Novar Estate was once described as a "barren and treeless place". Three hundred years later and under the stewardship of the same family, it is a thriving Highland estate extending to 20,000 acres and including famland, forestry, hill, shooting, fishing and most recently alternative energy enterprises.

Novar House, the walled garden and Ardtalla remain at its heart with a new pupose-built estate office as its adminitrative centre.

SHOOTING PARTIES

The estate offers a high quality driven partridge shoot.
Rough shooting, duck flighting, walked-up grouse and grouse shooting over pointers are available in season to guests who stay at Ardtalla.

Roe deer, sika and limited red deer stalking are available on Novar and neighbouring estates.

We will be happy to put a mixed sporting package together for you and perhaps to include some fishing on the River Alness as well.

We can meet you from the airport or train station. On arrival tea will be served in front of the fire. Then there is time to relax before drinks and dinner served at a time to suit you. The next morning the shooting parties will be met by head keeper Roland van Oyen. He has been hosting shooting guests at Novar for more than thirty years.

On a driven partridge day there will usually be three or four drives before lunch with elevenses served in the field. After an exciting morning beside the river or watching birds fly off the high banks of the grouse moor, guests look forward to lunch in the lunch hut, lit only by candles and kept warm with a wood burning stove. The afternoon consists of one or two drives before returning to Ardtalla for tea.

Massages may be booked to help you relax after a day in the field.

Smaller walked up days are a great compliment to a driven day; less formal and very good sport.

WEDDINGS

Weddings at Ardtalla are unique and special occasions. Almost anything is possible; the options being as wide as your imagination.

Ardtalla is always let on an exclusive use basis so you can choose for your day to be as relaxed or as formal as you wish. Weddings for up to sixty guests can be held in the house or larger parties in a marquee on the lawn in front of the house.

Ardtalla holds a licence for civil ceremonies to be held in the galleried hall, in the drawing room or in the garden. The walled garden provides a spectacular backdrop for wedding photographs.

The minimum stay for weddings is two nights allowing you and your house party to relax, enjoy each other's company and take part in activities such as fishing, archery or clay pigeon shooting.