A Room with a Sea View

There’s nothing quite like tumbling out of bed, flinging open the door and wandering down to the water’s edge to paddle in your PJs. Or grabbing your swimming costume and towel for an early morning swim. It might seem churlish to rule out all those quaint terraced fishermen’s cottages a few streets back from the seafront or a short walk down a country lane to a rocky cove, but you can’t beat a bothy – or a castle – right on the sand.

The Green Shed on the Hebridean island of Iona isn’t strictly on the beach - but it’s as good as. There’s nothing but a field of whispering grasses laced with vetch and blowsy cow parsley between this old youth hostel turned rustic retreat and the sheep-grazed dunes. Wandering barefoot through a wildlflower meadow buzzing with insects and butterflies down to the shimmering white sand beach for a late afternoon dip is magical. 

On a working croft on the northernmost tip of the island and designed to resemble an agricultural shed it blends seamlessly into the landscape. Huge picture windows frame the field and sparkling sea beyond. The open-plan kitchen-dining-living area has a woodburner and comfy sofas. There’s no TV just shelves and shelves of books. It’s the perfect base for a wildlife-watching, beachcombing, old-fashioned bucket and spade holiday.

Another special place Saddell Castle a 16th-century tower on a remote beach on the Kintyre peninsula was restored by the Landmark Trust along with a handful of cottages curving around the bay. Again there’s no TV just books and board games - and arrow slits in the walls. You can build a bonfire on the beach, watch the sun set from the battlements, let the dogs run along the sand and go for a bracing dip just a flip-flop from your own fortress. It’s been closed recently for a little TLC but is about to re-open this summer. 

There are so many unforgettable spots. Just feet from Fife’s famous coastal path between the pretty villages of St Monans and Elie (where they play cricket on the beach during the summer) you can sleep under canvas, waking to the sound of waves gently lapping on the shore at Catchpenny Safari Lodges. On glorious Balnakiel Beach near Durness on the north coast Balnakiel Bothy is a tiny stone house for two, the open-plan living area decorated with Anta furnishings, a sea view from the kitchen table. On the Isle of Lewis ex scallop-diver Dave and his wife Julie run two pods perched just above the sweep of white sand and turquoise water at Kneep.  The Beach Bothies tick all the sand-between-your-toes boxes.  Life’s a beach.

Lucy Gillmore is a freelance journalist who left a newspaper travel desk for the Highlands’ hills. Dipping into Scotland’s ever-evolving food, drink and accommodation scene she will be bringing us the latest news stories, dates for the diary and shining a light on local food heroes in a regular column.  You can follow her on @lucygillmore