Alladale

Alladale Wilderness Reserve is 23,000 acres of Scottish Highland glen bought in 2003 by conservationist Paul Lister for the single purpose of rewilding it. Over 800,000 native trees have gone into the ground since, alongside reintroduced red squirrels and a Scottish wildcat breeding programme run with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. Guests stay in Alladale Lodge, a restored 1887 Victorian hunting lodge with seven en-suite rooms sleeping up to 14, or one of two smaller cottages, Eagle's Crag and Ghillie's Rest, powered by the estate's hydroturbine. The lodge is reached along a single-track road that follows the Carron River, with red deer often spotted grazing along the way.

Guided 4x4 safaris cover the reserve's rewilded glens in search of golden eagles and Highland cattle, while hiking and mountain biking routes lead into centuries-old Caledonian pine forest. Anglers can fish two rivers, and a riverside hide offers a chance to watch for pine marten and otter after dark. Vegetables come from the estate's own zero-waste aquaponics garden. Evenings are best spent around the lodge's open fire and grand piano, whisky in hand, deep within the wild Highland landscape.