Dog-Friendly Scottish Highlands

This attractive church conversion first floor apartment, in the heart of the National Trust Village of Plockton, offers visitors comfortable first floor holiday accommodation. Enjoy the views from the open plan living room looking over Plockton Bay where seals and otters can regularly be spotted. The village featured in the TV series of ’Hamish McBeth’ offers a choice of hotels and restaurants specialising in local seafood. Enjoy boat trips from the village and fishing is available nearby. Convenient to visit Eilean Donan Castle and Isle of Skye.

Situated on the shores of the beautiful river Ewe, The Narrows is a bright, detached holiday cottage. Set in its own private and secluded gardens, it offers peace and tranquillity in a stunning setting. The Narrows is situated just off the picturesque North Coast 500 route, on one of the most scenic parts of this renowned and stunning coastal route. There are superb walks direct from the cottage along the riverbank and through the surrounding hills. The immediate area is a wildlife enthusiast’s paradise. Whales, dolphins, sea eagles and otters are all seen close by, and Pine Martin visit the picnic table just outside the window. Warmed by the Gulf Stream, this unique part of west coast Highlands enjoys a mild climate and is scenic and totally unspoilt. The sub-tropical gardens of Inverewe, just 5 minutes’ drive away, bear testament to this. Golf, fishing, cycling, hill walking, sailing and canoeing are all local pastimes. With wonderful sandy beaches, bays and islands this is an ideal location for visitors and a real get-away-from- it-all holiday. Beach 5 miles. Shop and pub 1 mile.

This attractive, single-storey holiday cottage was formerly the forester’s cottage on a Highland country estate. Situated close to a hamlet it provides attractive accommodation in a quiet setting. There are woodland and riverside walks leading down to the shores of the Cromarty Firth, home of a large colony of seals. Easy access to the Black Isle with its pretty fishing villages and attractive coastline. Golf is only 5½ miles away and you will also find fishing, hill walking, mountain biking and numerous water sports all available in the area.

A warm welcome awaits you at the Herons which is set on the edge of a 3-mile stretch of sandy beach and enjoys panoramic views across Sinclair’s Bay towards Noss Head Lighthouse. This spacious house is furnished to a good standard and well-equipped to make your holiday as enjoyable as possible. Whales, porpoises and dolphins are regularly seen from the shore, with the occasional pod of orcas. The house makes a perfect base for exploring this beautiful part of the Highlands. Visit the county town of Wick with its variety of town facilities, the Castle of Mey or visit the Orkney Islands, which are within easy reach. Bird watching, fishing, links golf and sea cruises are just some of the many activities available. Pub 0.5 miles, restaurant 6 miles.

Sitting in the hamlet of Inverlussa, just 1 mile south of Achnamara, this spacious and very comfortable property’s contemporary design and a first floor living area with roof window makes the most of views over the hills and Loch Sween to the Isle of Jura. The loch is ideal for sailing and fishing and the pretty harbour village of Crinan (5 miles) is a lovely spot for watching boating activity. The canal tow path affords pleasant walking and cycling and there are many way-marked woodland walks in the area. Island day trips to Gigha, Arran and Jura and ferries to Mull from Oban are easily accessible, and Lochgilphead is a 20-minute drive away (8 miles), with a selection of shops and pubs.

Enjoying lovely views and sunsets over Loch Sween and Jura, Cruinn (ref URW) and Moy ( ref UXU) are comfortable holiday cottages on the owner’s working farm. Cruinn stands beside natural woodland, and Moy is situated within a wooded glade and offers opportunities to watch deer from the windows or explore the seashore where seals and otters may be spotted playing. This secluded peninsula abounds with birds, flowers and wildlife, with seals, otters, deer and badgers. There are several sandy beaches and opportunities for walking, cycling, riding and boating. Ancient Castle Sween, Kilmartin Glen and the ruined chapels at Kilmory and Keills add archaeological interest. There are opportunities to view the beavers in Knapdale Forest or visit Taynuish Nature Reserve. Lochgilphead (16 miles) offers shops, restaurants, a golf course and an indoor swimming-pool, while a seafood meal can be enjoyed at picturesque Tayvallich or Crinan. Shops 16 miles.

Cruinn (URW) and Moy (UXU) can be booked together to accommodate up to 8 guests.

Enjoying lovely views and sunsets over Loch Sween and Jura, Cruinn (ref URW) and Moy ( ref UXU) are comfortable holiday cottages on the owner’s working farm. Cruinn stands beside natural woodland, and Moy is situated within a wooded glade and offers opportunities to watch deer from the windows or explore the seashore where seals and otters may be spotted playing. This secluded peninsula abounds with birds, flowers and wildlife, with seals, otters, deer and badgers. There are several sandy beaches and opportunities for walking, cycling, riding and boating. Ancient Castle Sween, Kilmartin Glen and the ruined chapels at Kilmory and Keills add archaeological interest. There are opportunities to view the beavers in Knapdale Forest or visit Taynuish Nature Reserve. Lochgilphead (16 miles) offers shops, restaurants, a golf course and an indoor swimming-pool, while a seafood meal can be enjoyed at picturesque Tayvallich or Crinan. Shops 16 miles.

Cruinn (URW) and Moy (UXU) can be booked together to accommodate up to 8 guests.

Boasting glorious sea views and a breathtakingly lovely setting on the shores of east Loch Tarbert, this beautifully renovated holiday cottage, originally built over 100 years ago for the quarryman, is now an idyllic and secluded holiday retreat. With a shoreside garden and great walking from the door, visitors can enjoy watching deer, seals and seabirds in their natural habitat, nearby is the village of Tarbert, a picturesque fishing and sailing port with a variety of shops, pubs, cafes, restaurants and craft galleries. The Mull of Kintyre is a delight to explore, there are fabulous sandy beaches at Carradale and day trips to the famous gardens on the Isle of Gigha or to the Isle of Arran are also easily accessible. Enjoy fishing in the sea which is directly in front of the property, or laze on the sandy beach, 5 miles. Shops and pubs 2 miles.

Enjoying a superb, secluded setting with outstanding bay views, this sympathetically extended, 18th-century shepherd’s cottage is set next to 2 miles of golden sand; a turquoise blue sea with twisting otters and bobbing seals; the Cuillins of Skye on the horizon, with mountains, moorlands, and forests behind.

Attractively and most comfortably refurbished, Cruary has its own garden for sitting out in. The bedrooms and conservatory offer far-reaching views across the sea and to the Isle of Skye. This fantastic property offers a cosy hideaway for all seasons.

The village of Applecross itself is home to a couple of great restaurants, including a multi-award-winning restaurant serving fresh seafood dishes, as well as a Post Office/local store.

This property is in an excellent location for outdoor pursuits including hill-walking, climbing, kayaking, paddle boarding and cycling. Fishing and golf are also both within driving distance.

To the north of the Applecross Peninsula and with the backdrop of the rugged mountains of Liathach and Beinn Eighe, is an area coming under the care of the National Trust, mostly made up of 750-million-year-old red Torridonian sandstone. A Countryside Centre at Torridon village describes the local wildlife and the Ranger Service offers guided hikes along the Liathach massif or more strenuous walks traversing Beinn Eighe. On past Kinlochewe, the Beinn Eighe Visitor Centre stands as the UK’s oldest wildlife sanctuary, with parts of it clad in Caledonian pinewood, which once covered the whole of the country. A delight for nature lovers, the area is home to deer, pine martens, wildcats, badgers, and foxes as well as buzzards, sea eagles and golden eagles, in addition to a fine selection of flora.

This gorgeous cottage, within its own walled garden, enjoys a gloriously sunny position on the seashore with spectacular views from most rooms towards the islands of Raasay, Rona and Skye. Reached via a quarter-mile track, the house was originally converted in the 1980s, whilst retaining interesting original features and has been extended and renovated in 2022. Formerly classrooms, the part-panelled living room and well-equipped modern kitchen feature lovely high ceilings, and there is a large picture window in the sitting room, ideal for viewing wonderful sunsets and abundant wildlife.
Sandy beaches are to be found at Sand Beach (3 miles) and Applecross Bay (7 miles); the village of Applecross itself is home to a couple of great restaurants, including a multi-award winning restaurant serving fresh seafood dishes, as well as a Post Office/local store. The sheltered, fertile coast around the village is idyllic, you can wander along lanes banked with wild iris and orchids and explore beaches and rock pools on the shore.
Several National Trust for Scotland properties make for good days out, including Strome Castle, and the Countryside Centre at Torridon (open May to September), the latter providing an insight into local flora, fauna and geology. From Torridon village, a scenic drive takes in the shoreline before winding past cliffs and gorges up to Diabaig, whilst 8 miles to the north, Lake Maree is dotted with Caledonian pine clad islands and lies as a scenic gem. The surrounding area also offers some of Scotland’s best deer-sighting country. This property is in an excellent location for outdoor pursuits including hill-walking, climbing, kayaking, paddle boarding and cycling. Fishing and golf are also both within driving distance. Shop 9 miles. Beach 3 miles.