Self catering accommodation in the Scottish Highlands
| country: | Scotland |
| location: | Taynuilt, Scottish HighlandsSee map here |
| price: | From £395 - £720 per week. The house sleeps 8 persons |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
description
This is a stunning new house on a working organic hill farm and is built in an elevated position overlooking Glen Lonan. The house commands spectacular views of Loch Etive and the 'Shepherds of Glencoe' to the North, Ben Cruachan to the East, and the sun sets over the distant hills of Morvern.
The house is beautifully designed and is full of surprises like the sauna which accesses into the birch woodlands. It sleeps eight and our goal has been to make it as family-friendly, comfortable and unique as possible. The accommodation is secluded and peaceful, yet is only 2 miles away from Taynuilt, a lovely well-serviced village on the shores of Loch Etive. The West Coast town of Oban, known as 'the Gateway to the Isles', is 8 miles away; from there you can take a ferry to many of the inner and outer Hebridean islands.
The location is ideal for walking and cycling for the whole family, and there is an amazing range of wildlife; hen harriers breed in the rough grassland below the house, deer wander down off the heather hill and red squirrels breed in the surrounding oak and birch woodlands. The village of Taynuilt has a golf course, excellent tea-room, post office, well-stocked village store, a bar and tennis courts. The village has a train station on the Oban to Glasgow line, and is on the main Oban-Glasgow bus route.
Walking & cycling accommodation: There are plenty of opportunities for walking and cycling in the surrounding area. Half a mile away is Fearnoch Forest, a Forestry Commission managed area with marked walking and cycling trails. Also nearby is the Nant Glen National Nature Reserve with lovely marked walks. The back road from here to Oban is a stunning cycle ride.
The house is beautifully designed and is full of surprises like the sauna which accesses into the birch woodlands. It sleeps eight and our goal has been to make it as family-friendly, comfortable and unique as possible. The accommodation is secluded and peaceful, yet is only 2 miles away from Taynuilt, a lovely well-serviced village on the shores of Loch Etive. The West Coast town of Oban, known as 'the Gateway to the Isles', is 8 miles away; from there you can take a ferry to many of the inner and outer Hebridean islands.
The location is ideal for walking and cycling for the whole family, and there is an amazing range of wildlife; hen harriers breed in the rough grassland below the house, deer wander down off the heather hill and red squirrels breed in the surrounding oak and birch woodlands. The village of Taynuilt has a golf course, excellent tea-room, post office, well-stocked village store, a bar and tennis courts. The village has a train station on the Oban to Glasgow line, and is on the main Oban-Glasgow bus route.
Walking & cycling accommodation: There are plenty of opportunities for walking and cycling in the surrounding area. Half a mile away is Fearnoch Forest, a Forestry Commission managed area with marked walking and cycling trails. Also nearby is the Nant Glen National Nature Reserve with lovely marked walks. The back road from here to Oban is a stunning cycle ride.
rooms, food and facilities
The accommodation is self contained and peaceful. It has been designed to sleep six to eight people, and can accommodate two families. This lovely new house has South and West facing dining areas (inside and outside), and commands spectacular views of Loch Etive and the 'Shepherds of Glencoe' to the North, Ben Cruachan to the East, Morvern to the West and Barguillean Hill to the South.On the entry level there is a porch which is ideally suited for drying wet boots and clothes. This leads on the one side to a shower-room and a double bedroom with a mezzanine and twin beds, and on the other side to the kitchen.
The kitchen, dining and living areas are open plan with a vaulted ceiling, and are attractively divided by a split level floor and earth brick walls. There is a wood burning stove in the living area, and under-floor heating throughout the house.
Downstairs there is a double bedroom, a twin bedroom and a bathroom with a sauna which has direct access onto a decking area. The design allows an intimate connection with the birch woods from the lower level. The house contains everything you should need for your holiday, including full kitchen facilities, but should you fancy a break from cooking, locally home cooked meals can be provided.
Disabled access: The accommodation meets Category 2 of the VisitScotland Accessibility Scheme for the whole of the entry level.
how to find us
By car: We are located just outside the village of Taynuilt, off the A85 between Crianlarich and Oban.By bus & rail: We can provide a pick-up service from the local train station (Taynuilt) and bus stop.
how this holiday makes a difference
|
Our aims are to contribute to sustainable tourism in Scotland, and to improve the experience for visitors by reducing as far as possible our environmental impact in terms of energy consumption, waste production and visual impact, and to encourage and protect local biodiversity.
The accommodation has been constructed using environmentally benign materials where possible, and promoting materials which can be re-used and re-cycled. We have used hemp insulation, and the house is clad with European Larch, which does not need to be chemically treated. The walls are built using unfired earth bricks for thermal mass and moisture control, covered with earth plaster to give a very natural textured surface. This gives a sense of intimacy and cosiness in contrast to the openness of the space in the living area. The design of the house minimises energy usage and loss, maximises passive solar gain potential and makes the most of the natural daylight. Low energy light bulbs are fitted wherever possible, inside and out, and appliances are all A-rated. The water supply to the house is natural spring water, treated to the necessary standards. We avoid chlorine bleaches and use only eco-friendly products, provided for guests' use. We have installed low-flush toilets and water efficient appliances and waste water is treated via septic tank and reed beds. Guests are encouraged to recycle and compost using the bins provided. Guests will find environmentally friendly cleaning products and recycled toilet paper. The business uses recycled stationery wherever possible and advertising is done electronically to save on paper. Our purchases are sourced locally if possible. The electricity supply to the house is RSPB Energy, one of the most environmentally-friendly energy schemes in the UK. We buy local produce from the nearby farmshop for the guests and our meals. We produce our own organic beef and lamb and in the future would like to make that available to our guests, as well as organic veg from the garden. If there are surplus eggs from our chickens we pass them on to guests. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |