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Where to Stay in Scotland This Autumn
A collection · Places to stay

Where to Stay in Scotland This Autumn

Log burners, saunas, stags roaring across the glens and whole hillsides turning gold. These are the places we'd book once the schools go back and the country quietens down.

Curated and written by Hidden Scotland

Somewhere around the third week of September, Scotland has a quiet word with itself and changes character. The midges pack it in, which alone is worth the trip. The larches begin to turn, usually the second or third week of October, and whole hillsides go gold almost overnight. Stags start roaring on the estates. And tens of thousands of pink-footed geese arrive from Iceland, filling the skies over Montrose Basin in one of the great free spectacles this country puts on.

Autumn might be the season that gives you the best of summer and winter. The days are still mild enough for a full walk on the hill or an afternoon on the beach, and the evenings are just cold enough to justify lighting the fire, which is half the fun of a cottage in the first place. The places below were chosen with that balance in mind. Cabins with saunas for sharp mornings. Estate cottages where the rut carries across the glen. Kitchens built around game, harvest and whatever the walled garden has left.

There are practical reasons too, if you need them. Rates drop once the schools go back. The roads and car parks quieten down, and the big-name spots feel like yours again. Sunsets happen at a civilised hour, so photographers get to eat dinner at dinner time for once.

The collection below is a big one, covering most of the country and a fair few of the isles. Some places are made for watching weather roll in over a sea loch, some for stalking-season gatherings of sixteen, plenty for two people, a dog and no plans at all. All of them earn their keep once the clocks go back. Book the October weeks early. Half term swallows them whole.

The black timber cabin's exterior, with a chimney above the roofline and a freestanding bath standing on the decking below.More infoBalmulloAirditPlace to stay · Sleeps 2

A woodland hideaway in Fife with a treehouse built into the canopy and a stargazing skylight above the bed. Nights draw in early, which suits the outdoor tub. St Andrews is close.

The Black Shed, DunveganMore infoSkinidinThe Black ShedPlace to stay · Sleeps 2

An award-winning architect-designed hideout for two in the foothills of Macleod's Tables. Summer is for the barbecue deck; this time of year is for the log burner and the king-size bed.

A landscape view of the Blue Cabin at the foot of the brae, lamps lit by its red door and boats drawn up on the grass.More infoCockburnspathBlue Cabin by the SeaPlace to stay · Sleeps 4

Steps from the beach between North Berwick and St Abbs, with beachcombing finds through the interiors and two snug bedrooms. East coast beaches empty out beautifully after September.

A curved cabin clad in overlapping wooden shingles stands on gravel among wildflowers, arched windows and a door along one side.More infoNairnBoath CabinPlace to stay · Sleeps 4

Minutes from Nairn behind shingled timber walls, sleeping a young family with a king bed and built-in bunks. The Moray coast keeps its light long after the hills lose theirs.

The timber cabin lit at dusk against a pink sky, a hot tub steaming on the deck beside two chairs.More infoPluscardenCallie BothyPlace to stay · Sleeps 2

Hand-built by its owners for two in the Pluscarden Valley, with a wood-fired hot tub beside a wildlife pond. The 13th-century abbey along the glen still holds services, bells and all.

A white church-like building sits at the foot of a rocky, grass-covered hillside, sheep grazing on the slope above.More infoDurnessCeannabeinne CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 4

A whitewashed longhouse near Durness, the last remnant of a township cleared in the 1840s. Sleeps four between rugged hills and a bone-white beach. Aurora country, this far north.

Culbin Edge, Inverness-shireMore infoBrodieCulbin EdgePlace to stay · Sleeps 4

An eco cabin for two near Brodie with a wood-fired cedar hot tub and Culbin Forest at the gate. Autumn evenings bring skeins of pink-footed geese over Findhorn Bay.

Darroch Learg, AberdeenshireOpen all dayMore infoBallaterDarroch LeargHotel

The Franks family have run this Ballater hotel since 1961. Ten rooms above the Dee, a conservatory restaurant with a deep wine list, and Deeside's best colour on the doorstep.

The Drury from the lawn below: a grey granite Victorian villa with sandstone bay windows, dormers in the slate roof and tall chimneys.More infoObanThe DruryPlace to stay · Sleeps 22

A Victorian mansion in central Oban with eleven bedrooms, a cinema room, games room and outdoor spa bath. Room for a big gathering when the weather turns.

A red sandstone and grey stone Victorian house stands wreathed in morning mist, a shrub with orange autumn leaves in the foreground.More infoAberfeldyThe House at Dun AluinnPlace to stay · Sleeps 18

A 1909 villa above Aberfeldy, exclusive-use for years and now a nine-bedroom hotel taking individual bookings. Communal dinners, a wood-fired hot tub in the woods, and the Tay valley turning below.

The Dunvegan, DunveganMore infoDunveganThe DunveganPlace to stay

A Skye restaurant with six ensuite rooms above it, premium Scottish ingredients cooked Argentine-style over fire. Live-fire cooking makes more sense with every degree the temperature drops.

Log cabin porch with lantern-lit door, snow falling on the wooden walkwayMore infoStruyEagle BraePlace to stay

Ten Canadian-built log cabins across 8,000 Highland acres, underfloor heating throughout and saunas in some. September brings the roar of the rut to the hills around them.

A grand stone house with multiple gables and chimneys stands on a lawn at dusk, a Land Rover parked in the drive under a stormy sky.More infoGlengairnGairnshiel LodgePlace to stay · Sleeps 16

A Victorian lodge on Balmoral's neighbouring estate, stripped to its granite bones by the Belgian family who took it on in 2015. Sixteen guests, a sauna, hot tub and games room. Made for stalking-season gatherings.

Glencruitten House, Argyll and ButeMore infoObanGlencruitten HousePlace to stay

A baronial house of 1897 outside Oban, reworked by Sir Robert Lorimer and family-run since 2021. Rooms, suites and villas, an orangery, and a woodland burial ground known as the Cathedral of Trees.

Glenhurich Lodge, white-harled with dormer windows, at the end of its track behind a beech hedge, snow on the hills beyond.More infoGlenhurichGlenhurich LodgePlace to stay · Sleeps 11

An 18th-century hunting lodge turned exclusive-use retreat close to Loch Shiel in the western Highlands. Six bedrooms, a generous kitchen and a gorgeous garden. Remote in the way only this coast manages.

Glenstriven House, a white Victorian house with grey stone corners, at the top of a gravel drive between lawns, with a wooded hill behind.More infoArgyll and ButeGlenstriven HousePlace to stay · Sleeps 15

An estate house on the shore of Loch Striven, deep on the Cowal Peninsula, let for exclusive use. The gardens run to the water and the hills rise straight behind.

The Trotternish coast from above Half of One, cliffs and green headlands running out into the sea.More infoCulnacnocHalf of OnePlace to stay · Sleeps 8

A four-bedroom crofter's cottage on the Trotternish cliffs with a telescope in the dining room. Useful for dolphins in summer. The northern lights come once the nights lengthen.

Large windows in a black timber house look out over a loch.More infoHarloshHarlosh Black hPlace to stay · Sleeps 2

An architecturally striking bolthole for two on Skye's west coast, king-size bed, wood-burning stove and full-length views of Macleod's Tables. Autumn weather rolls in off the sea spectacularly here.

A dark timber-clad gabled cabin with a chimney and skylights glows warmly from within at dusk on a grassy hillside.More infoLower MilovaigHarlosh Wood hPlace to stay · Sleeps 6

Harlosh's larger property, sleeping six in a contemporary take on the traditional Scottish longhouse, remote on Skye's west coast. The island empties out once the schools go back.

A curved timber-roofed house glows with lit windows at dusk, chairs set on the gravel and decking outside.More infoCliasmolHarris HideawayPlace to stay · Sleeps 2

An adults-only clifftop hideout with natural rock walls and a peat roof, sauna and seaview bath inside, tub outside. Sound of Taransay storms are the autumn entertainment.

The Hollies, Argyll and ButeMore infoTighnabruaichThe HolliesPlace to stay · Sleeps 18

A waterfront Victorian villa in Tighnabruaich with eight light-filled bedrooms, a games room and terraced garden. The Kyles of Bute go quiet in autumn, and the house suits a full gathering.

A turreted white mansion with stepped gables and tall chimneys stands behind a low stone wall on a lawn.More infoDunnetHouse of the Northern GatePlace to stay · Sleeps 18

A Victorian house for eighteen on a Caithness coastal estate near Dunnet Head, mainland Britain's most northerly point. Nine bedrooms, a movie room, a gym, and front-row aurora seats.

The House in the Hill at dusk, its turf roof over walls of local stone and glass, a bedroom lit inside and the hot tub at the corner.More infoJedburghThe House in the HillPlace to stay · Sleeps 4

An off-grid house for four built into a Borders hilltop near Jedburgh, on a working Cheviot sheep farm. A ceiling-hung wood burner, wood-fired hot tub, and a rooftop terrace for aurora nights.

A dark timber cabin with a pitched metal roof stands among ferns and birch trees.More infoCairndowKabnPlace to stay · Sleeps 2

Two off-grid cabins steps from Loch Fyne, Japanese and Scandinavian design for two people and a dog. Minimalist, wood-warmed and made for exactly this time of year.

The whole of Larch House across its meadow: the larch-clad gable and long roof with roof lights, the lower wing beside it, a ring of river stones in the grass and oaks behind.More infoBlairgowrieLarch HousePlace to stay · Sleeps 6

Finished in 2025 above the Shee Water, clad in the one Scottish conifer that turns gold and drops. Sleeps six, with a sauna, hot tub and a cinema room for wet afternoons.

Nàdair, AngusMore infoKirriemuirNàdairPlace to stay · Sleeps 6

A modern farmhouse barn outside Kirriemuir sleeping six and two dogs, a wood burner in the corner and a snug upstairs. The Angus glens rise behind, at their best once the bracken turns.

A long sandstone steading with a conical-roofed tower at its centre stands beyond a field of young crops, trees framing it on either side in evening light.More infoBalblairNewhall MainsPlace to stay

An 18th-century Black Isle steading rescued from the at-risk register, now suites and cottages with a restaurant, whisky bar and private airstrip. Fly in for the season if you must.

A landscape view of Park Cottage in the snow, its windows lit, forest and a white hill behind.More infoKincraigPark CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 6

Three bedrooms on Alvie Estate near Aviemore with a hot tub and estate activities on tap. The first dustings of snow on the Cairngorm tops usually arrive before Halloween.

Little Pheasant, PerthshireMore infoPerthshireLittle PheasantPlace to stay · Sleeps 4

Pheasant Cottage's smaller neighbour, sleeping four with bunk beds for the kids. Same tasteful interiors, same full kitchen, same front-row seat for the valley's big colour show.

An aerial view shows a stone and timber cottage with a round hot tub in the garden, hills rising behind a dry stone wall.More infoKincraigiePheasant CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 6

Two traditional stone cottages between Dunkeld and Pitlochry, sleeping six and four, one with an outdoor hot tub. The Tay valley in mid-October is the postcard. Book accordingly.

A white two-storey house stands on a grassy point above a rocky shoreline, pine trees rising behind it at sunset.More infoShieldaigRhuroinPlace to stay · Sleeps 3

A cottage for three beside Loch Shieldaig with otters and eagles about, a stove for the evenings and a drying cupboard that earns its keep by November. Torridon at its moodiest out front.

A white house with a dark slated roof sits above a rocky headland and sea, a weathered bench in the garden.More infoMilovaigMilovaig HousePlace to stay · Sleeps 4

Milovaig House sits in Glendale, out towards Neist Point in Skye's far west. Sunsets this side of the island run long and low, and autumn gives them clouds worth having.

More infoEdinburghWest End MusePlace to stay · Sleeps 4

A first-floor apartment in a converted 19th-century stable block in Edinburgh's West End, sleeping four, with a log burner and the owner's own artwork on the walls. Festival crowds gone, castle still there.

Stonechat Bothy, a timber-clad cabin with a grey corrugated roof, at the end of a grassy double track among birch, pine and rushes.More infoDrumfearnStonechat BothyPlace to stay · Sleeps 2

A one-bedroom cabin on a working Sleat croft, a log burner and underfloor heating for the cold snaps, a fire pit for the clear nights. Skye without the crowds, especially now.

Suie Hunting Lodge, Loch LomondMore infoLuibSuie Hunting LodgePlace to stay

The Suie Estate's former shooting lodge in Glen Dochart, now six eclectic rooms with roll-top baths. No WiFi, no under-12s, a bar at weekends. Holiday like it's 1974.

A grey corner sofa with cushions and a sheepskin throw sits before a shelf of books and a round mirror, a wood burning stove and log store to the right.More infoDunlopTalli HousePlace to stay · Sleeps 4

Two bedrooms within fifteen miles of Glasgow, built around slower living: a wood-burning stove, canopied terrace and Japanese-style soaking tub. An easy autumn escape that skips the long drive.

A gable-fronted white and stone house glows from within at dusk, its triangular glazed end lit against the darkening hillside.More infoArdheslaigThe Net StorePlace to stay · Sleeps 4

Once a fisherman's storage shed on Loch Beag, now two bedrooms of Scandinavian calm with underfloor heating and cloud-like Hypnos beds. Huge windows frame the loch in every mood.

A grey stone farmhouse with several chimneys stands against rolling hills, a wildflower meadow in the foreground.More infoYarrowThe SculleryPlace to stay · Sleeps 2

A rustic couples' haven in the sleepy Yarrow Valley, stone walls and vintage interiors around a courtyard garden. Peebles, Melrose and Jedburgh sit within easy reach for abbey-and-bookshop days.

A white bungalow with a glazed gable end sits before an autumn hillside, a wooden bench on the lawn in front.More infoColbostTigh an TobairPlace to stay · Sleeps 8

Four bedrooms above Loch Dunvegan with a Scandinavian hot tub and a range cooker built for feasts. The owners let neighbouring Lochview too, worth asking after. Skye empties nicely by October.

A landscape view of Whitehill on its hill: the steadings, the farmhouse and its red-roofed wing in low sun across a field of young crop.More infoAuchterarderWhitehill Farm HousePlace to stay · Sleeps 8

A 19th-century farmhouse on a Perthshire estate, three bedrooms including twins and a bunk, a snug, and a boot room big enough for everyone's wet gear. October half term, sorted.

A stone house with crow-stepped gables and clustered chimneys rises above trees, hills visible in the misty distance.More infoTongueLundies HousePlace to stay

A former manse in Tongue turned design hotel, stays including breakfast and dinner, with a sauna yurt and cold plunge. The far north in autumn is empty, gold and occasionally green overhead.

Kinloch Lodge, Isle of SkyeMore infoSleatKinloch LodgePlace to stay

WildLand's lodge at the foot of Ben Loyal in Sutherland, an exclusive-use base in the empty far north. Stalking-season country, vast skies, and a landscape slowly rewilding around you.

Kyle House, SutherlandMore infoTongueKyle HousePlace to stay · Sleeps 2

A small, perfectly judged house above the Kyle of Tongue, restored with the pared-back care WildLand is known for. Views run to Ben Loyal, better with every shortening day.

A row of stone cottages with a slated roof and four chimneys sits behind a gravel courtyard, hills visible in the distance.More infoCairngormsKilliehuntly BothyPlace to stay · Sleeps 4

The smallest of the Killiehuntly places, sleeping four in the old steading courtyard with a log stove and a starter larder waiting. Self-catering, dog-friendly, and Glen Feshie up the road.

Stone farmhouse surrounded by autumn trees and hills in the Scottish countrysideMore infoCairngormsKilliehuntly FarmhousePlace to stay · Sleeps 10

A 17th-century farmhouse and cottages in Glen Feshie country near Kingussie, Scandinavian and Scottish in equal measure inside. The glen's aspens turn in early October, the finest colour in the Cairngorms.

A single-storey lodge with a slated roof sits behind a stone wall and clipped hedge, mature trees shading the curving drive.More infoRothiemayGate LodgePlace to stay · Sleeps 2

Mayen's adults-only lodge in Moray's Deveron valley, Georgian decor with an outdoor bath and sauna. Autumn salmon run the river below, and the bath sees far more use than in July.

A grey stone cottage with dormer windows and a black front door, climbing roses either side, set behind a lawn.More infoRothiemayBailies CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 6

The family and dog-friendly option at Mayen, sleeping six near the estate's walled gardens and Highland cattle. Damp dogs, muddy boots and big kitchen suppers all welcome.

Timber cabin with copper roof beside a loch, shaded by oak treesMore infoObanUisge BothyPlace to stay · Sleeps 2

Set right on the bank of Loch Nell near Oban, green clay walls and a bed up a ladder. Breakfast is included, and the eight-course wild dinner cooked over open fire is worth the splurge.

Black timber-clad cabin with corrugated roof and stove flue, set among trees and long grassMore infoObanBeathaPlace to stay · Sleeps 2

The calm one, cream clay walls deep in the ancient oak wood, looking down on the loch. The only Inverlonan bothy that takes a dog. Outdoor shower, open fire, stars.

Seal Cabin, Argyll and ButeMore infoLochgoilheadSeal CabinPlace to stay · Sleeps 2

A wood-panelled cabin at the water's edge on Loch Goil, French doors opening onto loch and mountain, a mezzanine bed and log burner. Impossibly romantic once the nights draw in.

A stone cottage with a slated roof sits nestled among dense woodland, two paddleboards resting on the lawn in front.More infoLochgoilheadRed Squirrel CabinPlace to stay · Sleeps 6

Sleeps between two and six on the Woodside Lodge estate, waking up to Loch Goil over coffee on the deck. Host Iain and the team can cater. Five-star habits die hard.

Fifies, FifeMore infoPittenweemFifiesPlace to stay · Sleeps 2

Studio living one minute from the beach in Pittenweem, the East Neuk's working fishing village. Small, considered and ideal for two people who plan to be mostly outside or mostly asleep.

The Crow’s Nest, FifeMore infoPittenweemThe Crow’s NestPlace to stay · Sleeps 4

The high perch of the Love Pittenweem collection, with elevated views over the rooftops to the Forth. Autumn brings the low golden light this coast is quietly famous for.

An orange leather sofa draped with a sheepskin faces a stone fireplace beneath a timber ceiling, a staircase rising behind.More infoPittenweemThe Old StablePlace to stay · Sleeps 2

New York-inspired style in a former stable off Pittenweem's lanes, exposed surfaces and confident design. The village galleries and fish vans sit a stroll away, minus the summer queues.

A stone cottage with red pantiled roofs and a gabled dormer sits behind a gravel courtyard, an apple tree in the foreground.More infoPittenweemMaybell CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 2

A high-street renovation with parts dating to 1590. Four centuries of East Neuk weather have hit these walls, so a few more autumn storms won't bother them.

Stormhouse South, Argyll and ButeMore infoAppinStormhouse SouthPlace to stay · Sleeps 2

Alasdair MacMillan's design for the sister house puts the sea where the television would be. Couples only, log burner going, the Old Inn at Appin a short walk for dinner.

Stormhouse North, Argyll and ButeMore infoAppinStormhouse NorthPlace to stay · Sleeps 2

Floor-to-ceiling glass on Loch Linnhe pointed at Castle Stalker, a hydro-massage tub on the deck and a white-tailed eagle often seen along the shore. Two guests, no distractions.

A white harled house with a slated roof sits among woodland below a hill, a track winding up to it through fields.More infoPerthshireLassintullich HousePlace to stay · Sleeps 16

A traditional Highland lodge for sixteen between Loch Rannoch and Schiehallion, made for big gatherings. Autumn is its season: fires going, hills copper, long dinners at the long table.

A stone steading with a slated roof and an arched green door stands beside a gravel courtyard, daffodils growing at its base.More infoPerthshireThe BothyPlace to stay · Sleeps 2

Stone walls and wood-panelled rooms for two on the same Rannoch ground, an authentic bothy done comfortably. Schiehallion, the fairy hill, rises behind, moodier by the week now.

The house's gabled wing with a decked terrace and two chairs, solar panels along the roof, seen across a grassy slope.More infoGlenborrodaleBorradill HousePlace to stay · Sleeps 6

The larger of Borradill's two cabins, sleeping six in twenty-five acres of Ardnamurchan wilderness with award-winning rustic interiors and a log fire. The peninsula's oakwoods turn slowly and spectacularly.

Borradill Cottage, ArdnamurchanMore infoGlenborrodaleBorradill CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 4

Borradill's four-sleeper, secluded in the same wooded corner of Ardnamurchan with sweeping sea loch and mountain views. Cosy is an overused word; here it happens to be accurate.

An aerial view shows a black timber cabin with a pitched roof set on a deck in an open field, a bath and seating area visible outside.More infoPerthshireThe Cabin at FairygreenPlace to stay · Sleeps 2

Dunsinnan's other two-person hideout, outdoor tub and firepit included. Perth is twenty minutes away, the Highlands start just north, and the estate itself invites doing very little.

A stone cottage with a green door and three chimneys sits behind a lawn bordered by shrubs and flowerbeds.More infoKinrossieFairygreen CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 4

An 1872 stockman's cottage for four at the foot of the Sidlaws, log burner going and a Big Green Egg in the enclosed garden. Dunsinane Hill of Macbeth fame rises behind.

Timber cabin with metal roof and decking surrounded by woodland treesMore infoBanchoryNorth Lodge and River CabinPlace to stay · Sleeps 6

The 1890s caretakers' house beside the River Dye, sleeping six with its own riverside cabin, log stove and wood-fired hot tub. Leaves come down the river past you.

A stone steading with a slated pyramid roof and a chimney stands behind a green nameplate sign, a chair visible through the window.More infoStrachanNo 2 Steading Cottage at GlendyePlace to stay · Sleeps 4

The smallest of the steading cottages, sleeping four near Garden Camp and its stove-warmed room. Handy on the days the weather does what Aberdeenshire autumn weather does.

A stone cottage with a slated roof and black stove pipe sits beside a gravel drive, foxgloves and wildflowers lining the path.More infoStrachanNo 4 Steading CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 7

Seven sleep here in the bold, colourful style the estate is known for. The Gladstones have farmed this land for generations, and the place runs on unlimited firewood.

An aerial view of a stone steading with a slated roof built around a courtyard with a small plunge pool, a gravel drive, and a smaller outbuilding with a tub beside it at the edge of the woods.More infoBanchoryNo 5 Steading CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 7

Room for seven at the heart of the estate, eggs from the hens and the BYOB Glen Dye Arms close by. Autumn evenings in that pub take some leaving.

A green sitting room with a blue sofa, a leather and sheepskin armchair and a rustic coffee table before a tall window with red curtains, looking out to pine forest and a valley.More infoStrachanThe Hay Loft at GlendyePlace to stay · Sleeps 4

The old hay loft above the steading, light-filled for four with a welcome hamper on arrival. The wood-fired hot tub was made for frosty, starry Aberdeenshire nights.

An aerial view shows a white harled farmhouse with multiple chimneys set beside a gravel courtyard and stone outbuildings.More infoStrachanThe Coach HousePlace to stay · Sleeps 12

The former coach house near the middle of the estate, warm and characterful, with the pub's record player and roaring fire close at hand. Bring vinyl and a dram.

A mint-green sitting room has a cobalt-blue velvet sofa with orange and green cushions, two floor lamps with teal shades either side, a rustic wooden coffee table, and framed abstract and sunset prints on the wall above.More infoStrachanThe Corner HousePlace to stay · Sleeps 6

Colour and warmth inside, 15,000 acres outside climbing to the granite tor of Clachnaben, at its best once the bracken goes rust. Dark skies come as standard.

A granite cottage with a slate roof and a pale green door stands behind a lawn, a blue metal bench by the door and timber fences either side.More infoBanchoryThe Bothy, GlendyePlace to stay · Sleeps 2

Two people, two dogs, one log burner and a hot tub under the trees. Unlimited firewood means the fire never goes out unless you let it.

A stone cottage with dormer windows stands behind a low pale blue gate, a bare-branched arch over the path to the front door and frost on the lawn.More infoStrachanGamekeeper’s CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 6

The gamekeeper's old house, sleeping six with river dips on the doorstep and moorland from the gate. October dips are brisk, brief and strangely addictive.

A stone farmhouse covered in climbing ivy stands behind a gravel drive, seen through overhanging pine branches.More infoGlen DyeCuttieshillockPlace to stay · Sleeps 6

A former inn of some 300 years on the forest edge, sleeping six with a private sauna, hot tub and pizza oven. Jacobites reputedly sheltered here. You'll be warmer.

A sitting room with two sofas and armchairs arranged around a low table, framed prints on the wall and a lamp lit in the corner.More infoGlen TanarButler's LodgePlace to stay · Sleeps 6

The butler at Glen Tanar earned £85 a year in 1900, with a beer allowance on top. His old house now sleeps six, crab apple tree in the garden.

More infoGlen TanarWoodendPlace to stay · Sleeps 4

A former hydro sub-station turned open-plan cottage for four, skylights and a double-height stove flue. The estate's Victorian ballroom and trout loch sit a short walk through the pines.

A stone lodge house with dormer windows and chimneys stands before hills, a gravel driveway leading to the lawn.More infoKingairlochThe Gate LodgePlace to stay · Sleeps 4

The cut-granite lodge to Kingairloch House, sleeping four with a fire lit and the hills doing their October best. One of the finest outlooks on the estate.

A stone and timber house with a dark slated roof and roof windows sits on a lawn, a hot tub and picnic table on the patio.More infoNewburghLindores LodgePlace to stay · Sleeps 8

Floor-to-ceiling windows and a hot tub facing open Fife countryside, sleeping six. Barley from these fields goes to Lindores Abbey Distillery next door, and St Andrews, the home of golf, is an easy drive.

The long timber-clad side of the house runs under a slate roof with solar panels, white chairs on the terrace and a clear blue sky.More infoNewburghThe GlasshousePlace to stay · Sleeps 6

Aptly named, its huge windows pulling in panoramic views of the farm, a hot tub outside. Watching an autumn front cross Fife from a warm sofa is time well spent.

Two arched glazed doors in a stone wall open onto a paved patio, a rattan table with daffodils and mugs to the right.More infoNewburghThe ArchesPlace to stay · Sleeps 2

The couples' one, a steading conversion with a private courtyard hot tub and an upstairs suite holding a Scandinavian sauna and a freestanding stone bath. Romance, thoroughly equipped.

A white rendered cottage with a red tiled roof, dark dormers and a timber porch stands beside a birch tree under a blue sky.More infoNewburghWest CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 6

The fourth of the Braeside of Lindores properties, hot tub and garden included, two dogs welcome. The Black family have farmed this ground since 1944, and it shows.

Curlew Cottage, ArdnamurchanMore infoKingairlochCurlew CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 5

A family cottage for five on Kingairloch's 14,000 acres, wood smoke going by teatime. The estate's stalking season is in full swing through autumn, red deer everywhere you look.

A white cottage with a grey slate roof stands behind a stone wall among trees on a hillside.More infoKingairlochThe Old SchoolPlace to stay · Sleeps 4

Kingairloch's former schoolhouse, sleeping four on Camus na Croise bay with a claim to some of the best views on the West Coast. Hard to argue from the window.

A single-storey stone cottage with a slated roof stands beside a road, mature trees rising behind.More infoKingairlochPier CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 2

A compact stone cottage for two right at the loch's edge, waves within earshot. Storm days are better entertainment here than anything on the television.

An aerial view shows a white cottage and stone bothy beside a road running along a wooded glen and river.More infoKingairlochElastic CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 4

A single-storey stone cottage for four in the tiny hamlet of Camasnacroise, carrying the best name on the West Coast. Nobody seems entirely sure where it came from.

The Steading

A derelict barn imaginatively rebuilt to sleep ten, looking across grassland to the sea. Kingairloch's biggest option, with the Boathouse Restaurant along the shore for nights off cooking.

An aerial view shows a white cottage on a wooded loch shore, hills rising steeply behind it.More infoKingairlochSeaview CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 2

The remote one, reached along a winding estate track at the water's edge, sleeping two in stone-built seclusion. If the aim is disappearing for a week, this is the address.

A stone cottage with a slate roof and chimney stands among birch and pine trees on a wooded hillside.More infoKingairlochThe Old Post OfficePlace to stay · Sleeps 2

A stone cottage above the shore of Loch a' Choire with a big lawn where deer graze most mornings. Sleeps two. Letters no longer accepted.

Dunskey House, the castle, in autumn, red and gold ivy over its walls, chimneys and gables.More infoPortpatrickThe Royal ApartmentPlace to stay · Sleeps 10

A self-contained wing of the castle with its own courtyard, sleeping eight in a museum's worth of beds: Italianate canopy, brass-studded rococo, reclaimed colonial wood. Choosing rooms causes arguments.

Fern Forest House, a grey stone house with ivy on its gable and a pale blue door, under a blue sky.More infoPortpatrickFern Forest HousePlace to stay · Sleeps 6

A detached three-bedroom house deep in the Dunskey woods, an open fire in the living room and a firepit in the garden. The estate's waterfalls run loudest after October rain.

Heritage Coachman Lodge's pale blue door in the cobbled stable courtyard, a table and a wooden bench in the sun outside.More infoPortpatrickHeritage Coachman LodgePlace to stay · Sleeps 4

A two-bedroom lodge built around vintage coaching architecture, about as snug as old outbuildings get. Log smoke, long dinners and the estate's woods on the doorstep. Autumn suits it.

Harriet's Lodestar Lodge in the sun, dark walls and a white gable, the outdoor bath and a table on its terrace.More infoPortpatrickHarriet's Lodestar LodgePlace to stay · Sleeps 4

Named for Harriet Tubman and shaped like a gingerbread house beside Dunskey's wrought-iron gates, sleeping four with its own lochside dock. The starlight installations indoors match the real thing outside.

From above, Dunskey House, the castle, its grey gables and chimneys, fields and woods running to the sea behind.More infoPortpatrickThe Velvet UppergroundPlace to stay · Sleeps 4

The penthouse inside Dunskey Castle itself, sleeping four in oversized bedrooms with underfloor heating and the sea on the horizon. Named after the band, mist at the windowpane included.

Artemisia Lodge, a stone house with a stepped gable, glazed doors onto a terrace with a bench and a table.More infoPortpatrickArtemisia LodgePlace to stay · Sleeps 4

Two bedrooms, two ensuite bathrooms and a vast garden on the seaside estate, sleeping four. The artful one of Dunskey's lodges, with 2,000 acres of coast and woodland beyond.

Symphonica Lodge, a long single-storey stone building with a bench by the door, on a gravel drive.More infoPortpatrickSymphonica LodgePlace to stay · Sleeps 4

A single-level lodge for four laid out bungalow-style, the easiest of Dunskey's lodges for families and anyone avoiding stairs. The maze, gardens and beaches all sit close by.

Saltwater Chronicles Lodge, a grey lodge with an outbuilding beside it, seen across the lawn from a gravel path.More infoPortpatrickSaltwater Chronicles LodgePlace to stay · Sleeps 6

Built for two with a private deck overlooking the sea, the closest thing Dunskey has to a front-row hide. October swells put on a show most evenings.

Rose Blair Lodge in the sun, a gabled cottage with a wooden door in a porch, trees behind and a table on the terrace.More infoPortpatrickRose Blair LodgePlace to stay · Sleeps 2

Idyllic glamour near the sea on the Dunskey Estate, with picnic baskets and barbecue kits by arrangement, and rowing boats out on the loch. Champagne optional but traditional.

The front of Wren's Nest, a stone cottage with a pale blue door, a table and chairs and a timber planter on the lawn before it.More infoPortpatrickWren's NestPlace to stay · Sleeps 2

A lodge for two twenty metres from Dunskey's maze and walled garden, superking bed, underfloor heating, and an outdoor bathtub under a camellia tree. Unlimited logs come as standard.

Fawn's Velvet Lodge in the sun, a stone cottage with a pale blue door, daisies on the lawn in front.More infoPortpatrickFawn's Velvet LodgePlace to stay · Sleeps 4

Dunskey's secret-garden lodge, two bedrooms and two bathrooms for four, finished to the estate's ultra-luxe standard. The welcome hamper runs to artisan cheese, and there's a boat on the loch for the borrowing.

Selkie's Haven Lodge, a white building of two wings with pointed slate roofs, a table and a palm on its terrace.More infoPortpatrickSelkie's Haven LodgePlace to stay · Sleeps 2

Beachfront and built for two, named for the seal-folk of the old stories. Galloway sunsets out front, autumn weather rolling in off the Irish Sea, and 2,000 private acres behind.

Recommend to a friend

Hidden Scotland, issue 13

Hidden Scotland, in print.

We want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.

Read it here

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