Ranah

A Holiday Cottage in the North-West Highlands of Scotland

Ranah is available to rent for photographers, hikers and regular holiday-goers alike. The area is of particular interest to photographers as the scenery and landscapes available are some of the most stunning in the world. Contrary to popular belief, the sun does come out a fair bit up here.

For wildlife photographers there is a lot of biodiversity in the area. Wester Ross has many raptor species and sea bird species along with the usual passerines including some rare visitors. Sea mammals such as seals, porpoises and dolphins can regularly be seen from the beaches and coastlines. We also famously have otters, pine martens, red squirrels and red foxes. The area has invertebrate populations galore including many moth and beetle species.

Ranah is a beautiful old Crofters cottage in the Highlands of North-West Scotland in Wester Ross (say it quickly and it’s Westeros, for the Game of Thrones fans). Stunning mountain ranges surround the cottage, especially to the rear where Beinn Ghobhlach (Ben Gowlach – ‘The Forked Hill’) can be seen clearly on both misty and sunny days. Laide is situated on Loch Ewe with views out to sea. The stunning and enjoyable Inverewe Gardens are a 10 minute drive away. There are numerous nearby beaches including more secluded and secret ones which may take a few days to find.

Beyond the mainland is the Summer Isles. Boat trips can be taken to Stornaway and Skye from nearby. The Skye bridge is around an hour’s drive away. Gairloch is about a 20 minute drive from the cottage. Whale watching trips can be taken from Gairloch harbour. There is also a museum and pony trecking routes from Gairloch.

The property is in excellent condition throughout. It is light and airy with plenty of views out onto the surrounding landscapes. Fast broadband connection is available to those staying in the cottage with good coverage. Off-road parking is plentiful with room for up to 3 cars parked considerately with respect for neighbours.

There is a large open kitchen dining area with gas range cooker and wooden flooring. All washing amenities are available including washing machine and dryer, dishwasher etc.

A tiled hallway area leads from the kitchen to the living room which is spacious and has a log burner at one end, TV and Xbox. Games, DVDs and books on the shelves are avilable to use for anyone staying in the cottage. There is a sofa and armchair, and other seating. The room is particularly warm and cosy with deep stone walls and two large windows.

Leading from the hallways towards the upstairs is a downstairs tiled bathroom with bath, overhead shower, toilet and sink.

Upstairs contains 3 bedrooms: 1 x King-size bed in a good-sized bedroom with wardrobe and chest of drawers for storage while you stay. There is 1 x double bedroom with wardrobe and a brand new en-suite including large shower. Lastly there is a good-sized bedroom with 2 x twin beds, clothes hanging facilities and TV.

From the back door there is an internal tiled cloakroom walkway with shoe rack and coat hanger.

Outside there is a well-kept, private and peaceful cottage garden with lawn and clothes lines, paths and a stream (burn) at the bottom. There is a gate and foot bridge across the stream leading from the property garden, where walkers can stroll straight out onto fields and mountains to the rear of the property.

There is an outside decking and eating area in the garden with furniture and parasol, a firepit, patio area and storage.

The cottage sleeps 6 people. Clean bedding is provided.

A maximum of 2 pets can stay free of charge (a dog bed is provided). If you choose to stay in the cottage with cats please ensure that they remain secure for your stay. We don’t want you to lose precious pets in the wilderness. Pet rats, rabbits, hamsters etc. are also welcome if kept secure and clean.

The property is lived in by us for some of the year so we expect anyone staying to respect our house and observe the rules provided upon your arrival including leaving the property as you found it. The property is regularly cleaned and will be cleaned and inventory checked upon each holiday departure.

A security deposit of £200 is payable directly to us upon booking the cottage. Security deposits will be refunded within 14 days of the date of your departure from the cottage once an inventory check has been made during changeover and any damage or breakages have been taken into account.

The cottage is currently available for booking here.

Due to government guidelines on coronavirus best practice for changeovers (cleaning and checking the cottage after/prior to guests staying) the time for arrivals and departures have been amended. Arrival must now be 5pm or later, and departure from the cottage must be by 9am at the latest. This allows us time to thoroughly clean, disinfect and air the property before new guest arrivals. Clearly, this is primarily to the benefit of guests and adherence to these changes in time of departure and arrival is appreciated.

For bookings please use this link: