Longshot Cottage

This forgotten corner of Scotland is blissfully empty – red squirrels, buzzards, kites and otters are its reclusive residents. Among the hills and forests is a farm run by Richard and Mas; going one step further than organic they practice bio-dynamic farming: their 450 acres flourish naturally, there are orchids, mushrooms, and ancient woodland providing pasture for their cattle and sheep. You stay in a carefully revived 100-year-old cottage: floors are locally-sourced oak, the kitchen uses recycled slate, the insulation is sheep’s wool. And an adjoining stable is a beamed sun lounge with doors to the large grassy garden. Drink in the views from the open porch while swallows flit in and out of the eaves. Both carpeted bedrooms are cosy and comfy with stunning vistas, one is en suite. You get two living rooms with plenty of lounging space and a wood-burner with a basket of logs. There are basics in the kitchen, bikes to borrow, a well-stocked bookcase, local art on the walls. It is almost eerily peaceful here – people come to write and read, or to bike and sail. Balm for the soul.