge as all the rugs in the lounge and dotted around the rooms are hand made.

We’re excited to soon be collaborating with Learn and Create, run by the inspiring Lexy in Newtonmore, as part of our knitting retreats. Lexy has created a space where traditional skills are celebrated, shared, and reimagined – the perfect complement to our vision of learning in place.

Local woodworker Wooden Tom is another gem – his creations carry the quiet strength of the forests that surround us. Even though Speyside Pottery and Nethybridge Pottery are no longer operating, their work still lives on in many homes, including our own, a reminder of the creative culture that has always thrived here.

More Than Just Suppliers & Crafters in the Cairngorms

For us, these connections go far beyond transactions. They are friendships, collaborations, and a way of life. When you tuck into dinner at Fraoch Lodge, or when you pick up your knitting needles on one of our retreats, you’re sharing in this story too.

Our guests often tell us it’s the little details – the taste of local venison, the handmade mug, the hand-dyed wool – that stay with them long after they leave. And we think that’s the heart of it. These are not just ingredients or objects, but pieces of the Cairngorms themselves, carried home in memory.

This is why we’re so proud of the people we work with. They don’t just supply us – they help us tell the story of this place we’re lucky enough to call home.

Don’t forget that we’re running our inaugral Knitting Retreat in October 2025. We’re really excited about this trip even though it’s a departure from our traditional hiking base. We have noticed that some of our guests have brought their projects with them to wind down and relax in the evenings after hiking, so we thought why not offer the chance to start a new project of to come along with your hiking partner and while they’re out striding round the countryside, you can do what you love in the comfort of the Lodge under the expert guidance of Lexy from Learn and Create.

The post A piece of our story: our local suppliers and crafters appeared first on Scot Mountain Holidays.

With more and more evidence surfacing of the adaptability, quality and craftsmanship of Scottish textiles manufacturers catching on worldwide in fashion luxury goods and film, it is no surprise the industry has also taken on sport technology.

Performance in a fabric is crucial to hikers, walkers and cyclists. In Scotland, weather can change so frequently that when it comes to treks off the beaten track (a speciality of Scot Mountain Holidays), to quote Duracel, “it just has to work”.

But we believe gear should more than work. It should be comfortable and enhance your experience. We also believe in supporting local and regional manufacturers for economic and environmental purposes.

Using the edge trimmings from the looms to make rugs. All made from 100% wool as is tweed. Wool is coming back in to fashion in outdoor clothing.

For these reasons, we have tracked down 5 Scottish innovators in the textile sport industry who are completely changing the performance game.

Scotland’s own

1. Findra

On and off road cycling in the Cairngorms. We know all about valuing good cycling gear!

Dubbed by SCI market research as one of the top sport textile innovations in the last five years, Findra creates mountain biking clothing especially for women. They are recognized for their seamless knitting technology and unique textiles.

2. Nikwax technology

Andy in a Nikwax Analogy smock jacket by Páramo

While Nikwax was developed in Northern England, innovater Nick Brown accredits his many walking holidays in Scotland as the inspiration for the product – so we feel it fits nicely on our list. This elastic and water-repellent treatment makes performance clothing elastic and breathable, protecting you from inevitable Scotland rain.

3. Harris Tweed Hebrides

From the Commonwealth Games to other professional sporting events, Harris Tweed is a becoming a feature of athletes all over the globe as they are revered for combining style with performance.

4. Diary Doll 

Another product innovation for women. Lightweight with a waterproof panel, these machine washable pants give women the freedom to carry on their explorations stress free.

5. Bonar Yarns

‘Greatness is in the detail’. This Scottish manufacturer has forever changed the notion of turf, enhancing sporting events all over the world.

Fit for a Highlander

Here in the Cairngorms we are part of the Highland way of life and keen nature enthusiasts, meaning we must be ready to adapt to Scotland weather in pursuing our adventures.

Self-guided Lairig Ghru Logistics

With manufacturers like these, nothing can hold us back!

The post 5 Scottish textiles changing sport appeared first on Scot Mountain Holidays.

Woollen crafts in Scotland are alive and thriving, hence the birth of a new wool festival this year: The Inverness Loch Ness Knitting Festival. The festival will be an annual international celebration of fibres, dyes, yarns, crafts and craft supplies set in the Highlands. The festival hosts some of the world’s most celebrated knitters building on Highland textile history and heritage. 

Spinning wheel courtesy of Three Bags Wool

With workshops, displays, and presentations over the course of the four day event, novice and seasoned textile artists alike can enjoy the spectacular workmanship of textile artists and learn from the best all over the globe.

Aside from immersing yourself in its craftsmanship, the Loch Ness Knitting Festival boasts stunning venues including Eden Court, Loch Ness by Jacobite, Kingsmill Hotel, Inverness Botanic Garden and the Culloden Battlefield and Visitors Centre.

Inside Three Bags Wool, Aberlour Scotland. Speyside Valley workshops (30 minute drive from Boat of Garten).

Loch Ness festival goers are given an exclusive tour by water, while Eden Court – the festival’s headquarters for exhibitors – is steps outside of Inverness Old Town and city centre.

Trying your hand at crafts of the Highlands

At Scot Mountain Holidays we have a passion for Highland craftsmanship which is why we are offering an accommodation and transport package to guests who don’t want to miss this spectacular event! Please enquire for details.

Scottish scene captured in a needle felted image	Crafting supplies at Three Bags Wool

The festival can be added to your personalized Scotland textiles tour, where we can also guide you to woollen mills and extended craftsmanship courses. If you would like details of the self-guided crafting possibilities in our area please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

“Making” or crafting tour

We can offer:

• Johnston’s Cashmere and Woollen Mill
• Knockando Wool Mill
• House of Fraser Kilt Maker
• Anna MacNeil (tweed and embroidery)
• Three Bags Wool
• 1896 Gallery and Coffee Shop
• High Street Merchants
• Loch an Eilean Pottery
• Speyside Pottery
• Loch Ness Clayworks

We can put together a package for you which would include what our son calls “making” opportunities if you wish or just browsing if you prefer also featuring hand-picked chances to sample the finest Scottish produce and comfortable accommodation for your stay with like-minded hosts.

‘Thrugs’ – rugs made from thrums, Three Bags Wool

Examples of the possibilities for your crafting holiday

No Scotland holiday would be complete without a feel for the Highland textile tradition kept alive in the Cairngorms’ very own Victorian-era Knockando Woolmill Trust. You can go inside the mill to see the Victorian machinery in action, then treat yourself to an international festival of art. You can even pursue your passion in local multi-day courses.

Courses are also available for peg loom weaving, needle felting and sewing at Three Bags Wool in Aberlour. Aberlour is only about 30 minutes drive from Boat of Garten. We are very happy to offer dinner, bed and breakfast for you if you are attending a workshop at Three Bags Wool. Please email for details. Three Bags Wool will also be exhibiting at the Loch Ness Wool Festival.

Thrum knitting to make a rug	Peg loom rug making with thrums

Rebecca’s woven rug just off peg loom (first attempt at a woven rug)

We look forward to showing you!

How to get to Loch Ness Knitting Festival and Market Place

Rebecca is a keen crafter (with very little time to spare to make the projects in her head) and therefore she is keen to encourage anyone who is interested to attend this first event in Inverness. On Saturday, both Andy and Rebecca are going to the Highland Concert with Bruce Macgregor (of Blazing Fiddles fame). Transport will be available from Fraoch Lodge that evening if you are also interested in attending. We will also run a shuttle up to Eden Court (Inverness) during the day on Saturday if you’d like to take a look at the marketplace and workshops going on.

Please phone 01479 831 331 or email us (using the contact form) if you are looking for a last minute weekend away and fancy a bit of Highland culture.

The post Inverness Loch Ness Knitting Festival appeared first on Scot Mountain Holidays.

Scotland famous for textiles – Scotland’s textiles are famous all over the world, not least of all for the kilt (a Highland tradition dating back to the 16th century!) and contemporaries who continue to produce some of the world’s finest fabrics.

Here textiles are as varied as they are practical. In the Cairngorms we certainly find wildlife stalkers are prone to camouflaging tweed, while walkers often go for the synthetics. Pro tip: don’t miss out on the versatility of wool; it keeps you warm when wet, wicks away sweat and can take weeks before needing a wash.

Carding wool at Knockando, great activity for kids!

The must sees of the textile industry include the Scottish Borders, Harris Tweed on the Isle of Harris, Fair Isle knitting between the Shetlands and Orkneys and Johnstons of Elgin based in London who have a free tour of their wool mill every business hour, on the hour.

Scotland textile artists have been making quite a splash in the fashion industry, too. Notables include Angharad McLaren, Lochaven of Scotland in Ayrshire village (known for creating the outfits for Harry Potter’s wizarding school!), Christopher Kane, Jonathan Saunders, Graeme Armour, and more. Another great article on Scotland’s influence in the fashion world is 10 Scottish manufacturers for fashion designers.

In addition, check out a few of our favourite textile and yarn manufactuers in Scotland, namely Keela and Bonar Yarns.

On our doorstep – Scotland famous for textiles

In the Cairngorms we have our very own Knockando Woolmill Trust. This charitable organization has a fully functioning water wheel where you can witness its fascinating process in action, set against a lovely Highland backdrop. You can also browse their garments in shop—check out more of our experience with Knockando and the Scottish Kiltmaker’s Exhibition.

Knockando’s heritage water wheel

Looms

The British Wool Fest in Cumbria and the Inverness Loch Ness Knitting Festival in June and September, respectively, are both wonderfully immersive introductions to textiles, and Rebecca has taken a 3 day weaving course she would highly recommend for beginners and novices.

3 day weaving course

Preparing the shuttle to pass through the shed

To learn more about these experiences ask us about our self guided tours, because any quintessential Scottish holiday can’t miss out on its Tartan and Tweed!

Check out more of our adventures at Knockando:

Victorian machinery at work, spinning yarn

Spinning the yarn onto cones

Carding fleece

Spinning machinery

The post Scotland famous for textiles appeared first on Scot Mountain Holidays.