Travellers Cottage

FAQs

Overview

Logistics

Essentials

Full conventional kitchen and bathroom

Illustration of a bed with a headboard and pillows

Sleeps 5

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Stay in Travellers Cottage

The family-friendly Travellers’ Cottage is welcoming and cosy, with space for everyone to slow down and reconnect.

Use it as your base camp to explore the Cairngorms National Park. Wander forest trails, spot wildlife, try gentle hill walks, bike through the glens, or paddle on nearby lochs. Back at the cottage, relax by the fire with a book or a board game, or simply enjoy the peace of the surrounding woodland.

In the 1800s, Scottish Highland Travellers camped here while moving their horses from Lochaber to the wool fair in Inverness. Inside, a small collection of books and photographs nods to this heritage, connecting past journeys with your own.

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Our tenth visit to Lazy Duck and another head full of amazing memories. One of the finest places on earth to catch up with good friends and share amazing nights after adventures in the Mountains. Always hard to leave but we will return, thank you for another wonderful stay!”

Neil, Sarah, Veshengo, & Sabine

February 2024

Illustrated map of a rustic farm named "the lazy duck" featuring various buildings and areas like a duck's nest, a breakout bungalow, base camp reception, travelers cottage, homestead, pond tunnel, and a sauna. It also shows a head space, poet's seat
A white house with a metal roof, surrounded by a wooden fence, with trees in the background and a cloudy sky overhead.
A small white house with a steep metal roof surrounded by trees and a wooden fence.
Cozy living room with two sofas covered in white fur, a round wooden coffee table, a fireplace with wood logs, a small table with a lamp, and windows showing outdoor trees.
Living room with brown and black sofas, a small round wooden coffee table, a fireplace with wood logs, a television, two windows, a dining table with chairs, and a hanging light fixture.
Kitchen with wooden and green cabinets, black countertops, window with outdoor view, vintage refrigerator, toaster, and wooden sliding barn doors.
Compact kitchen with wooden cabinets, black countertop, electric stove, oven, toaster, kettle, and microwave. Small open shelving with additional bowls.
A cozy bedroom with a wooden bed frame, floral bedding, two neatly folded towels on the bed, and two bedside tables with blue lamps. There is a black dresser on the left with a vintage radio and a framed photograph above it. The room is carpeted and
A bedroom with a wooden bed frame, a nightstand with a lamp, and a window. An open wooden door leads to another room with a bed and framed pictures on the wall.
A cozy bedroom with a bed covered in a patterned bedspread, a pillow, and folded towels. The room has a window with wooden frames, a small landscape painting on the white wall, and a wall-mounted light fixture. There is a small heater near the window
A cozy bedroom with two beds, one larger and one smaller, both with floral bedding. The room has a window with wooden trim, a wooden desk with a chair, and a stained glass ceiling light. The walls are white, with wood paneling and a framed picture. T
A small bathroom with a bathtub, toilet, sink, and window. The bathtub has decorative tiles, and there is a towel rack on the wall. The window has wooden framing, and there is a shelf with a small plant. The bathroom has white walls, a gray floor, an

The Logistics

Check-in
4pm-10pm

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Door with an open latch

Check-out
10am

KEY INFORMATION

  • Quiet hours from 10pm-8am

  • No smoking

  • No pets, sorry

  • Self-catering; groceries from our Base Camp Store, the Dell Grocer across the river, Nethy Store, Balliefurth Farm Shop and the Co-Op.

  • Now that the Scottish grid is overwhelmingly renewable, background heat comes from green and smoke-free storage heaters. There’s nothing quite like a wood stove though, so we provide firewood too.

  • We recommend packing a head torch, sturdy footwear and easily carried luggage is advised.

PAYMENT & CANCELLATION

A 30% deposit secures your stay, with the balance due six weeks before your arrival.

If your plans have to change, please let us know as soon as you can. We can only refund payment if we are able to re-let your booking, but we will do our best to promote it on our website and on the socials.

Travel insurance is a good idea too.

Full terms & conditions

FIND YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

Find your feet—and your cottage—at your own pace. We use a self-check-in system so you can start your stay the moment you arrive, whether we’re around the forest or out for the day. You’ll receive a digital guide filled with helpful videos to make your arrival all part of the adventure.

The Essentials

A fork and a knife placed side by side.
Icon of a fireplace with flames inside

KITCHEN

HEATING

Self-catering
Full Kitchen
Full-length fridge/freezer
Larder essentials

Wood-burning stove
Firewood provided
Background electric heat

WAYS TO UNWIND

ELECTRICS

Fenced Garden
TV and Radio Games Forest Walks
Books Sauna

Wi-fi
Electricity

A bath and shower.
A bed with a headboard in a room.

BATHROOM

SLEEPING

Bath and shower
Linens, towels

Sleeps up to 5
Double bedroom with single bed room attached. Twin bedroom

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Frequently Asked Questions

There’s a wide variation in what people mean by “off-grid.” To give you a clear picture of what that means at The Lazy Duck, we’ve created a simple off-grid rating system (1–5), along with this FAQ to explain exactly what to expect.

Make a booking

  • When we say “off-grid,” we mean the accommodation is not connected to mains electricity or the water supply.

    Our first hut, built in 2011, is our most off-grid option (5/5). It offers an elemental, and unique experience:

    • A small amount of electricity is provided by solar power (enough for lighting and USB charging)

    • Water is collected from rainfall, with drinking water supplied separately

    • Heating is provided by a wood-burning stove

    It’s a more hands-on, nature-connected way of staying—perfect if you’re looking to switch off and embrace a simpler pace of life.

  • All of our accommodation sits on an off-grid scale, from fully off-grid to lightly off-grid.

    At one end is the Woodman’s Hut (5/5), which is completely off-grid. At the other is the Cottage (1/5), which is closest to a conventional stay, but benefits from a wood-burning stove as it’s main source of heat.

    In between are the Duck’s Nest, Lookout Bunkhouse, and the Homestead—ideal if you’re looking for a gentler introduction to off-grid living.

    For example:

    • The Homestead has mains electricity and water, with drinking water is available from the tap. It has an outdoor electric shower and reduces water waste with a compost toilet.

    • The Duck’s Nest & Lookout Bunkhouse have mains electricity, but rely on harvested rainwater, with drinking water provided separately. Both have outdoor bucket showers.

    This range allows you to choose the level of comfort and simplicity that suits you best.

  • If it’s your first off-grid experience, we’d usually recommend starting somewhere in the middle rather than jumping straight in at the deep end.

    The Duck’s Nest or the Homestead are great options for individuals or couples trying off-grid living for the first time. You’ll still get the full experience—heating your space with a wood-burning stove, using a compost toilet, and trying an outdoor bucket shower—but with a few extra comforts like electricity and WiFi.

    For families or small groups (up to four), the Lookout Bunkhouse is a great introduction.

    Starting this way lets you ease into off-grid living while still enjoying everything that makes it such a memorable and rewarding experience.

  • Absolutely. The Lookout Bunkhouse is well suited to families of up to four people. We also welcome larger families who are happy to be a little cosy, or to bring along a few tents to extend their stay.

    The bunkhouse includes a compost toilet hut, an outdoor bucket shower, rainwater collection barrels, and heating is mainly from your own wood-burning stove.

    It offers a really special experience for families, gently encouraging time away from screens and towards the natural world. Children often love getting involved—whether that’s building dens in the surrounding woodland, or learning how to light and tend the fire to keep everyone warm.

  • Our accommodation is set out on an off-grid scale, from fully off-grid (5/5) to more conventional living (1/5).

    The Woodman’s Hut (5/5)
    Our most off-grid experience. Fully remote and accessed via a short walk through the forest from the car park.

    • Electricity provided by a small solar panel (enough for lighting and USB charging)

    • Water collected from rainwater, with drinking water provided separately

    • Outdoor bucket shower

    • Heating entirely from a wood-burning stove

    • Compost toilet hut

    • Surrounded by forest and mountain views

    The Duck’s Nest & Lookout Bunkhouse (4/5)
    A step down in off-grid living, with a few more comforts.

    • Mains electricity and WiFi

    • Rainwater collection, with drinking water provided

    • Compost toilet hut

    • Bucket shower

    • Main heating from a wood-burning stove (with some additional heating available)

    The Homestead (3/5)
    A gentler introduction to off-grid living.

    • Similar setup to The Duck’s Nest and Lookout

    • Connected to mains water (drinking water available from the tap)

    • Still includes a compost toilet and wood-burning stove for heating

    Travellers’ Cottage (1/5)
    Our most conventional accommodation.

    • Full cottage with mains utilities

    • Heating from a wood-burning stove in the main living area, plus storage heaters in bedrooms

    • A comfortable option for those wanting a more traditional stay

  • We provide all the essentials to make your stay comfortable, including linen, towels, bathrobes, and Crocs for getting to and from the bucket showers or sauna. We also provide wheelbarrows to help you transport luggage around the site, and all firewood is included for your stay.

    We recommend bringing a head torch for moving around after dark, as the site is set within the forest and can get very dark at night.

    As you’re in a woodland setting, comfortable footwear that you don’t mind getting a bit muddy is also useful. Personal items such as toiletries, small mirrors, make-up, or anything else you like to have with you are of course welcome.

    Most importantly, bring a sense of adventure and an openness to slow down, try something new, and enjoy a different pace of life.

  • Staying off-grid is a chance to step away from the fast pace of everyday life and slow things right down. It’s about reconnecting—with nature, with the people you’re with, and with yourself.

    At Lazy Duck, you’re surrounded by beautiful natural landscapes, with space to breathe, reflect, and properly switch off. Our sauna and wellbeing hut offer a chance to take this even further—whether that’s enjoying some quiet time, receiving a massage, or connecting with others at a slower pace.

    It’s a more enriching way to travel, gently encouraging you to step out of normal routines and live more simply for a while. Small changes, like heating your own water and heading outside for a bucket shower, become part of the experience, helping you slow down and be more present.

    Our visitors often mention feeling deeply relaxed and a great sense of peace during their stay.

  • Very similar to using a normal toilet, to be honest.

    The main difference is that each accommodation has its own private compost toilet hut, just a short walk away. Inside, you’ll find a proper toilet seat and toilet paper—just as you would expect.

    Instead of flushing, you simply add a small scoop of sawdust after use. This keeps everything clean and helps the composting process.

    Compost toilets use no water, which is a key part of our low-impact approach. The waste is naturally broken down over time and becomes part of our wider environmental ethos—helping to reduce water use and contribute to healthy soil for the land around us.

    Most guests find it much easier and more straightforward than they expect.

  • We completely understand that outdoor bucket showers aren’t for everyone.

    As an alternative, there is an indoor electric shower available in the central building, which you’re very welcome to use during your stay.

    That said, we do gently encourage guests to give the bucket showers a try. It can feel a little daunting at first, but many people end up finding it surprisingly enjoyable, and often say it becomes one of the highlights of their stay. There’s something about trying something new, in nature, that can feel both refreshing and rewarding.

Where to find us

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The Lazy Duck


Nethy Bridge

Inverness-shire


PH25 3ED

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