The Evening Herald – Plymouth

Saturday 28th August

Take the high road to a Scottish idyll

Herald photographer Guy Channing found the perfect place for total relaxation. Undeterred by a 1,300-mile round-trip, he headed for the Highlands of Scotland with his fiancee Regina and their daughter Katie.

WHEN it came to priorities for our family holiday this summer, peace and privacy topped the list. And it doesn't get more tranquil than the beautiful wilds of the Scottish Highlands, even it it is a major drive from Plymouth

But the distance doesn't have to be a problem -- despite having it lively youngster on board -- and the rewards are well worth it.

Having made the decision to holiday in the Highlands, the only dilemma we laced was finding the right place to stay. We didn't want to follow the tourist trail, but were after peace and quiet and beautiful scenery, with the odd day trip thrown in for good measure. Because we were traveling a considerable distance, we wanted some­thing that offered space and comfort as well as a degree of privacy right in the heart of the Highlands.

An hour spent on the Internet cancelled out tenting - not enough space; caravans - too close together: bed and breakfast - not enough space or privacy: and hotels - in early August far too expensive. A further web search of the Scottish Tourist Board list of self-catering cottages turned up Wilderness Cottages. Very detailed and easy to use, the site turned up a suitable cottage. Allt a'Mhuiinn, at Dores on the edge of Loch Ness, for the right dates and at the right price

Booking online couldn't have been easier. The site lists cottages and holiday homes right across the Scottish Highlands, available all year at prices that would suit even the most frugal of travelers. Booked, paid up and prepared, we set off for Inverness-shire late on a Friday afternoon, overnighting at the Travel Inn in Broadlands, Wolverhampton after a three-hour journey. It was far enough away from Plymouth to give us a good start the next morning.

After a leisurely breakfast, we hit the road at 10.30am, stopping frequently for toad, toilets and fuel, arid eventually arrived at our destination at 7.45pm. The route from Plymouth to Inverness is surprisingly straight forward. After the A38 to Exeter, it was M5, M6, M74. M9. with the last 108 miles on the A9. which is SO Picturesque you hardly notice it. The journey flew by, which at 657 miles each way was a real benefit From Inverness, Dores -- our des­tination - was eight miles south along the hanks of the River Ness.

Nestling quietly ‘under the hill’ on the edge of the loch, Dores boasts a pub, a beach… and that's it.  If you re looking for nightlife or even a shop, forget it.

As for the cottage, it was beautiful. Bigger than we expected Allt a Mhuilinn is an old grain mill which has been rebuilt to the highest standard. With two bedrooms and the bathroom downstairs, and a large open-plan living space upstairs, it was the retreat we'd been looking for.

Off the road and sheltered on the fringe of a small wood, the cottage is about 500 yards from the edge of the Loch and the Dores Arms. It is partly surrounded by the walls of an old barn which makes it especially child-friendly and very private.

The village is as friendly as you would expect, with locals happy to share the time of day, especially in the beer garden of the Dores Inn. which looks out across the magnificent waters of Loch Ness. Being in the centre of the Great Glen, Loch Ness and its resident ‘monster’ draw their fair share of summer visitors, with the two main visitor centres arid Urquart Castle at Drumnadrochit. Dores is tucked quietly away on the south side of the loch. Its fine half mile of pebble beach is a draw for local families, and water skiers alike.

Inverness, only a short drive away is a bustling, modern city with its fair share of shops and attractions. As a base for highland travel, Dores is an excellent choice. It is far enough off the beaten track to retain its quiet character, but close enough to the main roads to make the beaches of Nairn and Scotland's east coast less than halt an hour's drive away.

Dominated by the mountain landscape of the great Glen. you are in the middle of some of the UK's finest scenery. Water sports and walking dominate at this time of year, but the coast offers plenty of wide sandy beaches to catch the summer sun, while the sparsity of habitation offers solitude-a-plenty further inland. Attractions dot the landscape, with Whisky distilleries offering their own special brands of Highland flavour. Wildlife, theme parks and heritage sites all played their part in making this a holiday to remember.

Although our destination was about as far away from Plymouth as it is possible to get on mainland Britain, the combined rewards of beauty, peace and above all quiet, far outweighed any concerns over the length of the journey