Situated at the entrance to 400 acres of beautiful parkland on the Balbirnie Estate, The Gate House is a beautifully furnished and extremely cosy and comfortable cottage. Dating back to the 1800s, the cottage provides a contemporary home while still maintaining many of its original features. There is a quirky spiral staircase to the first floor double bedroom with its own relaxing seating area. On the ground floor, guests will find the living/dining room has an open fire, which is just the spot for spending a lazy afternoon on cooler days. There is also a good size kitchen with breakfast bar, family shower room and double bedroom with a king size bed.
From the front door you can take a stroll into the delightful conservation village of Markinch, rich in history and once the medieval capital of Fife. The village has a good selection of supermarkets, local independent quality shops, cafés, a deli, restaurants and pubs and the local butcher, whose award winning steak pies are well worth sampling. This semi-detached cottage is part of Balbirnie South Lodge which was built in 1861 and designed by the architect David Bryce. The gates were usually locked and visitors were required to ring the bell, still on one of the pillars today, to gain entrance to the estate. In 1837 John Balfour became master of the estate and in 1840 married Lady Georgine Campbell, (daughter of the Earl of Cawdor) and the inter-twining initials in the date stone is thought to represent this. The Balfour family continued to own Balbirnie House and the estate until 1969.
During the 18th and 19th century, the estate landscape was designed by Robert Robinson and Thomas White, who created one of the most significant collections of rhododendrons in the east of Scotland. There are around 200 varieties from India, China and the Himalayan provinces and when the plants are in bloom it is well worth seeing. The Gate House is ideal for guests attending a wedding or event at Balbirnie House as you are only a short walk to the hotel. The location is ideal for walkers and cyclists as the Balbirnie Estate has parkland to explore and the Lomond Hills Regional Park is only a short drive away. This is a brilliant choice for golfers with an 18-hole golf course on your doorstep and many local courses nearby, and St Andrews, the home of golf, with its championship courses is just 30 minutes’ drive away. The British Golf Museum is close to The Old Course and there is the only hickory golf course in the UK at Kingarrock. For days at the seaside, the sandy beaches of the East Neuk of Fife are within a short drive and the Fife Coastal Path takes you to secluded coves, little fishing villages and award winning sandy beaches with plenty of places to visit and find refreshments. Beach 6½ miles. Shop 500 yards, pub and restaurant 300 yards.

The Roundel is set in a most fantastic rural location with uninterrupted views over the open rolling countryside of Fife. It is the perfect location for weekend celebrations or getaways for your whole family who can revel in the space, ambience and warmth of this remarkable holiday home. On the ground floor, the focal point of this semi-detached house is the living/dining room, which has three sets of patio doors leading to the garden. Its floor-to-ceiling windows take full advantage of the views. For younger members of the group, there is a special toy corner. Outside, there is ample space for everyone to enjoy, and the patio with garden furniture is great for al fresco dining.
There is much to do in the area, and guests are in an ideal location for exploring coastal Fife. In a small quiet hamlet, The Roundel provides a rural location with miles of sandy beach and dunes less than 6 miles away, and the bustling city of Dundee and historic St Andrews are both only 15 minutes away (6 miles) with activities for all ages and tastes. Just 10 minutes away lies the picturesque market town of Cupar, which is ideal for picking up supplies. For families there is the Scottish Deer Centre, St Andrews Aquarium, sandy beaches at Tentsmuir Forest and beach, as well as riding stables.
The historic city of St Andrews can be reached within a 15-minute drive, making The Roundel ideal for guests visiting friends and family who are based at St Andrews University or attending one of the graduation ceremonies. As a popular tourist location, St Andrews offers a great selection of quality cafés, bars and restaurants, excellent shopping as well as a sandy beach, harbour and many historic buildings. Renowned worldwide as the ‘Home of Golf’ and regularly playing host to the Open Championship, this is a golfers’ paradise with eight courses to suit all abilities, as well as the British Golf Museum.
Dundee has lots to offer for a day out, the Olympia Sports Centre has a swimming pool, great for keeping your childen entertained on wet days. A visit to RRS Discovery at the multi award-winning Discovery Point makes for a good day to see how Captain Scott and Ernest Shackleton made their epic journeys. Falkland Palace and its garden are well worth a visit - this is one of Scotland’s finest Renaissance palaces and is steeped in history. Fans of the TV series ‘Outlander’ will recognise the location which was used as 1940s Inverness, and there are many more locations in the area that were used in the series. Beach 6 miles. Shop and restaurant 2 miles, pub ½ mile.

An Teallach is a lovely, luxurious holiday home on the west coast of Scotland near to the village of Aultbea. Enjoying views out to sea over Loch Ewe, it’s the most wonderful getaway that everybody will fall for. The drive to An Teallach is a journey in the truest sense of the word. Memorable whether you arrive via the south or north. but when you do arrive at An Teallach that’s when you realise you’ve struck gold. The moment you see your view from the cottage is when you’ll stand so proud that you’ve booked this great holiday home.
Entering into the cottage you arrive in the fantastic open-plan living space which really makes the most of the view, with large windows across the southern side of the property. The view is so good of the surrounding crofting land and nearby sea that you miss at first the cosy wood burner and Smart TV. The living area with outstanding tartan and leather sofas make for the most inviting of spaces that can be enjoyed year-round. The kitchen has everything you’ll need for your stay and the dining space is a nice place to gather after long days out exploring this brilliant part of the world.
To the rear of the house - the leeward side! - you’ll find three bedrooms; two doubles and a single with high quality pull-out bed. Each bedroom has a Smart TV mounted on the wall. The garden is enclosed, making it perfect for dogs to visit with you, and as this property is ’more than dog friendly’, you’ll find other thoughtful additions to welcome your pets for their holiday.
When staying at An Teallach you’ll find it difficult to leave, but we urge you to do so because there’s so much to see and do in the local area. Obviously there’s too much to mention here, but immediate highlights have to be the beaches, the amazing hillwalking and the nearby coastal villages. Sandy beaches include Mellon Charles, only a short walk away, Mellon Udrigle, accessible via Laide, Firemore, which is visible across Loch Ewe from the cottage, Big Sand near Gairloch, and Gairloch Beach itself near to the fantastic nine-hole golf course. Red Point is also amazing and you reach the isolated spot by going via the lovely village of Badachro, complete with its inn and gin distillery.
An Teallach is named after the Munro An Teallach which is to the east of the cottage and we encourage you to adventure up it. The Fannichs are also nearby and worth "bagging". To the south between Gairloch and Torridon there are some iconic mountains, including Slioch and Beinn Eighe. And north of the cottage, beyond the port village of Ullapool the other-worldly landscape of Assynt-Coigach awaits your exploration.
Aultbea is a nice wee village, and the Russian Arctic Convoy Exhibition is worth visiting as it gives you more information about the sea loch you look out on from the cottage - it’s full of world war history. The village also has the ever-important shop and places to eat and drink. But a little south Poolewe and Gairloch are bigger, still small though, and offer more places to visit and go for food and drink. Inverewe Garden in Poolewe and the Gairloch Museum in Gairloch are highly recommended.
After days out exploring up mountains, along beaches, in museums and all along the NC500 you’ll be yearning to return to lovely An Teallach on the shores of Loch Ewe.

Newburgh C Listed Townhouse, which is set over three floors, has enjoyed a whole new makeover and pampering in 2021. Now with its high-end finishes and tasteful decoration throughout, you will enjoy staying in this warm and welcoming house with its sumptuous quality furnishings and homely feel.
Perched on the south side of the Firth of Tay, the townhouse has views out to the Firth from the upper bedrooms, where visitors can access the start of the Fife Coastal Path. The elevated living room has north and south facing windows plus a cosy open fire to sit by on a cool day. The ground floor comprises of a kitchen/dining room with views and access out to the courtyard. The south-facing private garden is laid with stone and surrounded by beautiful plants and alpines. Up one step from the ground floor is the shower room and then carry-on up a rounded turret staircase to the next level.
The first floor comprises of the living room, an adult-size bunk bed room, and separate toilet. The top floor includes a king-size and twin room. Each of these rooms have windows on both sides of the property to allow sunlight to filter in. The property also has space for 2 cars with off-road parking and a utility room in the garden area for extra storage, and an under-counter full freezer.
No need to use the kitchen when the village has its own distillery! Just a 10-minute walk away and you will find yourself at the award winning Lindores Abbey Distillery. Live music, whisky tasting, gin, distillery tours, beautiful cheese boards are just a few of the features! East Port café and Jamesfield Farm shop are also local. 5 minutes’ drive away to the next village over and you can get excellent food from Abernethy’s Crees Inn pub or Clootie McToot Dumplings Café.
Situated in North Fife and on the border of Perthshire there are dozens of beautiful walks, coastal paths and hills to explore. Walk through the enchanted forest and under a waterfall at Maspie Den then on to Falkland Palace.
Shops and pubs ½ mile.