A 200- year-old listed cottage, Old Fisherman's Cottage, right on the coast in the quaint conservation village of Avoch 10 miles north of Inverness and less than one mile south of the small Cathedral town of Fortrose (sandy beach, golf-links) on the peninsula called 'The Black Isle', is one of the original detached traditional stone fisherman's cottages which give the village such tremendous character. You step down into this cottage from the quiet, winding shore road, and from its tiny shore garden. Unusually for houses in the village, most windows face south towards the Moray Firth and from its top windows, you can, if you're lucky, see the famous pods of bottle nosed dolphins as they swim towards the inner narrows.
Double-glazed, cosy and charming, it is sympathetically furnished with all modern comforts. With a downstairs twin bedroom and en suite shower (with underfloor heating) and a further double bedroom, single bedroom and bathroom upstairs , it provides conveniently configured and quite ideal holiday accommodation. The shingle shore is just over the garden wall and the little shops, pubs and eating places of this tiny working village are within easy walking distance.
By car, locally, you can easily discover Rosemarkie, the prime dolphin-spotting site at Chanonry Point (where there is also an excellent golf course) the old town of Cromarty at the head of the peninsula, and all this unspoilt, historic, scenically-beautiful area.
Further afield, the West Coast (Torridon, Gairloch, Ullapool area), the Moray Coast, Loch Ness - even Skye - can be visited. Alternatively, you can head due north and reach John o'Groats within a couple of hours, where, from Gill's Bay, you can take the ferry for a day trip to Orkney.
Heating is by open-fire (starter pack INCLUDED) and electric underfloor and night store heaters (£10 electricity INCLUDED). Bed-linen and towels are INCLUDED. Up to two small to medium size dogs are welcome by arrangement. Sorry, no smoking int he cottage.
