We are Susan and Gary Lister and we are lucky enough to call Balsporran, this one of a kind bed and breakfast. our home. We provide a A Peaceful Night's Stay and a 100% Plant-based Breakfast in the Heart of Scotland. Balsporran sits adjacent to the highland train line and the river Truim with its crystal clear snow fed waters. During the warmer months you can relax along the river banks with a glass of wine, a pot of tea or a good book. We also can help you with advice on everything the local area has to offer to make your stay with us a memorable one. In addition we can provide secure parking, bicycle lock up and drying facilities. There is no shortage of recreational activities, wildlife or picturesque mountain views in the area. Each of the 4 guest bedrooms are furnished to a high standard for visitors who appreciate quality and tranquillity, with premium linens and toiletries to offer you a little bit of luxury. You will also enjoy a complimentary beverage tray and digital TV. We offer a large comfortable guest-dedicated lounge with log fire overlooking the beautiful views of the Munro Mountains, books and maps for you to plan your great day out exploring the surroundings of the Highlands. We offer the highest quality Scottish plant based Highland breakfast that sets you up for the day, lighter options are available too. Breakfast is served in our dining area and offers our guests the chance to share plans and stories with us and other guests. With reasonable notice a packed lunch can be provided.
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HOTEL STYLE
Romantic
Mid-range
Languages Spoken
English
Location
Balsporran Cottages Drumochter Pass, Dalwhinnie PH19 1AF Scotland
The bed is amazing, and the breakfast is the best ever. Not much pressure in the shower but plenty of hot water and you get to wash yourself with the water from the mountain! The place is warm and the hosts are so accommodating and the dog, Domino, very friendly. Parking spaces just in front of the B&B, you can use the guest room with the fireplace and enjoy the peace and the views. I will come back for sure!
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Susan Lister, Owner at Balsporran bed and breakfast
Responded Feb 22, 2024
It was lovely to meet you Ellie. We are glad you enjoyed your stay. We look forward to seeing you again when you come back to do those other hills. Susan
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What a perfect night away - we wish we could have stayed longer! Susan and Gary couldn't be more welcoming. The location is stunning and feels very remote, with lots of walking options right from the B&B. We loved relaxing in the lounge next to the fire, enjoying a few board games while watching the snow fall outside. The rooms were also so cozy and incredibly quiet - we couldn't hear any noise from the road. We aren't vegan but the food was amazing. We shared a toastie and bowl of soup in the evening which were both fantastic. Breakfast in the morning was so much more than we could ask for. Definitely the best breakfast we've ever had at any hotel or B&B. We're definitely planning on coming back during the summer too as I'm sure it will be just as beautiful!
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Date of stay: February 2022
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Susan Lister, Owner at Balsporran bed and breakfast
Responded Feb 28, 2022
We’re so glad you enjoyed your stay with us. Thanks for taking the time to write a review. We really enjoyed meeting you both and look forward to seeing you again. Susan
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By far the most enjoyable overnight stay we've had. The B&B is situated in the stunning Drumochter Pass with breathtaking views of the surrounding Hills. The B&B is in a perfect location for any keen hill walkers and munro baggers and has plenty of options for walking, cycling or hiking. The rooms were absolutely perfect for an overnight stay and we particularly enjoyed catching up with fellow hillwalkers in the cosy guest lounge by the wood burning stove! Food was a further highlight of the stay with an evening snack menu which was perfect for an evening meal and a fabulous breakfast all of which was home cooked and 100% plant based! A massive thanks to Gary and Susan for their hospitality and for making our stay extra special. We were truly made to feel at home! Would highly recommend Balsporran and we will definitely be back! Was a pleasure to meet you both and hope you enjoy your first christmas in Drumochter!
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Date of stay: November 2021
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Susan Lister, Owner at Balsporran bed and breakfast
Responded Dec 5, 2021
It was really lovely to meet you both. I am so glad you enjoyed your stay. I hope you manage to get up some more hills soon and we really look forward to seeing you again. Susan
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The B&B is located in a wild and dramatic setting, high in the heather-clad mountains, beside a fast-flowing stream, and with wide views down the Drumochter Pass. It is hard to believe that you are, in fact, between the A9 road and the main Highland railway line. We could not have received a warmer welcome from Susan and Gary. They gave us plenty of useful information about walks in the area and stories about the history of the Balsporran cottages. The vegan breakfast was generous, imaginative and delicious, as were the optional evening meals, which we enjoyed in front of the log fire. We would happily have stayed longer.
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Susan Lister, Owner at Balsporran bed and breakfast
Responded Sep 18, 2023
Thanks for taking the time to review. We're glad that you appreciated our beautiful surroundings. We feel very blessed to live here. It was great to meet you both and a pleasure to look after you. Susan
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We ran a bit late and arrived quite late in the evening, but Gary was willing to stay up a bit later for us (sorry about that!). The rooms were beautiful, like staying in a luxury hotel, and despite the dreary weather the location was very special.
Breakfast was served at a large table with the three other guests, which was lovely. We had a nice chat with the other guests and enjoyed the amazing food. Susan is a great chef and while everything was vegan it was very diverse and everything tasted great. Best breakfast of our vacation!
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Date of stay: May 2022
Value
Cleanliness
Service
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Response from Susan Lister, Owner at Balsporran bed and breakfast
Responded May 18, 2022
Rik, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed your stay. It was great to meet you all and chat over breakfast. Perhaps we’ll see you again. Susan
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From the moment you arrive you are made to feel like family rather than clients. Immediate offer of a pot of tea with homemade biscuits. The rooms though compact are beautifully furnished and comfortable. Equipped with cafetiere, tea pot, selection of teas, ground coffee and home made shortbread. Whisky and honey body lotion in the ensuite. There may only be four bedrooms but this B & B oozes quality. A snack menu is offered in the evening. What we had was beautifully cooked. Then Geoff came in with a whisky each! Breakfast was superbly cooked to order by Fiona with vegetarian options available. The table had homemade jams as well! For rail fans bedroom 1 overlooks the Highland Main Line as well as having magnificent views of the pass. This was the highlight of our road trip to the Highlands. Will certainly include this on every itinerary to the far North.
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Balsporran Bed and Breakfast, Owner at Balsporran bed and breakfast
Responded Sep 21, 2020
Thank you Robert for your fantastic review, we look forward to you both coming back soon. Best wishes Fiona & Geoff
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From the moment Fiona welcomed us, we felt totally at home. The rooms are superbly equipped, upmarket toiletries, a welcome tray of tea , coffee delicious biscuits and sweets. The bedlinen is of the highest quality The decor throughout is rustic with beautifully throws on comfortable sofas. Fiona and Geoff definitely have a talent in interior design and in hosting ! There is no restaurant as such but they offer a snack menu in the evening. The breakfast was absolutely fantastic , a huge choice of cooked dishes and Fiona’s home made croissants are outstanding. I cannot recommend this B&B highly enough , it is highland hospitality at its very best. Thank you Fiona and Geoff, what a team !
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Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Balsporran Bed and Breakfast, Owner at Balsporran bed and breakfast
Responded Jun 24, 2021
Hi Thank you for your lovely review and glad you enjoyed your stay at Balsporran and enjoyed the homemade croissants. We look forward to seeing you both again. Kind Regards Fiona & Geoff
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From the moment Fiona and Geoff welcomed us into their B&B Balsporran, we immediately knew our stay here would be special. Service was 5 star start to finish (Covid rules all in place too). What they have done to make this B&B beautiful and the most comfortable (& peaceful) is remarkable. Bedrooms are traditional with modern and luxurious touches such as White Company linens, faux fur rugs, beautiful wooden beds (handcrafted by Geoff) with Anthropologie cups for your morning coffee or tea. A wee tunnocks teacake or homemade shortbread adorns your side table too, should you desire. Their fresh water comes straight (filtered of course) from the hills behind you. I also loved the fact that they know we all live in a modern world so plug points were also charger points (wifi perfect) and the bathrooms super cool too (tons of toiletries should you forget). Breakfast was utterly fabulous. Jams, marmalades, lemon curd (all made by Fiona) were on offer with fresh coffee (bean to cup) and the finest sausages, black pudding from the local butcher but the best bit was Geoff went off to the chicken coup outside and returned with fresh eggs! Children over 10 are welcome so we were able to have our son there and Fiona made him the biggest, fluffiest pancakes and made him feel at home. Thankfully we had breakfast as we decided to take Geoff's recommendation on climbing a Munro which is basically on their doorstep (this is the easiest of all 268 Munros and took us approx 3.5hrs up and down - we took our time and stopped a lot). On our return we had to make a trip to Geoff's workshop where I bought an amazing pair of wooden candlesticks, a supersized matchbox holder, coffee beans and my son bought his Gran the cute little wooden mice). Also available for buying are the freshest of eggs and Fiona's homesmade jams (perfect for gifts). We can't recommend this place highly enough; it truly is a homely, warm, 5 star amazing B&B that we surely want to stay in again...especially in Winter). So much so, I hope when we do stay again... we get snowed in! p.s. for the Whiskey lovers amongst you, Geoff has all the knowledge you require...Cheers!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Balsporran Bed and Breakfast, Owner at Balsporran bed and breakfast
Responded Sep 21, 2020
Thank you Rachael, Matt & Tate for your amazing review, we are glad you enjoyed your stay and we look forward to you all coming back in November. Best wishes Fiona & Geoff
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We stayed for 2 nights at Balsporran and we are so happy we discovered such a lovely B&B.
Gary and Susan were great hosts, welcoming us to their stylish and relaxing home. We booked our stay to break our journey home after nearly 3 weeks in the NW Highlands, looking for somewhere that provided plant based food. The bonus for us was that Balsporran is plant based, so it was ideal.
The breakfast was excellent (we both had the cooked option) and we also opted for the simple dinner/supper, served on a tray in the guest lounge. Absolutely delicious!
Our room was full of excellent hand-crafted furniture, and had amazing views to the south.
Finally, tea/coffee and cake on arrival was a lovely surprise.
The only disappointment was that we didn’t stay for longer……
Thank you Gary and Susan.
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Date of stay: July 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Susan Lister, Owner at Balsporran bed and breakfast
Responded 2 weeks ago
It was so nice to meet you. We are glad you included us as part of your epic tour! Hopefully we will see you again sometime. Susan
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I have just come home after my 2nd stay at Balsporran and I’m already looking forward to my 3rd. Balsporran is unique in its location, the beauty of its surroundings are incredible and the rooms are a wee bit of highland luxury. I sleep like a log there! Susan and Gary are incredible hosts. They make it their priority to ensure you’re welcomed and looked after through your stay with Gary pouring a wee malt whisky in the evenings and Susan’s plant based breakfasts to die for. There’s a light evening meal menu too which is great after a day up the mountains. The wonderfully cosy guest lounge is great for catching up with other guests and, with the log fire burning, I was in heaven. Balsporran is such a gem, but don’t take my word for it, treat yourself to a wee break there and you’ll return time and time again.
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Date of stay: January 2022Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Trevor
Thank you for trying to contact us,
We have only recently moved into the bed and breakfast and are currently getting a website together to make it easier to book and pay online, t will be up on google by end of March beginning of April.
If you want I can provisionally book you in for your date and then send you the link to the website where you can confirm your booking.
or call 07481832801
Kind Regards
Fiona Fisher
Hi Tammy
Thank you for your enquiry.
Yes we are taking reservation, our website will be ready next month where you can book and pay online.
We have four double rooms with double beds and en-suite with showers.
My email address is balsporranbedandbreakfast@gmail,com if you want to send a message I can then send the link to the website to you.
Kind Regards
Fiona
Hi Renee and thank you very much for your enquiry.
Yes we have recently taken over the B&B and are doing some renovations, unfortunately we are behind schedule due to doing more work than we intended and have pushed our opening date to beginning of April.
Were not in walking distance to Dalwhinnie distillery but we are offering an added service to drive guests to and from the distillery at an additional cost.
We would have loved to have you stay in our new rooms but hopefully you can find accommodation to suite the date you require.
Our new website will be going live in March for future reference.
Hope you have a lovely time at the distillery.
Kind Regards
Fiona & Geoff
Hi Julie
Thank you for your enquiry.
We have just recently taken over the Bed and Breakfast and are doing a few renovations before we open in March and we have decided not to take dogs, sorry !
To answer your other questions, yes we are doing evening meals and walking in the Cairngorms National Park dogs are advised to be kept on leads at any time of the year.
If there is anything more I can help you with please let me know.
Kind Regards
Fiona
"Perfect for stopping over for walkers and cyclists passing through but likewise the peaceful location is an ideal spot for picking off a few munroes ."
There are more places to choose from in the Dalwhinnie area.
PRICE RANGE
$181 - $185 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
United KingdomScotlandScottish HighlandsDalwhinnie
NUMBER OF ROOMS
4
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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