Holiday rentals and lettings in Nairn

Table of Contents

• At a glance: What should you know about renting a holiday letting in Nairn?
• Holiday lettings in Nairn: find your perfect retreat
• Exploring Nairn: our top recommendations
• Activities: What are the top things to do and see in Nairn?

• Seaside cottages and flats: Most lettings are self-catering cottages and flats within walking distance of the West Beach, the harbour and the level promenade, many with gardens or terraces.
• Fishertown and the beaches: Fishertown suits a quiet base near the harbour, while East Beach puts you beside Nairn Dunbar Golf Club and the dunes.
• Guests love the location: Top-rated Nairn properties score above 9.0+, with reviews praising the short walk to the sand and the peaceful, small-town feel.
• Best time to visit: June to August brings the driest, sunniest weather and the festival season; autumn is quieter and ideal for walks.
• Things to do: Dolphin watching in the Moray Firth, championship golf, Cawdor Castle and the town's book and arts festivals fill an easy week.

Nairn's self-catering choice leans towards traditional stone holiday cottages in Fishertown and the streets behind the promenade, along with roomy family houses, ground-floor flats and a handful of log cabins on the town's rural fringe. Sleeping sizes run from cosy boltholes for two to eight-bed houses with gardens. Most properties sit within a short, level walk of the sand. Expect practical, well-kept interiors with these features:

• Enclosed gardens and patios for long summer evenings
• Wood burners and drying space for wet walking kit
• Wi-Fi and desk space for a few days of remote working
• Off-street parking and secure storage for golf clubs or bikes

Book early for July and August, when beachside properties go quickly.

What are the best areas to stay in Nairn?

For a first visit, base yourself in Fishertown, the old fishing quarter beside the harbour. The table below details regions for specific interests:

What do our guests say?

Guests consistently rate Nairn lettings for their position: the short walk to the sand, the quiet streets and the space to dry boots and store clubs come up again and again. Reviewers also mention warm, well-equipped kitchens, thoughtful welcome touches from local hosts and how easy it is to reach Inverness, Cawdor and the Moray Firth coast without moving the car. Ratings of 9.0+ are common across the town.

Here are our top-rated holiday lettings from the past year:

1. Cottage for 4 people, with pets - 9.9+: A pet-friendly cottage in Nairn praised for its spotless rooms and the easy walk into town with the dog.
2. Cottage for 7 people - 9.9+: Roomy Nairn cottage that guests recommend for larger groups, with plenty of seating and parking for two cars.
3. Holiday apartment for 2 people, with terrace and garden - 9.7+: A couples' favourite in Nairn, with a sheltered terrace, a garden and the beach a few minutes away.

Nairn sits on the Moray Firth coast in the Highlands, about 16 miles east of Inverness, where the River Nairn meets long sandy beaches.

✈️What is the best way to get to Nairn?

For most visitors, flying into Inverness Airport is the quickest option, as it lies only eight miles west of the town. Here are the most common ways to get to the town:

• Plane: Inverness Airport (INV) at Dalcross is roughly a 15-minute drive from Nairn High Street and handles flights from London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Amsterdam. Car hire desks sit in the terminal, and the Stagecoach 11 bus and airport taxis both run into Nairn, so you can be unpacked in your letting within half an hour of landing.
• Train: Nairn station is on the Aberdeen to Inverness line, with regular ScotRail services and a journey time of about 15 minutes from Inverness. Coming from further south, change at Inverness after the Highland Main Line from Perth and Glasgow, or arrive on the sleeper from London Euston. The station is a ten-minute walk from the seafront.
• Car: Nairn sits on the A96 between Inverness and Elgin, an easy two-and-a-half-hour drive from Perth via the A9. There are car parks off the High Street and near the links, and having a car makes Cawdor, Culloden and the Moray coast simple day trips.

🥗Where to eat in Nairn?

According to Google Maps data and reviews, Ozzy's Fine Dining Restaurant is the best rated restaurant in Nairn. Below is a table showing the top 5 highly-rated restaurants hand-picked by our travel experts.

⭐Our guests' recommendation: Our guest travellers recommend Friar Tuck's in Nairn: they queue for the haddock and chips, then carry the parcel down to the benches on the promenade and eat looking out over the Moray Firth.

☀️When is the best time to visit?

Nairn is one of the driest, sunniest towns in Scotland, which makes June to August the obvious choice for beach days, festivals and long light evenings. For quieter beaches and better value, come in May or September, when the coastal walks are at their best and the town feels like its own again.

Spring

• Best for: Walkers and golfers who want empty fairways and fresh, bright mornings.
• Weather: Cool and often dry, with temperatures climbing from around 9°C in March to the mid-teens by late May.
• Atmosphere: Calm and local, with the beaches largely to yourself outside the weekends.

Summer

• Best for: Families, festival-goers and anyone hoping to spot dolphins in the Moray Firth.
• Weather: The warmest and driest stretch of the year, with highs near 19°C and daylight lasting well past 10pm.
• Atmosphere: Lively, with the Nairn Book and Arts Festival, the Highland Games and busy beach cafés.

Autumn

• Best for: Couples and photographers after golden light along the river and the dunes.
• Weather: Mild in September, cooler and breezier by November, with a good chance of crisp, clear days.
• Atmosphere: Peaceful and unhurried, ideal for slow mornings and long walks towards Cawdor.

⭐Our Hosts' recommendation: Our Nairn local expert, the host of the Cottage for 4 people, recommends coming to visit at the turn of the tide, when the sandbanks off the harbour draw bottlenose dolphins close to the shore. Walk out along the promenade with a flask, watch for fins, then follow the waymarked riverside path towards Cawdor before heading back for supper in town. You can read more about local tips on the host's page.

1. Watch dolphins in the Moray Firth
2. Play the championship links
3. Walk the river path to Cawdor
4. Explore Nairn's museums
5. Catch the Book and Arts Festival

1. Watch dolphins in the Moray Firth

   The Moray Firth is home to one of the few resident populations of bottlenose dolphins in the UK, and Nairn's promenade is one of the easiest places to see them from dry land. Bring binoculars and time your walk with a rising tide, when the animals follow salmon towards the harbour mouth. For a closer look, high-speed RIB trips run along the coast in summer. Seals, ospreys and gannets often appear on the same outing, making it a fine morning for families.

2. Play the championship links

   Nairn has two links courses within a mile of the beach. Nairn Golf Club, host of the 1999 Walker Cup, runs along the shoreline with the Black Isle on the horizon, while Nairn Dunbar weaves through gorse and dunes on the eastern side of town. Both welcome visitors, and lessons are available for beginners. Golfers who want to string several rounds together often pair Nairn with a stay in holiday homes across Scotland to reach Dornoch and Moray too.

3. Walk the river path to Cawdor

   A waymarked route follows the River Nairn south from the town centre through woodland and farmland to the village of Cawdor, crossing footbridges along the way. It is around eight miles one way, so many walkers take the bus back rather than repeat the route. Break the walk at Cawdor Castle's gardens and nature trails, then finish with dinner in the village. Sturdy boots are worth packing, as the path stays soft after rain.

4. Explore Nairn's museums

   Nairn Museum tells the story of the town's fishing families and the herring boom that once filled the harbour, with photographs, nets and household objects from Fishertown. A short drive west, The Highlanders' Museum at Fort George holds regimental collections and galleries, while the Highland Aviation Museum near the airport keeps aircraft, cockpits and engines you can get close to. All three make good wet-afternoon plans, and the fort itself is worth the walk along the ramparts.

5. Catch the Book and Arts Festival

   Each summer the Nairn Book and Arts Festival brings authors, musicians and artists to venues across the town for talks, workshops and live performances. The Nairn Highland Games and the Farmers' Show fill out the calendar, and the beach hosts open-air events when the weather holds. If you would rather stay outdoors between shows, the coast and the Cairngorms offer camping in Scotland and lochside log cabins at Loch Tay within easy reach.