$500-1,000/night
Craigellachie House is a Georgian country house turned fishing lodge perched above the River Spey in the Speyside region of the Scottish Highlands, offering guests a deeply traditional Atlantic salmon fishing experience steeped in centuries of angling heritage. The Spey is the second-longest river in Scotland and the birthplace of Spey casting, the elegant two-handed rod technique that was developed on its banks in the nineteenth century and has since spread to steelhead and salmon rivers worldwide. Fishing from Craigellachie House connects the modern angler to this unbroken lineage of rivercraft and tradition.
The lodge holds exclusive rights to several productive beats on the middle Spey, waters that receive strong runs of Atlantic salmon from spring through autumn. Ghillies — the Scottish term for river guides — have tended these beats for generations, and their knowledge of each pool, lie, and taking spot is encyclopedic. Fishing is conducted by Spey casting from the bank, wading where appropriate, and the lodge maintains a full complement of two-handed rods, reels, and lines for guests who arrive without their own Spey tackle.
The house itself retains the character of a Highland sporting estate, with wood-paneled rooms, open fires, and a whisky cabinet stocked with single malts from the surrounding Speyside distilleries. A full Scottish breakfast fuels morning fishing, and the evening meal features Scottish game, fresh Atlantic seafood, and produce from the house's kitchen garden. Distillery tours on non-fishing days provide an immersive introduction to Speyside's other great obsession.
Book directly with Craigellachie House for the best rates and availability.
February through October
14 guest capacity
$500-1,000/night