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The Net Store and Rhuroin: Two Houses by the Sea in Applecross

The Net Store and Rhuroin: Two Houses by the Sea in Applecross

4 minute read · First published October 2026 · Wester Ross

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Iona Drysdale’s family has fished from Ardheslaig, a small village on the Applecross peninsula in Wester Ross, for generations. Her grandfather, Malcolm Livingstone, mended his nets on the shore there and brought his boat, the Seaflower, in to refuel. After years away in New Zealand, Iona came home to look after her uncle, a fisherman who had always hoped to build a little house by the sea, and together they planned The Net Store, on the very spot where the family kept its nets, looking out across the Minch to the Hebrides. A short way along the coast, on a wooded point on Loch Shieldaig, is Rhuroin, the house where Iona and her husband Gordon first raised their two children. Iona tells us how The Net Store came to be, what sets the two houses apart, and where to go on the peninsula.

The Net Store on its rocky point at Ardheslaig, the bay and its moored boats beyond.Rhuroin, a white two-storey house, among Scots pines above the rocky shore of Loch Shieldaig.

For anyone discovering them for the first time, what are The Net Store and Rhuroin?

They are two self-catering holiday houses on the north shore of the Applecross Peninsula.

Fishing boats lie at their moorings off Ardheslaig, below The Net Store’s slate roof, in the evening light.The Net Store, small and white on the far shore, reflected in the still water of Loch Beag, with hills behind.

The Net Store sits on the site where your grandfather Malcolm stored his nets, and overlooks where he and your father and uncle moored their fishing boats. What does it mean to build something new in that place?

It’s a very special site for me as I inherited it from my uncle, who was a fisherman but he also had an interest in building and carpentry. He had hoped to build a little house by the sea but died before he could realise the project. I was living in New Zealand and returned to look after him until he died, and together we were able to plan what is now The Net Store.

The Net Store’s open-plan room, its glass door open to the terrace and the tall gable window looking over the bay.A tan leather armchair with a grey throw beside a small glass side table, seen from above.

What was it like returning to Ardheslaig?

It was a privilege to spend time with my uncle and family after living abroad for many years. I have always loved the quiet rhythm of life in Ardheslaig and it was lovely to be part of that again. I didn’t realise it at the time, but it set in motion a series of events that led me back to raise my children in the area.

A wood-burning stove glows beneath The Net Store’s tall gable window, which looks out over the bay to the hills.The Net Store’s upstairs bedroom under the slope of the roof, with two skylights and a wooden chair.

How did you approach the design of The Net Store? What did you want it to feel like on that particular site?

The neighbouring property was the old school and it is a long, narrow building with white painted roughcast walls, so I was always keen to have a similar external appearance. The site really dictated most of the design as it was a tight space; in fact, the original building was built into a Lewisian gneiss rockface. To achieve two bedrooms there needed to be an upstairs, so we made the building one and a half storeys. The gable window was inspired by a Belgian barn that I had seen online, and we tweaked it to withstand the Highland weather.

Rhuroin at the end of its track, framed by Scots pines, with the loch and hills behind.A wood-burning stove set into a wall of bare stone in Rhuroin’s sitting room, with a wooden chair and a sheepskin.

Rhuroin is quite different in character: a woodland house on Loch Shieldaig rather than a purpose-built coastal build. How do the two sit alongside each other, and how do you want guests to feel when they stay at either place?

They are very different properties, but we feel very personally connected to both. My husband and I lived in Rhuroin for eight years and it is where we initially raised our two children. Like The Net Store, it is close to the water, but Rhuroin sits on a private, woodland promontory. We hope guests enjoy the seclusion and proximity to nature that both properties offer.

The Torridon mountains catch the first pink light above the sea lochs and islands below.The Net Store’s bath, set in pale marble beneath sheer curtains.

How would you suggest guests spend their time in this part of the Applecross Peninsula?

It’s such a beautiful peninsula, and most guests like to drive over the Bealach na Bà to Applecross, as there are such spectacular views of Loch Kishorn, the Outer Hebrides and the Kintail mountains. We are also close to the Torridon mountains, so the houses are an ideal base for hill walking as well as a number of shorter, low-level and coastal walks. They are both safe places for wild swimming, and the proximity to the water means you can enjoy a hot bath after your dip!

We are very lucky to have several lovely eateries on the peninsula and beyond, but mostly we hope that guests feel at home in the houses and are able to relax and unwind a little during their stay.

The rocky shore of Loch Shieldaig, with the hills across the water in evening light.Rhuroin’s tall landing window looks out over the loch to a wooded island.

Your favourite spot to visit nearby?

I think it is probably Sand Beach, four miles north of Applecross. It is a beautiful beach with a large sand dune and dramatic views across the Inner Sound to Raasay and Skye.

The Net Store’s white kitchen, with a long wooden table and striped bench, and the stairs rising to the mezzanine.Rhuroin’s double bedroom, with an old chest of drawers and a window onto the loch.

The Net Store sleeps four, in a superking or twin room on the ground floor and an en-suite king upstairs, and is let by the week, Friday to Friday. Rhuroin sleeps three, in a double room and a single, and is let Monday to Monday. Both take short breaks from November to February, outside Christmas and New Year, and logs from the family’s own woodland are included. Neither takes pets. The Net Store, which is close to a steep drop to the sea, isn’t suitable for children under ten, while at Rhuroin children of six and over are welcome.

Stay at The Net Store or Rhuroin

The Net StoreRhuroinThe Net Store’s websiteRhuroin’s website

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