Tigh Beag Balgowan

Tigh Beag is in Balgowan, up in the Spey Valley. It's just a wee stone cottage, part of a small crofting township. Really quiet up here.

It sleeps three people. There are two bedrooms and one bathroom. It's got a 3 Star rating, so it's comfortable and clean but not luxurious. The main thing is the view out the front, across the valley. It's very good.

The cottage is old, from around 1850. But the kitchen and bathroom are in a modern extension, so they're straightforward and new. The kitchen has everything you'd need. The bathroom has a bath with a shower attachment.

There's a wood burning stove in the living room. That's the heart of the place. Makes it very cosy in the evenings.

You get the garden to yourselves. It's enclosed, which is good for dogs, but we don't take pets here, sorry. There's a lawn at the front and a more sheltered bit at the back.

For things to do, you're right in the Cairngorms National Park. If you walk or watch wildlife, you can just step outside. Red kites and buzzards are common. The Wolftrax mountain bike centre is about ten minutes drive away.

The village of Laggan has a coffee shop. Newtonmore and Kingussie are bigger, with shops and places to eat. Aviemore is about half an hour's drive. That's where you'll find more facilities, and the ski centre and funicular railway up the Cairngorms.

Further out, you can get to Fort William and Ben Nevis in under an hour. The Highland Wildlife Park is near Kincraig.

Facilities included are bedding, towels, a washing machine, WiFi, and parking right by the cottage.