Explore: Ellan Wood in Carrbridge

Ellan Wood is a beautiful place for a walk with the dogs, with the kids, or just you and your thoughts. If you’re lucky enough to be staying at Springfield House, this will be right on your doorstep, but even if you’re staying at our other properties, this tranquil ancient forest is only a short drive away.

There are several short, waymarked trails, which can be combined to create a lovely walk through the pine trees and along the river to the Packhorse Bridge. If you want to follow a specific route, have a look at the Walk Highlands website, which will give you a step-by-step guide.

We recommend the walk listed above if you’re new to the area or you’ve got a schedule to stick to, but if you’ve got plenty of time on your hands and you don’t mind having no plan, our favourite thing to do is just to wander through the woods, along the paths, without any set route, knowing we can never stray too far from the village of Carrbridge. 

Some things to look out for in the forest:

The highest wooden tower in Britain

This is technically part of Landmark Forest Adventure Park, but if you get to a three-way fork in the road and see a sign marked ‘railway wood walk’ continue along this track to pass the Lookout Tower – an impressive structure and the highest wooden tower in Britain.

Red squirrels

Keep an eye on the branches above you and you might just see a beautiful red squirrel, jumping from tree to tree. Red squirrels are our native species and have lived in the UK for around 10,000 years. The more common Grey Squirrel was introduced to the UK from North America by the Victorians and the two species can’t live side-by-side. This means the lovely red squirrels you may see in Ellan Wood could become extinct in approximately 10 years if they are not protected. 

Fungi of all shapes and colours

We’re not going to pretend to know the name of these mushrooms, and we’re definitely not going to recommend you pick or eat them, but keep your eyes on the ground and see how many different fungi you can see. If you’ve got some kids to entertain, why not take some pictures and see if you can identify them online when you get home?

Wooden sculptures

Carrbridge is home to the annual Scottish Open Chainsaw Carving Competition and as a result the whole village is dotted with weird and wonderful wood carvings. Within Ellen Wood you’ll find an impressive sculpture of ants crawling on a tree trunk, as well as a finely sculpted wooden bench. Keep your eyes peeled because they blend into the surroundings pretty well.

Carrbridge Cemetery

This isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but we find it quite beautiful reading the inscriptions on the gravestones of local people. You’ll read about soldiers who went to war in the 1910s and 1940s, generations of families who lived their lives in this Highland village, or even just people with poetic dedications written to them. If you like a bit of history, have a wander through this peaceful woodland cemetery.