One Year at Beautiful Brylach Steading, Speyside

We can't quite believe it, but we've now been at Brylach Steading for a whole year.

Twelve months ago, we swapped London life for a very different kind of life in Moray, Speyside.

We'd fallen for Brylach long before we moved in. The old steading, the cottages, the courtyard, the woodland, the views and, of course, the idea of living and working somewhere we could actually welcome people to.

What we hadn't quite appreciated was just how much we'd have to learn along the way.

So, rather than trying to sum up our first year in a few paragraphs, we thought we'd go back through the months and share a little of what happened, what we learnt and some of the moments that have made our first year at Brylach so special.

Check out our mini Instagram Series 12 Months | 12 Lessons as well.

SEPTEMBER 2025 | THE BAPTISM OF FIRE

We got the keys to Brylach two days later than planned. It was a very stressful time to say the least.

And then, just four hours after finally completing the (very basic) handover, we welcomed our first guests.

There was no gentle settling in. No leisurely unpacking. No “we'll start welcoming guests next week”.

We were straight in. Literally!

There was also the small matter of a very large set of keys with absolutely no labels on them.

Which was particularly helpful when you're trying to work out which key opens which cottage, shed, gate, cupboard or door...with incoming guests due to arrive!

We learnt an enormous amount in those first few days, mostly by doing things rather than knowing how to do them beforehand.

And our very first guests were absolutely wonderful. They were kind, patient and incredibly understanding as we found our feet. We even received some beautiful gifts from them.

It was quite the introduction to running a small self-catering business in Speyside.

We were swimming. And it helped that Autumn is a particularly beautiful time of year…

View from Brylach Steading through the woodland in Autumn 2025

OCTOBER 2025 | FINDING OUR FEET

By October, things were beginning to feel a little more real.

We had our first visit from friends and family, which gave us a lovely excuse to step away from the endless list of jobs and actually start exploring the area around our new home.

The colours, the changing light, the quiet roads, the River Spey, the forests and the hills... suddenly all those things we'd admired when visiting were becoming part of everyday life.

We were also starting to get to know our neighbours and the wider community around Moray Speyside.

There was still a huge amount of cleaning, fixing, painting, organising and figuring things out.

But we were beginning to feel like we belonged here.

NOVEMBER 2025 | FRIENDS, FAMILY & OUR FIRST SNOW

November brought more visitors, more friends and family, and our first proper taste of a Speyside winter.

We were discovering that one of the best things about Brylach wasn't necessarily the cottages themselves, but what happened around them.

People coming to stay.

People popping in.

Neighbours helping out.

Friends getting stuck in.

And lots of cups of tea (and the odd ‘wee dram’) along the way.

We were also discovering just how beautiful this part of Scotland can be as the seasons change.

The first snow at Brylach was pretty magical.

It also gave us an early lesson in rural winter preparedness.

DECEMBER 2025 | DO IT ANYWAY

December was busy.

Very busy.

But we were determined that Christmas at Brylach should feel special, even if there was a long list of things that still needed doing.

So we decorated.

We added lights, a huge Christmas Tree in the courtyard and all the little details that make a place feel festive.

And somewhere amongst the work, the weather and the never-ending list, we realised something important:

Sometimes you just have to do it anyway.

Create the moment. Make it special. Put the effort in.

Even when you're tired.

Especially then.

Brylach Steading courtyard with the Christmas tree

JANUARY 2026 | BE PREPARED

Our first proper Speyside winter arrived with a bang.

Storms. Snow. Cold.

And, at one point, some of the biggest snowfall the area had seen in around a decade.

It was a pretty good introduction to living somewhere rural.

We learnt to think ahead, keep supplies in, plan around the weather and make sure we were prepared for the things you simply don't have to think about in London.

We also discovered something we would come to appreciate more and more over the year:

good neighbours and a local farmer with a tractor are worth their weight in gold.

FEBRUARY 2026 | DOUBLE IT

By February, we were ready to tackle our biggest project yet: The Hayloft Renovation.

What we thought would be a relatively straightforward renovation turned into a much bigger job.

Rural trades. Materials. Timelines. Budgets.

Everything seemed to take longer and cost more than we'd originally imagined.

Our lesson?

Whatever you think it will cost, whatever time you think it will take... double it.

At least.

But watching The Hayloft come back to life was incredibly rewarding.

We were able to put our own stamp on it while still respecting the original character of Brylach Steading.

The Hayloft at Brylach Steading during renovation

MARCH 2026 | COMMUNITY MATTERS

One of the biggest surprises of our first year has been just how much community there is here.

We'd moved from London expecting everything to be smaller.

And, in many ways, it is.

But smaller doesn't mean less.

Quite the opposite.

A conversation can turn into an introduction.

An introduction can turn into a recommendation.

Someone knows someone who can help.

A quick drink can lead to a new friendship, a new idea or a new opportunity.

We've met so many wonderful people through Brylach, and we're incredibly grateful for the warm welcome we've had in Moray and across Speyside.

You really do get out what you put in.

APRIL 2026 | PLAN, PIVOT & PRIORITISE

Spring brought another round of improvements, this time outside.

The shared courtyard has gradually become a much more important part of Brylach than we'd originally imagined.

It's where guests arrive, where people sit, where conversations happen and where everyone gets their first impression of the Steading.

So we started improving it.

And, as we've learnt many times this year, plans change.

Things take longer.

Something else suddenly becomes more important.

So we've got better at planning, pivoting and prioritising.

MAY 2026 | GET OUT

One of the best things about running a place like Brylach is getting to know what's happening beyond our own gates.

We went to the Gordon Castle Highland Games and spent more time exploring Moray and Speyside.

We've discovered new places to eat, walks to recommend, events to visit and little corners of the region we hadn't yet found.

We want our guests to experience more than just a beautiful place to stay.

We want them to discover Moray, Speyside and the wider Scottish Highlands too.

And that means getting out there ourselves.

Cullen beach with the town in the background.

JUNE 2026 | GET STUCK IN

June was another month of getting our hands dirty.

The courtyard cobbles.

Outdoor jobs.

Painting.

Tidying.

Improving.

Fixing.

Sometimes running Brylach feels much less like sitting behind a desk and much more like rolling up your sleeves and getting stuck in.

And that's okay.

In fact, we quite like it.

There's something very satisfying about looking at something and thinking:

We did that.

JULY 2026 | STOP & LOOK AROUND

By July, the first proper peak season was in full swing.

We were busy.

Very busy.

There were guests arriving, cottages to turn around, messages to answer and an endless list of things to do.

And then, at some point, we realised we were doing exactly what we'd promised ourselves we wouldn't do.

Heads down. Getting through the list.

So we stopped.

And looked around.

At the cottages.

The courtyard.

The woodland.

The people arriving at Brylach.

The messages from guests telling us how much they loved their stay.

The friends and family who had seen the place change over the year.

And we realised just how far we'd come.

AUGUST 2026 | ASK FOR HELP

This was a big one for me.

I'd set myself a target of doing everything myself for our first 12 months.

I'm not entirely sure why I thought that was a sensible idea.

Alongside running Brylach, my consultancy work was starting to pick up again too, and eventually I had to admit that there simply weren't enough hours in the day.

So I asked for help.

And what a difference it made.

Letting someone else take care of some of the work isn't giving up control.

Sometimes it's the thing that allows you to keep doing the bits you actually love.

Our extra pair of hands has been an absolute godsend.

SEPTEMBER 2026 | KEEP GOING

And here we are.

A whole year on.

There have been some challenging moments. There have been plenty of things we didn't expect.

But there have also been so many wonderful ones.

Guests who have become friends.

Guests who have returned.

Families celebrating special occasions.

People coming back to Moray to rest and recover.

Local businesses who have welcomed us.

Neighbours who have helped us.

New friendships.

New collaborations.

And so many people who have simply said, “Welcome to Moray.”

We've also had some lovely recognition along the way — from becoming Airbnb Superhosts again, to being part of the Moray business community through the Chamber, to seeing Brylach featured and recommended in more places.

But honestly, the things that mean the most are much simpler.

A guest telling us they slept brilliantly.

Someone returning for a second, third, fourth or even fifth stay.

A message saying they didn't want to leave, and requests to stay longer than initially booked.

A recommendation to a friend.

Or someone arriving as a guest and leaving feeling like they know a little bit of Brylach too.

Brylach_Steading_Speyside Instagram Post

ONE YEAR ON...

We came to Moray looking for a different life.

We found one.

We're still learning.

We're still improving.

We're still making lists.

We're still finding new places to explore and new people to meet.

And we're still very much finding our feet.

But we couldn't be happier that we took the leap.

One year at Brylach Steading.

One year of welcoming guests to our little corner of Speyside, Moray.

One year of learning, fixing, improving, exploring, meeting people, making friends and occasionally wondering what on earth we'd done.

And, thankfully...

we're still swimming.

Louise & Jan x