Cor An Easan Melness

Cor An Easan is in Melness, up in the very far north of the Highlands. It's a proper croft cottage, so it's detached and there's no one right on top of you. You turn off the road down a short track to get to it.

It sleeps six but there are only two bedrooms. One is a double and the other has bunk beds and a double bed in it, so it's a family setup really. It's rated 3 Star. It's clean and it works, but it's not luxury. It's got a woodburning stove, which is good because you'll need it. The stairs are narrow and steep. Not a huge issue, but worth knowing if you've got bad knees.

The view is the main thing. You look straight out over this big sandy bay. On a clear day you can see the mountains, Ben Hope and Ben Loyal, in the distance. It's quiet. The only noise is the wind and the sheep.

There's a pub and a restaurant about half a mile away. A shop is about a mile. The beach is less than that, a sandy one. You can get to it on foot. If you've brought a small boat, there's a slipway a mile away.

If you fish, the area is known for it. Salmon, sea trout. You can get permits locally. There's horse riding at Torrisdale Sands, which is a few miles down the coast.

The village of Tongue is about a ten minute drive. It's got a shop, a petrol station, a hotel, and another good pub. For a bigger supermarket or hardware store, you're looking at about a forty minute drive to Thurso.

Facilities wise: there's a washing machine, a cot and a highchair if you need them, bedding and towels are included. The garden is enclosed, which is handy with dogs or kids. Parking is right there. You can bring up to three pets.

Useful links if you're planning trips: Walkhighlands for Sutherland and NatureScot for Ben Hope NNR.