Tornahatnach

Tornahatnach was built in the 19th century and has been restored with its character left intact, which puts it among the older cottages on Glenkindie Estate, a working Donside estate on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park. Sleeping five, it suits a family neatly. The three bedrooms give you a king with soft tones and feature wallpaper, a flexible twin with its own en-suite that converts to a super-king on request, and a single upstairs for whoever drew the short straw, though it's a cosy short straw.

The kitchen and dining area is the sociable end of the house, with an Everhot range, a farmhouse sink, a breakfast bar for keeping the cook company, and a built-in dining neuk made for slow breakfasts and late suppers. The living room follows through with comfortable sofas, a wood-burning stove and shelves of books and games, and large windows framing the countryside in every direction. Upstairs, the main bathroom pairs an over-bath shower with colourful tiling and heritage fittings, and there's a separate WC downstairs beside the en-suite, which spares the morning queue.

The garden is enclosed and up to two dogs are welcome. Guests can roam the wider estate, where woodland is gradually being restored and salmon and trout fishing can be arranged on Glenkindie's own stretch of the River Don. Neighbouring cottages Chapelton, Home Farm, Dalgrassick and Greenstyle sleep four to six apiece, so larger parties can take two or more and split the cooking.