This huge spiritual pull of the highlands. We know what you mean Richard

This is a lovely picture of Betsy and Richard Skinner, who got married then came to our cottage. Here is their story.

Hi John and Gill,
I’m delighted to say we had a wonderful holiday. Not only was the weather excellent, but all your information and suggestions (and jokes) were totally appreciated and enormously helpful. We found the accommodation wonderful and are very happy all round... oh,and did you know that we had got married just before we came to Scotland! So another reason to celebrate....

We did a fair amount of walking (we're not Munro baggers, though) as well as chilling out. Excellent meal one evening at the...er, whatever it's called just up the road (Holly Tree hotel, ed) ; and Betsy made use of their pool on several occasions - she had been swimming in Loch Lomond, on the banks of which we stayed for a couple of nights en route, but though she went in once when we visited Lismore Island she found it too cold.

We chose to come to the Glencoe region because years ago, when I was a nipper, we had a family holiday on the banks of Loch Lomond and visited Glencoe. The story of the Glencoe massacre grabbed my imagination then far more than the scenery, but on subsequent visits to Scotland I passed through Glencoe en route to Skye and every time my spirit soared - so I wanted to return properly, and Betsy was up for it. Being able to spend several days there felt somehow like keeping a decades-old vow to myself - and indeed a vow to the region too. I'm a Londoner by birth and upbringing, and a Devonian by choice, but the Highlands of Scotland have a huge spiritual pull for me, and Betsy (who had not been there before) was captivated too. To misquote Arnie Schwarzeneger (or however he spells his name), we'll be back...

Many thanks,  John and Gill.
Thank you very much Richard and Betsy for your email. We loved your enthusiasm for everything.

20 brilliant walks around our cottage area
Easy hill walks in Glencoe
Why not walk up Ben Nevis one day?
Easier Munroe walks in Glencoe
Rock and Ice climbing in Glencoe
Cycling and fishing Glencoe
Spectacular wild life around our cottage
Golf in the Highlands, Dragons tooth golf course, Glencoe
Cruising the islands, using Glencoe as a base
Safe, beautiful beaches and bays in Glencoe area
Touring the Highlands by car from Glencoe,
Spring breaks, March April May Glencoe
Winter breaks, Jan Feb March in the cottage
Autumn breaks November December in the cottage
Our new Appin blog site

Oban Rail Crash on Facebook group

This pic is from Stv

Someone has opened a Facebook Group about the Oban Rail Crash. It is called "Its time to Replace the Oban Train". Already within a week it has 436 people signed up to it.

Honestly, lads and lasses, we are in the Highlands of Scotland - it is one of the most sparsley populated areas of the country. The train had 60 people on it. The accident was caused by boulders sliding down the hill.

The boulders are always sliding down the hills. A couple of years back the A82 from Crianlarich to Callendar was totally blocked for days with a massive landslide after heavy rains. Why don't we just tie some scrim around the foot of all the hillsides along the roads and the railway tracks going up to the tops? The type of train had nothing to do with it. In this day and age, if you make a fuss about this issue you'll get another Beeching review which will shut the line altogether.

They can't even afford to make a few extra passing bays on the A82 or the A85. They've got to re-build the Forth road Bridge first.

John
20 enchanting walks around our cottage
Hill walks nearby in Glencoe
Going to do Ben Nevis one day?
Easier Munroes around Glencoe
Rock climbing in Glencoe, the best
Cycling and fishing in the Glencoe area
Wonderful wild life around our cottage
Golf at the Dragons tooth golf course, Ballachulish
Cruising the islands, using Glencoe as a base
Beautiful beaches and bays in the Appin and West highlands area
Touring by car from Glencoe
Spring breaks at the cottage
Winter breaks, Jan Feb March in the lochside cottage
Autumn breaks November December 3 days/4days
The new Appin blog site

Mull Wild life tours, from Glencoe and Appin

This is one of Richard Atkinson's pics - I stole it, hope you don't mind Richard. I'll give it back if you do.

Mull Wild Life tours. link below.

We had this lovely email from a client recently

Hello John. Thought I'd let you know about our stay in your cottage. First off thanks so much for all the info. It was so so helpful. We had great fun finding some of the walks and getting in a muddle. Lots of coffee in Crafts & Things. We had brill weather unlike down south which got completely rain clobbered.


We went on the wildlife safari on Mull which was very very good. Managed to watch golden eagles cruising around then resting up by their nest.Watched two sea eagles over the loch and one swooped down and had a battle taking a duck off the water. Bit worrying as the the eagle looked as though it was getting into trouble and obviously very worrying for the duck. Bad news for the duck as the eagle managed to lift off and go up into the trees.

Also had a great view of a couple of otters playing around as they ate some eels. Watched them for quite a while. I managed to get a finger slammed in the van door while we were over there and it was a mad dash for the first aid kit to strap me up. I was very brave though and didn't make to much fuss.

Actually I was worried about the sheep everywhere. Not only because the drivers didn't seem to make allowances for the babies right by the side of the road and also because it was just so craggy and scary and anything to do with babies and animals is a biggy for me. Had to avert my eyes a couple of times. We saw lots of different birds on Mull and our man Richard picked up on everything.

The name has been left off to protect the innocent.
Here is Richard Atkinson's website address. Wonderful tours, everyone says the same. He will pick you up at Fishnish ferry terminal, so you can leave your car this side and go as foot passengers. Calmac hate it, but we love it because it saves a lot of money. Don't go to Oban to catch the ferry, go across the little Corran ferry near us then drive down to Lochaline  - beautiful run. Ferries are frequent from there.
Mull Wild life Tours

John
Our own links:
Brilliant wild life around our cottage
20 brilliant walks around our cottage area
Easy hill walks in Glencoe
Why not walk up Ben Nevis one day?
Easier Munroe walks in Glencoe
Rock and Ice climbing in Glencoe
Cycling and fishing Glencoe
Golf in the Highlands, Dragons tooth golf course, Glencoe
Cruising the islands, using Glencoe as a base
Safe, beautiful beaches and bays in Glencoe area
Touring the Highlands by car from Glencoe,
Spring breaks, March April May Glencoe
Winter breaks, Jan Feb March in the cottage
Autumn breaks November December in the cottage

3 dates available still for Glencoe cottage

30th May, 6th June, 27th June are available, very pretty cottage sleeps 4

This is the view over the bay in Loch Linnhe from the front room of our cottage in Appin, near Glencoe.

The Glen itself is wondrous, quite spectacular; the finest in Scotland - well, we think so. The peaks rise up either side from sea level to nearly 4,000 feet.

Everywhere you look the scenery is wonderful.

But all the stories of this land are epic as well. The MacDonalds of Glencoe are world famous as the victims of the tragic, viscious and clumsy attempt to exterminate them in 1692.

But Appin, here by the cottage, is renowed as the home of the Stewart Clan. The Stewarts provided the great line of British Kings and Queens, from Mary Queen of Scots to Queen Anne, to the fated king, Charles 1st.

We've got the romantic Stalker Castle just down the road from our cottage to prove it, the second most photographed castle in Scotland. One of the Scottish Kings, rather a good one, actually, stayed in the castle a few centuries ago.

But we have modern amenities as well. 400 yards away, within walking distance so you don't need to bother how much you drink before going home, is the Holly Tree Hotel. They've put in an indoor swimming pool, which can be used by folks who dine with them. The dining is top class, and you will get change from £10 from their bar meal dishes.

Here is the photograph of the outlook from their dining room and bar window.

We have three dates available for renting the cottage before the Summer holidays being to fill up the place.

The cottage sleeps 4 people, in the 2 bedrooms, has all mod cons, has been fully refurbished in the past two years. We are a tiny bit proud of the job they've done on the new kitchen, and on the new bathroom.

The dates available are 30th May at £395 less the £20 discount for the credit crunch; the 6th June at £450 less the same discount and June 27th at £495 less the same discount.

If you fancy it then look first at the website, check the availability page because the dates do fill up at the last minute and the one you want might not be free.
Lochside cottage near Glencoe in the Highlands of Scotland

John

Here are some other links to local pages of interest, the first being our availability page
Last minute, late availability Glencoe, self catering cottage
Spring breaks, March April May Glencoe
Weather in the mountains of Glencoe
Weather month by month in the area
Skiing in Glencoe
New website to help find holiday accommodation in the West Coast, Oban and Fort William areas
Tourist and visitor information, this is the biggest Glencoe information site, hotel and cottage accommodation
Events in Glencoe Appin Lochaber Oban and Ballachulish
Last minute, short breaks, in Scotland, owners sites direct
Find the best Scottish holiday cottages on the internet
Cut the costs of your holidays

The Holly Tree Hotel must be the outstanding success of the West coast of Scotland

Can you imagine dining at a window with this view. This is taken from the Bar at the Holly Tree Hotel. They do the absolute best bar meals in the West of Scotland at the most sensible prices.

Gillian and I know the Holly Tree Hotel as customers. When we cannot stay in our cottage which is only 400 yards away, we stay in the Holly Tree. We eat often in the Holly Tree, and so do the visitors to our cottage. Everyone, without exception gives it top marks.

It was not always so.

When we came here 20 years ago, the Holly Tree was always nice, but expensive under the original owners. So you took out a mortgage and paid it off your credit card over the following year. The standard dropped under different owners, and we gave up.

Then the McFatridge family took it over. They slowly re-built the standard, built up the trade and worked out the best way to go. With a couple of years experience behind them last year they went for broke. They improved just about everything and spent a lot of money. Made major upgrades everywhere. They brought the bar to the front, so everyone could look out at the stupendous view, enlarged the dining area, got a new chef. They put in a real winner then, the indoor swimming pool, which has been a great success.

We did ask them if they could find a way of producing some meals at prices which normal holidaymakers in our cottage would find reasonable. They did better than that, much better.

When their new chef went in, he developed a bar meal drawn from the main restaurant menu, and priced it at around £10 or so for a main course. That makes it the best in the area. Combined with the view, and the super service, I'll bet they are now the best Hotel/Restaurant on the West Coast anywhere from Campbeltown to Applecross.

This is tremendous. With upgrades going on in all the rooms, the reputation is spreading all around the country. They've been packed out through February.

Just as a contrast, the two bigger hotels in the area have gone into liquidation twice in the past four years, and have been saved by the skin of their teeth through a management buy-out. The other classy hotel, too classy, too expensive, arrogant service "no, we only do a three course menu even though there is no one else in the restaurant, that'll be £80 sir" can't sell the business at all.

Good luck Holly Tree. We love success stories like this. It is the well run family business which will survive and grow in this recession.

Gillian and I know. We've lived through four of them.

John
Lochside cottage near Glencoe in the Highlands of Scotland
Last minute, late availability Glencoe, self catering cottage
Spring breaks, March April May Glencoe
Weather in the mountains of Glencoe
Weather month by month in the area
Skiing in Glencoe
New website to help find holiday accommodation in the West Coast, Oban and Fort William areas
Tourist and visitor information, this is the biggest Glencoe information site, hotel and cottage accommodation
Events in Glencoe Appin Lochaber Oban and Ballachulish
Last minute, short breaks, in Scotland, owners sites direct
Find the best Scottish holiday cottages on the internet
Cut the costs of your holidays
Cheap travel in scotland
Scotlands weather misconceptions
Rain in scotland
Summer weather in Scotland
Autumn weather in Scotland
Winter weather in Scotland
Spring weather in Scotland
Facts about self catering holidays
Advice on driving in Scotland

Lochside cottage near Glencoe offers low cost short breaks in early November

Our little Glencoe cottage sleeps four people and is very very cosy. It looks out over Kentallen Bay and Loch Linnhe beyond. It is really sweet and peaceful here. We offer it for holidays throughout the year.

In November we start to offer the lowest rates of the year and we will do short breaks, during midweek and at weekends. In the summer period we just do week long holidays in the lochside cottage. But all that changes when November arrives.

We have already got some bookings in November, but at the start of the month we can offer three short periods for self catering.

From November 3rd a four day midweek break is available at £195 from the Monday to Friday.

Then on November 7th a three day weekend break is available from Friday to the next Monday also at £195.

Then on the Monday, the 10th, another four day midweek break is available until the Friday (14th). From this date onwards the cottage is booked, sorry.

If you would like to enquire then look at the cottage website and e-mail us please?

John

The little lochside cottage near Glencoe sleeps 4 people and is very pretty and very cosy

These are the pages on our website which need links from another site such as this to help them with Google.
Cottages in Scotland still available for Christmas and New year
Lochside cottage for self catering in near Glencoe
Availability for the lochside cottage near Glencoe always up to date
Autumn Breaks October November December Glencoe< Winter breaks January February March in Glencoe
Spring breaks, March April May Glencoe
Tourist information glencoe and ballachulish
Facilities for visitors to glencoe, appin and lochaber
Prices in the cottage including low season rates
How to lower your holiday costs
Events and entertainment in Glencoe and Appin
The best way to find your holiday cottage on the internet
News and stories of Glencoe, Appin and Lochaber
Travellers Tales of the Highlands of Scotland blog site
Short holiday breaks in 12 top properties, special last minute deals, self catering Scotland
Special self catering offers in Scotland blog site
Misconceptions about Scottish weather
Wonderful walks in the Glencoe area
Helpful guide for holiday home owners with their web sites blog site