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Why have island holidays always been just that little extra bit special? Is it the fact that crossing water makes it easier to leave your everyday cares behind and throw yourself into the enjoyment of the little microcosm in which you now find yourself?
Off the west coast of Scotland there is an enchantment of islands large and small, strung out like a necklace, each with their very own characteristics, and each one a jewel. Ecosse Unique offers delightful holiday homes on many of them, comfortable, cosy accommodation, often right on the shore, where you can enjoy the delights of these romantic places to the full.
There is the misty Isle of Skye, now readily accessible by the toll-free Skye bridge, where the Red and Black Cuillins are a magnet for hill walkers and climbers, where the landscape changes from the rich fertility of the 'garden of Skye', the Sleat peninsula in the south, to the rugged coastlines of the north of the island. Skye is perhaps the most developed of the Scottish islands, with plenty of interest for all the family.
If you prefer something more peaceful, take a step further across to Raasay, a few minutes ferry trip from the Skye 'mainland', where you seem to step back in time in a wonderful landscape of peace and tranquillity, with stupendous views wherever you look.
Or, for total escapism, what about Rona, another satellite of Skye, resident population two! Access is by an hour long trip by private launch from Portree on Skye, and, once you are there, a twenty minute trek across the island to the three holiday properties situated round a quiet bay, (luggage transported for you on a quad bike) with fabulous views across to Skye proper. No cars, no roads, no shops, no hassle, just you, the deer and the highland cattle!
On the same principle, but rather less remote, is lovely Eilean Shona, another private island lying just off the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Once again, you leave your car on the mainland, and are ferried across to the island, where there are five holiday homes dotted around its circumference, all standing on their own and away from each other in heavenly locations.
Mull is another popular destination, with only one real mountain, but plenty of wilderness and some fabulous, often deserted beaches. At its southernmost tip is the truly magical isle of Iona, where Columba brought Christianity to Scotland in 564 and which, with its Abbey Church, its crystal clear turquoise sea and silver sands, retains its haunting, spiritual atmosphere to this day. Most of our cottages on Mull are very well situated for day trips to Iona and Staffa, site of the awesome Fingal's Cave.
Most accessible of all is Arran, rising to the peak of Goat Fell. With regular sailings from the Ayrshire coast, you don't have to trek away up Scotland to get there. It too offers excellent walking, cycling, riding, swimming and challenging links golf courses.
Then there is Islay, famous for its amazing bird life, and its scarcely less amazing range of distilleries, all of which can be visited and the product sampled! Less developed than Skye and Mull, the pace of life is very relaxed, even to the charming local custom of waving to every other car you pass on the road.
Tiree again is smaller, beloved of surfers who delight in the great Atlantic rollers. Again, it has a tremendous variety of bird life, and some wonderful beaches.
But if you really want to go to the last frontier, then the Outer Hebrides are for you. Effectively the last piece of Scotland before you reach America, they remain relatively undiscovered and unspoiled. With their little crofting townships scattered around the moors, their stunning beaches, where you may not see another soul, walking, sailing, exploring by boat, here you may truly feel a whole world away from your everyday existence.
And finally, to the north, there is Orkney, truly a Treasure island with its rich history, and the archaeological remains of some of Europe's earliest settlers. The magnificent Skara Brae, Maeshowe, the Tomb of the Eagles, all these should not be missed, while the Italian Chapel, the Churchill Barriers and the Naval Museum on Hoy are other must-sees for all the family.
We hope that you will decide to visit one, or even several of these jewels in Scotland's crown, and that you will find a perfect base in one of our cottages listed here. For any further information on the islands or the cottages, do call us and we shall be delighted to discuss your requirements with you.
Sleeps: 2, Bedrooms: 1
Shore Cottage is situated away from the other cottages on the private island of Eilean Shona in a very secluded location, (which does involve a rather longer walk so is unlikely to suit anyone of limited mobility.) Once there, however, you will have fabulous views of the Atlantic, and you will also be close to the little sandy beach at Shoe Bay.
Sleeps: 2, Bedrooms: 1
This typical Hebridean cottage, on the shores of East Loch Tarbert near Grosebay on the Isle of Harris, has been completely renovated by its enthusiastic owners and is a far cry from the bothy it once was. Yet the transformation has been effected with no loss of character, so you have all the charm and the comfort as well. Snuggling into the hillside, with loch views to the front it will certainly appeal to all those looking for a real Hebridean Hideaway.
Sleeps: 3, Bedrooms: 2
Inverarish Cottage is a delightful terraced cottage in the hamlet of the same name, the only village on the lovely island of Raasay, just off the east coast of Skye. A real step back in time, life on Raasay is carried on at a much more relaxed pace than the 21st century norm. A perfect place then, to chill out in peaceful and scenic surroundings.
Sleeps: 4, Bedrooms: 2
This unique, newly renovated cottage has a spectacular situation above Loch Hosta on the Hebridean island of North Uist, and is the only house on the island from where, on a clear day, you can see all the South Hebridean islands and the misty outline of St Kilda, 40 miles out in the Atlantic. Idyllic and peaceful, just a short stroll from a silver sand beach, The Doctor's Bothy is the most unforgettable of holiday homes.
Sleeps: 4, Bedrooms: 2
The Bothy is a taditional stone cottage, now beautifully modernised and refurbished, which snuggles into trees high above the bay where you will land on this most magical of Scottish islands.
Sleeps: 6, Bedrooms: 3
The island of Lismore, just 16km long and 1.5km wide, lies off the west coast of the Scottish mainland between Oban and Appin. At its northern end, in an idyllic setting near the shore, North Cottage is a traditional stone built semi-detached cottage, which has uninterrupted views across the Lynn of Lorne to the mainland. Bright, comfortable and cosy, it is a great place for all the family to relax in lovely surroundings.
