The Eilanreach Estate

Exploring the Estate

Drive on the A87 from Loch Ness to Shiel Bridge on Loch Duich and then follow 9 miles of road that climbs and winds up Mam Ratagan (glorious views of The Five Sisters of Kintail) to arrive at the village of Glenelg (hotel/restaurant, PO, well-stocked General Store). The Eilanreach Estate starts one further mile south with the 'main road' (single track with passing places!) continuing eight miles down the coast to peter out at the hamlets of Arnisdale and Corran on the shores of Loch Hourn opposite Knoydart.

The Shores of Loch Hourn

This is magnificent scenery on a grand scale with the hills soaring up to 3,000 feet. There are plenty of woodlands, a spectacular waterfall into the shallow River Glenbeag and two Pictish brochs to explore, wonderful walks, masses of quiet spots with stunning views to picnic in and a good pub/restaurant in Glenelg.

The coast is mainly rugged, but at Arnisdale and Sandaig Bay there are sandy/light-shingle beaches. It was at Sandaig Bay where Gavin Maxwell, author of 'Ring of Bright Water', for twenty years rented a lonely cottage on the shore called Camusfearna and wrote vividly of his life with the otters and other animals. In 1968 his favourite otter Edal was killed in a fire that gutted Camusfearna and was buried at the foot of a rowan tree on Sandaig Bay where one year later Gavin Maxwell's ashes were also buried, at his own request, in this lovely place he called his spiritual home.

There are four holiday cottages at Eilanreach in a little gathering of houses about a quarter mile from the shore of The Sound of Sleat. They share a communal laundry-room which has a coin-operated automatic washing machine, tumble drier and freezer for tenants' use. All the cottages also have satellite TV'(with limited channels).