Sandwoodway Balchrick

Sandwoodway is in Balchrick, up near Rhiconich in the far north-west of Scotland. It's a detached, single-storey cottage. The views are good, you're looking out over the hills. It's very quiet.

It says it sleeps six but there are only two bedrooms, so you'd be sharing. Both bedrooms have their own shower room. There's a third bathroom on the ground floor. It's a 4 Star place, so it's comfortable and well-equipped.

The main living area is open plan. There's a woodburning stove for colder nights and underfloor heating downstairs. The kitchen has a dishwasher and a washing machine. The garden is enclosed, which is handy if you're bringing a dog. You can bring one dog.

You're right on the edge of the wild bit up here. The road north to Durness starts just past the house. Ben Stack and Foinaven are right there if you want to climb them. The famous Sandwood Bay beach is about a 20 minute drive down a track, then a walk. There are other beaches along that coast too.

Handa Island is a short drive away. You can get a boat over from Tarbet. It's a bird reserve run by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. It's good for puffins in the summer.

For a bigger shop or a meal out, you'd drive to Durness or Laxford Bridge. It's all quite spread out up here, so you do a bit of driving. If you're interested in the local landscape and history, the North Highlands Initiative site has decent information.

Facilities are all there: parking, TV, WiFi, bedding and towels are included. It's a good base if you want to properly get away from things.