Hill Cottage is the perfect peaceful getaway, situated right on the famous North Coast 500 — Scotland’s spectacular coastal road trip around the northern Highlands. It makes an ideal base for exploring the far North West by car, bike or on foot, with dramatic scenery in every direction.
Uncategorised – Hill Cottage Sutherland
Handa Island wildlife reserve is a stunning place to visit and a great day trip. Guests staying at Hill Cottage only have to walk a mile to Tarbet to catch the seasonal ferry across to Handa, where you land on the beach.
The island comes alive each summer when nearly 100,000 seabirds gather to breed on its magnificent sea cliffs — around 250 puffins breed here too. The best time to see puffins is mid-May to late July, and April to July for the breeding seabirds.
The seasonal ferry runs from April to September each year from nearby Tarbet, where there are public toilets, car parking and a seasonal restaurant. Handa is managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. Please note that dogs are not allowed on Handa, due to the nesting birds.
Sandwood Bay is a natural bay in Sutherland, on the far north-west coast of mainland Scotland. It is best known for its mile-long beach and Am Buachaille, a dramatic sea stack, and lies about five miles south of Cape Wrath. Behind the bay’s large dunes stretches Sandwood Loch, a freshwater loch full of brown trout.
Though remote, with no road access, the bay is easily reached by a four-mile, well-trodden and fairly flat path from the gravel car park at the hamlet of Blairmore. Sandwood Bay is part of the Sandwood Estate, run by the John Muir Trust, and the beach is considered one of the cleanest and most unspoilt in the whole of mainland Britain.
We know your dog is a member of the family, so they are welcome to come on holiday with you too (one well-behaved pet by prior agreement). Hill Cottage has a large fenced and gated garden. Outside of this, please keep your dog on a lead, as there are sheep and cattle on the surrounding croft. They will love running along the local beaches and exploring all the new sights and smells.
Please note that dogs are not allowed on the beds or furniture. Do bring an old towel or blanket, and remember to pick up after them.
We provide 4G internet via ‘North Sat’ — enough to keep in touch while you’re away. Or you may prefer to enjoy a proper digital detox. It is not suitable for working from home, but out here, that is rather the point. The choice is yours.