Bydand Cottage Melness

Bydand Cottage is a stone croft house in Melness, in the very north of Scotland. It's detached and on a working croft that's been in my family a long time. You'll have it to yourselves. The main thing is the view. You look straight out over the Kyle of Tongue and the sea. You get that from the front garden and the living room.

It sleeps five in three bedrooms. There's one bathroom, downstairs. It's got a 4 Star rating. It's comfortable and clean, but it's an old croft house. I should mention the stairs. They're in the original part of the cottage and they're quite steep and narrow. You need to be careful on them.

The hamlet is quiet. There's a decent local pub about 200 yards up the lane. They do food. The nearest shop is about half a mile away. For a bigger supermarket or more choice, you drive to Tongue, which is about seven miles.

You can walk straight from the cottage. Down to the shore, or up onto the hills. The beach at Torrisdale Sands is a short drive, maybe five minutes. Ben Hope, the most northerly Munro, is about a 20 minute drive for a serious climb. For sailing or kayaking, there's a slipway nearby at the harbour.

Inside, there's a wood burner in the living room, a TV, a washing machine, and a fully fenced back garden. It's safe for kids and we allow one well-behaved dog. Bedding and towels are included. You park right outside.

Useful links if you're looking into the area: Walkhighlands for Sutherland and National Trust for Scotland. The Trust has places all over, though the nearest big one to you would probably be Balmacara Estate, about an hour and a half south.