Twenty five miles west of Pitlochry, The Dall Estate on the shores of Loch Rannoch, one of the jewels of Highland Perthshire, dates back to 1347, and until earlier this century was the principal seat of the Robertson Clan. It has at its heart a magnificent and romantic Scots Baronial style mansion house designed by Thomas Mackenzie. A short drive on Estate roads through the trees on the edge of the Black Wood of Rannoch will bring you to a little enclave of houses, peaceful and secluded, and Chead Tigh is one of two modern and extremely well appointed, spacious, detached bungalows there which are now uniquely available for holiday letting, each sleeping up to eight people. They can be rented either individually or, taken together, they present a perfect opportunity for larger parties who want to holiday together while retaining a modicum of privacy.
As Chead Tigh is completely surrounded by woodland and far from roads, children will love the freedom which the situation offers as will walkers, who are welcome to wander through the Black Wood which is part of the largest remaining remnants of the ancient Caledonian pine forests and as, such, teems with wildlife. You can look out for osprey, golden eagles, red squirrels, pine martens as well as herds of deer which emerge from the woods to graze on the estate at dawn and dusk.
Internally, Chead Tigh is very well furnished and equipped, with an L-shaped living room, with open fire, a well-fitted kitchen, and four bedrooms, one of which is en suite. There are lawns to front and rear (furniture) and parking at the door.
Beyond the bounds of the Dall Estate, there is the beautiful loch itself, with endless opportunities for sailing, fishing and picnicking. At its westernmost end is Rannoch Station, the second most remote station in Britain, where you can catch a train across lonely Rannoch Moor to Fort William and the west coast. The village of Kinloch Rannoch (5m) at the other end of the loch has a shop, café, hotel and outward bound school, with many activities. From there too, you can climb the distinctive peak of Schiehallion, the Fairy Mountain. If you continue eastwards, you will come to Loch Tummel, with the incomparable Queen's View, and then the bustling Highland town of Pitlochry, famous for its theatre and fish ladder, but with many other attractions. It is on the A9 trunk road, which will bear you quickly north to Inverness, or south to the Fair City of Perth. The Duke of Atholl's seat at Blair Castle is well worth a visit, while shop-a-holics will be thrilled with the House of Bruar, just north of Blair Atholl which offers all manner of treats.
Ski-ers and outward bound enthusiasts will find that, once on the A9, they are less than an hour from Aviemore, the Cairngorms and the very many attractions which the central Highlands have to offer.
Bed linen, towels, central heating and the first £10 of electricity are INCLUDED in the rental. Sorry, pets are not accepted and smoking is not permitted within the cottages. An extra pull-out bed is available if required (charge).
