Cottage Holidays Scotland

Scottish Islands - holiday cottages surrounded by sea and natural beauty

Scotland extends into the seas with dominion over hundreds of some of the remotest, yet accessible, islands imaginable, many of which play host to the most delightful holiday cottages welcoming thousands of visitors to the region every year.

Typified by a varied landscape of cliffs, mountains and moorlands to crofts, lochs, meadows and sandy beaches, the Western Isles are a popular tourist destination. Lewis is the largest of the Western Isles, with over 6,000 people living in the main port of Stornoway alone. North Uist and South Uist follow in size and each has its own craggy and beautiful character. At 13 miles long, it takes roughly 45 miles to travel around North Uist. South Uist has over 20 miles of brilliant white shell beaches running continuously down the west coast.

Noted for its beauty - the smallest and most remote of the main Western Isles is Barra. This is a compact paradise offering cycling on secluded roads, walking, heritage, wildlife, flora and fauna.

The Inner Hebrides comprise Skye and Rhum and hundreds of smaller uninhabited rocky islands off Scotland’s western coast. On Skye, inlets, bays and islands create a complex finger pattern with the sea. Tiny villages and historic keeps are everywhere and you can enjoy celebrated Gaelic music festivals, internationally admired exhibitions of local art, ceilidhs and yacht racing. Hebridean holiday cottages are very warm and welcoming all through the year.

Meanwhile, extending into the cold North Sea, are the Orkney and Shetland Isles. Orkney (populated by some 15,000 Orcadians) is an island of green fields and hills, stone pinnacles rising out of the sea, rugged cliffs and sandy beaches. It’s main attraction is its ancient history. From the Stone Age to the Picts and Vikings, the islands have numerous sites of archaeological interest.

Holiday cottages in a picturesque wilderness

There are 15 inhabited islands among more than 100 islands in the northern archipelago of Shetland. Towering cliffs fringe the sea, hills roll into moors and fascinating geological formations abound. The main islands are Mainland, Yell and Unst, while Fair Isle, home of the eponymous pullover, is located to the south of the main Shetland group.

When you are booking your holiday cottage in the Scottish Islands remember to think about transport, whether you are flying in or coming by bridge or ferry, driving your own car or renting. When you arrive, you can use your holiday cottage as a base for a gorgeous walking holiday, or bring your cycles and work up a big appetite so that you can enjoy traditional Scotish food when you return to your cottage in the evening.