A Hebridean Heaven
This lovingly restored and extended 18th Century country rectory overlooks Loch Alsh which separates mainland Scotland from the Isle of Skye. The listed house sits within thirty acres of private farm and woodland, just metres from the secluded seashore, and with nature on the doorstep, it is a stunning location for hikers and anglers alike.
At a Glance
Sleep up to 14 guests
Three double bedrooms – 2 ensuite
Four twin bedrooms with shared bathrooms
Family bathroom
Open plan Living / Dining room
Annex sitting room
Family Kitchen
Utility rooms
Smart TV, WiFi internet
DAB Radio
Poor Cell phone reception
Open Fire place
Bothy Sauna available
Big Green Egg Barbecue
Kitchen garden
Weekly only – Sat to Sat
Children over 12 are welcome
Obedient dogs are welcome
Property Features
A Manse for all Seasons
The generous main living space spans the full width of the house and encompasses a dining area and a comfortable seating section warmed by a toasty open fireplace. Window seats surround the room with spectacular sea and mountain views.
In a nod to modernist design walls are lined with broad boards of native timber. Double doors open out to directly to the front garden which borders the foreshore of the Loch.
Bespoke Scottish oak furniture, flat woven wool carpets and the natural materials of the interior, are inspired by the landscape and colours that surround the house.
The family farmhouse kitchen has a rustic warm ambience, an electric AGA range, and more of those wonderful oak and tartan flourishes.
Firewood
We have supplied you with a large basket of firewood however, if you go through it don’t worry, there is more. We charge £20 per large basket of extra wood.
Bedrooms
Sleeps up to 14 guests.
An impressive semi-spiral stairwell leads to three king size double rooms on the first floor, two of which have ensuite bathrooms.
Each bedroom is unique, impeccably decorated, and offers a different aspect and connection to the surrounding landscape. All enjoy particular views of the ancient woodlands, misty Skye Munros and the private foreshore.
On the top floor there are two elegant, understated twin rooms, separated by a shared bathroom.
The luxury and character of this home is exemplified by the colourful family bathroom with an exquisite free-standing slipper-bath.
Outside
Sitting on a raised beach, ten yards from the salty Loch Alsh, the house is reached via half a mile of private track that winds through farmland from the main road.
There are traditional farm buildings, a large lawn and garden on the grounds. At the back of the house is a native Scottish woodland where deer and native wildlife can be spotted.
If you plan on enjoying some wild sea swimming off the rocks right in front of the house, there is a self-contained Bothy Sauna available for a small additional charge. Please let us know if you would like to book use of the sauna a day in advance.
Dogs are very welcome at Tulach Ard. We ask though that when outside they are kept in sight. Please when outside the garden keep them on a lead, there are sheep grazing on the farm and wildlife surrounding the house – we cannot have them distressed.
There is also a kitchen garden with seasonal herbs, fruit and vegetables.
Out and About
Fantastic fish, wonderful walks, invigorating swims and mesmerising scenery, and then there’s the restaurants…
Things to do
- Fine dining at Scorrybrec restaurant
- Visit an iconic loch shore Castle
- Dine out at Clachan Inn
- Discover Highland Walking
- Charter a boat for fishing or dolphin watching
- Lunch at The Oyster Shed, and Deli
- Have a dip off Plockton coral beach
- Try a dram of Talisker whiskey
- Daily fresh catch seafood from Buth Bheag Kyle, and takewaway
- Stroll around Dunvegan Castle Gardens
- Risk a bit of Canyoning and coasteering
- Glenelg Inn for lunch, dinner and drinks
- Visit the gardens at Inverewe
- A seafood luncheon at the Plockton Inn
The Locality
Balmacara
Balmacara up on the main road, has a small Spar with all the essentials, however for a greater choice, Kyle of Lochalsh is just over 5 minutes away and features the bridge link to the Island of Skye. The town has a good butcher, fishmonger, supermarket and railway station.
If you are visiting Eilean Donan Castle at the other end of the sea loch – and you should – there is a wee bakery as you pass through Ardelve. The picturesque lake castle which frequently appears in the media has a long history of re-building and is connected to the mainland by a 20th century footbridge addition.
The chain of islands to the West of Scotland are known as the Hebrides – 79 of them make up the Inner Hebrides of which under half are currently inhabited.
Skye
Skye is the second-largest island in Scotland after Lewis and Harris which are in the Outer Hebrides.
The centre of the island is dominated by the mountainous Cuillin Munros, whose rocky slopes of provide some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in the country.
Scottish mountains with summits greater than 900 metres are often referred to as Munros after Sir Hugh Munro, who compiled a list towards the end of the 19th century.
12 of the 283 Scottish Munros are on Skye and are renowned by climbers for their difficulty and danger.
There are about 4,000 Gaelic speakers in the Inner Hebrides, equal to 20% of the population of the archipelago, and a relatively high proportion of them live on Skye. Students of Scottish Gaelic travel from all over the world to attend its Sabhal Mòr Ostaig school.
Skye has a strong folk music tradition and Jethro Tull singer Ian Anderson owned an estate at on the island at one time. The Hebrides, also known as Fingal’s Cave, is a famous overture written by Felix Mendelssohn inspired by his visit to Staffa.
Castles
Scotland is known for its ubiquitous castles, and both Clan MacDonald and Clan MacLeod have theirs on the Island and should be on your list of places to visit.
Dunvegan Castle is the oldest inhabited castle in Scotland, and always by the same family, the chiefs of the Clan MacLeod.
There is also an abundance of ruined and abandoned houses on Skye. These date from a difficult 100-year period from mid 1700s know as the Highland Clearances, when attempts at agricultural improvements, landlord evictions, enterprise failure and eventually famine caused emigration on a massive scale.
Skye’s history stretches back to the age of the dinosaurs. Dinosaur’s footprints can be found on the shore at Staffin and there are more dinosaur fossils from Skye on display in the Dinosaur Museum near Staffin.
The White-tailed Eagle
Persecuted to extinction in Britain, the largest bird of prey the huge white-tailed eagle has been successfully reintroduced in the west coast of Scotland, and is now top of the bird watcher attractions in this region.
The main commercial activities of the Hebrides include fishing and whisky distilling.
The infamous Scotch Whiskey, originally derived from malted barley, can be made from wheat and rye and must be aged in oak barrels for a minimum of three years before bottling. There are 17 whiskey distilleries on the islands, which is more than a third of Scotland’s total.
How to get there
Car advised.
By Air:
International Flights to Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh airports, which are all under 4 hours from the house.
Inverness Airport – is under 2 hours from the house.
There is also a terrific 3 hour rail trip from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh only 7 minutes from the house.
Pricing Options
Month |
Per Week |
| All Year | €8,165 |
Bookings are weekly only, running from Saturday to Saturday
A refundable breakages deposit payable with the rental amount will be refunded within seven days of departure.
Price
€8,165 per week
Book This Home
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“We really had a lovely time. I would highly recommend this property to holiday makers. “
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I would highly recommend this property to holiday makers. Sally was the perfect hostess and the standard in the house was very high with lots of really nice additional touches to improve the quality of our stay.
The house could not be better located and the walk from the house along the Cliffs of Moher was the highlight of our holiday. Well done on providing such high quality properties for families looking to holiday in Ireland.
Eileen Roberts
Stayed at Castle View House
“Highly recommended. We will surely come back and bring all my family and friends.”
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Jane Doe
Dublin Manor
“Our stay at Cove Lodge was, in a word, spectacular!”
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Everything about Simon and Jane and their wonderful property is worthy of every superlative I might find in the dictionary. I cannot think of a single thing we would have needed or wanted that wasn’t provided. It was our most wonderfully memorable holiday ever.
Many thanks to you for the clear communication and seamless arrangements. With much appreciation,
Susan Baker
July 2017, Stayed at Cove Lodge
Frequently Asked Questions
- Please note all booking requests are subject to 24 hour approval.
- Once your provisional booking has been placed, the UIH team will verify it, answer any specific queries you may have, and request a deposit to lock in your dates.
- Please note if your provisional booking is not confirmed and the deposit paid within 3 days it will expire.
- If your preferred dates are not available, click here to review alternate options.
- For additional information please contact us on +353 85 860 0027
