Hill Cottage, Fanagmore, near Scourie, is a traditional stone built self catering cottage set in a stunning location overlooking Loch Laxford on the North west coast of Scotland, approximately 90 miles north of Inverness.
This part of Western Scotland is a remote area of outstanding natural beauty, with island-studded bays, gleaming sandy beaches and towering cliffs. Irrespective of what you expect from a holiday here you cannot fail to be awestruck by the beauty of this place. It is an ideal location from which to explore the local area or as a centre to tour the North and West of Scotland.
Nearby Handa Island is an internationally important breeding site for seabirds. Puffins, guillemots, razorbills and great skuas, can all be observed. Spectacular cliffs and panoramic sea views provide the opportunity to also watch the marine wildlife, such as grey seals, minke whales, dolphins, and on a fortunate day, basking sharks or even orcas. Managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust as a nature reserve, this is a fascinating and unforgettable day trip. Departing from Tarbet, the Handa Ferry takes you over to the island where you will be met by a member of the Scottish Wildlife Trust, who will give you an introductory talk about the island. Please note a reasonable degree of fitness is required for the terrain and dogs are not permitted on Handa Island.
Despite this being the next best thing to wilderness, a place where you can almost feel you are alone on this beautiful planet, there is a seafood restaurant (seasonal) just a mile from the cottage at Tarbet. Groceries, freshly baked bread and all your basic needs, can be purchased at the local Spar, situated 6 miles away at the entrance to Scourie campsite. The main nearby shopping and touring centres are Ullapool and Lairg.
Facilities
Upstairs
Included in the price
Other Facilities
Pets Allowed
One pet is allowed at the property.
Private Water Supply
The water to the cottage is treated, however you may prefer to drink bottled water.
Good Housekeeping Deposit
A Good Housekeeping Deposit of £100.00 is required at the property.
Mobile Phone Reception
Due to the location mobile coverage may be limited or even unavailable. We have been advised that the Vodaphone network does provide coverage, however the reception can be variable.
Best Features
STL Licence Application No: HI- 00494-F EPC Rating: B
Guests rate Hill Cottage: Excellent from 39 reviews About Reviews
This cottage very rapidly became our personal little piece of heaven on earth. The view was absolutely breathtaking. I loved just sitting in the garden and listening to the sound of nature without any noise of "modern civilisation".
The house was also amazing. Big kitchen, very comfy sofa and chairs in the lounge and a comfortable bed. Also, great WiFi.
We will be back!!!
Hill cottage is a fabulous cottage to stay if you want peace and quiet. It has everything you need for a week away. Fabulous wildlife and walks. Stunning scenery.
We spent a wonderful week at Hill Cottage which was in an idilic position overlooking wonderful views of loch Laxford. The cottage was very comfortable and peaceful and surrounded by stunning mountain scenery. There were several beautiful bays nearby to visit and great walks. A week wasn't nearly long enough.
The cottage was warm and clean with everything we needed for a comfortable two-week stay - and the small conservatory facing the loch is terrific for watching wildlife and relaxing, whatever the weather, and for star gazing on clear nights. Set within stunning scenery, silent and peaceful, It is well placed for walking and for driving to lots of places of interest.
The owner has provided fascinating background on her family history relating to the croft, and there are books and a great DVD collection for the evenings (which are long in the winter). WiFi is limited but fine as long as you dont stream/need to work.
In November we found most tourist venues shut and as you would expect, limited shopping locally, but a chest freezer makes food planning easy.
The wildlife was terrific, with white tailed eagles over the cottage on our first day, and red deer on the hill in the evenings. Lots of garden birds, buzzards and a resident tawny owl which sits on the garden fence post. Further afield we saw golden eagles, seals, porpoise, stoats and much more. If driving at night be prepared for a lot of deer on the road.
The garden was fenced well enough for us to feel confident letting out border collie explore off the lead.
Hill Cottage is just such a wonderful secluded retreat. It was cosy and warm with all the facilities you could want. BUT it is the position that makes this place magical. The amazing view over the water from the conservatory will remain in my memory for a long time. Just lovely ...we enjoyed every minute and we would thoughrilly recommend.
Hill Cottage is located in a stunning location on the very edge of the North Western Highlands overlooking the open sea loch of Laxford, with absolutely stunning views of the loch's islands and the Foinaven and Arkle mountains behind.
The cottage has everything you need with the highlight being the rear conservatory which provides shelter from the elements and protection from midges in the summer while still offering the wonderful vistas below.
Within very easy reach is Handa island, which offers a veritable feast of bird wildlife, from skuas to fulmars to puffins. Be aware though that the puffins leave by the end of July!
The setting is perfect for those who wish to find solitude and really immerse themselves into the Scottish landscape. Dotted about the area are dozens of tiny lochs and rolling, windy roads. Down the hill, next to the old school, lies a great place to launch a small boat or kayak. Seals are dotted around the islands and are well worth the trip out if you can.
With so many things to be positive about it's hard to mention the negatives, but we feel we must be honest to future guests. Firstly, we found the bed very uncomfortable and in need of replacing; and secondly, there is ongoing house construction just down the road from the cottage which is well underway. It was of course noisy at times and disturbing to us, considering we went there to get away from it all and were there for 2 weeks. Now this is not a fault of the cottage owner but rather Wilderness Cottages themselves who we felt might have been more transparent about it on their website or at the time of booking. I do hope that these changes can be made.
Having said all that we felt the positives far outweighed the negatives and would recommend Hill Cottage to future guests.
Wilderness Cottages Replied...
Dear Mrs Gratton, Thank you for your review and feedback. To confirm Wilderness Cottages was not aware that a house was being built in the vicinity, however we have discussed this with the owner. Although at this stage there will be some building noise which we have no control over, having reviewed the position of the new property on a map, we do feel that the house is far enough away not to detract from the beautiful and scenic position that Hill Cottage is located in.
