United Kingdom
Just spent a week in this wonderful five-star thatched cottage. Booked it thinking the website probably wouldn't live up to the pictures, but it was way above what we expected. It is newly built but in traditional stone, so it looked really old. When we got inside it had a real "wow factor", pure luxury. The views were to die for and we spent most evenings outside watching the sunset. It also had a webcam trained on the croft hill, and we saw buzzards and eagles from the comfort of our chair, amazing stuff!
Did lots of walking and looked forward to returning to the luxurious bathroom in the cottage. The water came from a private underground spring and my skin felt amazing after a week, due to no chemicals in the water. Ate out at the Three Chimneys and Old School House Restaurant, both fantastic and nearby. Talisker Distillery was also a must-visit, especially the tasting sessions!
I hate to tell anyone of the cottage in case we don't get in next year but thank you to the owners for an amazing week. And thanks, Ally, the owner for getting us a fresh lobster, straight from the sea!
Can't wait to go back!
www.skyecrofterscottage.com
Balmeanach
Struan,
near Dunvegan
Isle of Skye
01529 304436
Skye remains magnificent, even after so many people have said it. Getting there via the A87 is a blast (motorcycle heaven, alas literally on occasion). Pop over the hill to Glenelg (via stunning views of the five sisters mountains) on the way for a fine bar lunch in the local inn (sit out and enjoy the views). There is a ferry crossing from here to Skye in the summer months.
Traverse Skye (up the right hand and over to Uig), and take the ferry to Harris. Harris is a joy to behold; arrive by bicycle and head south after taking in the beaches on the west of Harris itself. Get the right weather and it is wonderful; I say this having travelled from the north of Japan to the south of Chile and too many points in between to recall; South Africa and the Rockies match the Scottish Highlands for sheer natural beauty, but in neither can you venture out on a clear night in midsummer to catch the elusive haggis.
Kintail and Lochalsh are easy to get to by Highlands standards (excellent buses from Glasgow or Inverness, train line from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh). They offer some of the best walking in the highlands.
Kintail is particularly good for those wanting to get into climbing the Munros - there are heaps of them here, and nowhere else can you climb so many in a short time. The ridgewalking here is also tremendous.
Lower level walks enable exploration of pretty villages such as Plockton. There is fine woodland in Lochalsh, a very different landscape from much of the Highlands. Also, it's easy to pop across from Skye....
Skye has Britain's most spectacular mountains by far, the Cuillin. But what is less well known is that it also has probably Britain's most beautiful coastline. Could there be a better walking destination? The following website has a good guide to walks.
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