About this listing
Discover this luxurious 100-year-old renovated croft, with stunning views to the islands and on the Wanderlust’s top 5 scenic railway routes – stroll iconic film location, sugar sand white beaches and view the famous Hogwarts Express from your doorstep.
Stay in a beautifully renovated highland croft house
Ard Choille has been beautifully renovated offering a fabulous holiday base for up to five guests. Ideal for two couples or a family of five, the property offers two double bedrooms as well as a single bed. All rooms flood with light from all angles and the separate living area enjoys two comfortable sofas with wonderful views, to relax in an evening after a day’s adventures. The kitchen and dining area are open plan, maximising the flow of the property and the veranda doors from the dining room open out onto the decking. The kitchen is fully equipped for your use with microwave, oven and grill tower, dishwasher as well as a separate laundry area/utility room with washer and dryer. The grounds of Ard Choille are beautifully landscaped offering a safe playing place for families with children to enjoy while on holiday. The house is set within a croft with ample parking spaces for guests’ vehicles and there is access to the natural croft land straight from the house.
A wildly romantic location
The property is situated on the West Coast highlands of Scotland, approx. 45 miles from Fort William, 3 miles from Morar, 7 miles from Mallaig and Arisaig. With a plethora of romantic beaches close to hand and two lochs, a fresh water loch close by, Loch Morar and Loch Nevis to explore over in Knoydart. Loch Morar has its own unusual inhabitant Morag, a pun on the name of the loch, Morag is often referred to as ‘Nessie’s cousin’, (The Loch Ness Monster) with Loch Morar just 70 miles from Loch Ness. First reported in 1887 – over 80 years after the first sighting of the Loch Ness Monster, Morag has been seen over 30 times since. In 1948, a ‘peculiar, serpent-like creature about 20ft long’ was reported by a group of people in a boat, in the same location as the sighting in 1887. The Loch Ness Investigation Bureau have taken a keen interest in these waters having expanded its search to include the nearby Loch Morar in the early 1970s. Loch Nevis is an open water sea loch and takes you to the rough bounds of Knoydart an excellent day out with guided ranger walks, bike tracks and mainland Britain’s remotest pub (Guinness book of records). In between these two lochs there are mountains to scale, coastal paths to stroll, beaches to relax on and wildlife to enjoy. You wont be short of things to see and do, not to mention the historical associations with the Jacobites, Glenfinnan monument and the geology of the area.
Family adventures and stunning walking
Harry Potter fans will be excited to learn that they can follow in the wizard’s footsteps and take the Jacobite steam train for a day trip on the stunning railway line across the Glenfinnan monument. Plenty of stunning walks and paths to explore or try the circular route to Tarbet and catch the Mallaig Ferry back up Loch Nevis (Gaelic for Heaven). Take a stroll along the silvery sugar white sands at Morar, immortalised in the Burt Lancaster classic film ‘Local Hero’ or head to Mallaig for fresh fish and chips on the pier. Kayak hire is available from Arisaig, where you can take in the shoreline secrets and see the natural habitat of our coastal wildlife. There’s also a mountain to climb, the highest in Scotland, Ben Nevis; or you can simply take the relaxing way up by gondola with lunch at the top on the highest mountain in Scotland.
Spectacular wildlife and bird watching can be found locally, with golden eagle and eagle sightings nearby. Traigh Golf course offers a challenging 9-hole golf course for golfing enthusiasts or you can choose to visit the many beaches nearby and explore rock pools with the family. In the winter or summer, Nevis Range offers skiing and hosts the downhill MTB (Mountain Bike championships) as well as biking courses and trails and tracks with a great bike hire facility.
Mallaig is only a short car journey away where you can catch the ferry to Skye and the Small Isles. There are spectacular beaches nearby including the: Silver Sands of Morar; Camusdaroch, Traigh and many more. You’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing somewhere special to eat out. There are many good restaurants in Mallaig as well as places for a light lunch and the freshest of fish, most landed or dived for the day you dine. The West Highland Hotel, Steam Inn, The Tea Garden for delicious coffee and cake and light lunches or there’s the Clachain Bar and the Cornerstone restaurant. If it’s good old fashioned fish and chips on the pier then Mallaig will not disappoint. You can enjoy a music session held on Sunday afternoons in the Crofters Bar in the Arisaig Hotel as well as occasional music events in the West Highland Hotel, Clachain or Steam Inn. Arisaig House offers delicious dining by reservations, a grand old estate house with an interesting past having been requisitioned during the war by the ex SOE (Special Operations Executive) to use as a commando base in training men and women and about 15 minute’s drive from Ard Choille.
Families will love the relaxed vibe of Ard Choille, close enough to the ferry port and fishing village of Mallaig for creating new adventures yet peacefully located for a truly relaxing stay with family or friends.
Terms and Conditions of Booking:
The maximum number of occupants must not exceed 5. The letting period is from arrival on Saturday 4 pm through to the following Saturday 10 am (flexible arrival day between Nov.- March). The rental price is fully inclusive of oil central heating, electricity, towels & bedlinen. A fortnightly booking enjoys a £50 discountA 25% non refundable deposit is requested at the point of booking, with the balance payable 1 month prior to arrival (short breaks payable in full). Ard-Choille Croft is a no smoking property and please kindly note in the interests of all guests comforts we do not accept pets. An £80 Good Housekeeping deposit is requested 4 weeks prior to arrival and will be promptly returned when the cottage is left as found.
Rates :
Prices 2023 | Â Weekly Rate | Â Minibreak |
January |  £750 |  £105 PN 3 nights min |
February, March |  £750 |  £105 PN 3 nights min |
April, May |  £850 |  £120 PN 3 nights min |
June,July, August |  £850 |  n/a |
September, October |  £850 |  n/a |
November- December |  £750 |  £95 PN 3 nights min |
Christmas |  £950 |  n/a |
New Year/Hogmanay | £950 |  n/a |
Guests Comments :
“Lovely Cottage – Good location, just one mile into Mallaig which is walkable as parking can often be an issue in Mallaig. Lovely kitchen and a good layout. Small bathroom with shower only. Quiet location , the train is not too frequent but seeing the steam train is lovely. Lovely sunsets to be seen just 5 minutes walk from the cottage. Good walk out the back of the cottage to Lake Nostarie. Great base for this area of the west coast of Scotland. Close to Arisaig and the beaches of Taigh and Camusdarach which are gorgeous. We also visited the Knoydart Peninsula On the Western Isles cruises boat from Mallaig harbour as well as the Isles of Skye and Rum on the Calmac from Mallaig. Good WiFi and a smart Tv and a nice spot to sit out on the deck. Would recommend this cottage.”
“A really superb holiday cottage. The whole cottage is very clean and comfortable with an exceptional kitchen. Great location for walking, cycling and sightseeing and exploring the Highlands and the Isle of Skye.”
“I stayed at Ard Choille Croft for a week at the end of July. My party was two adults and three teens. We all enjoyed the setting and particularly the property’s open plan kitchen/dining area and the good-sized decking area skirting its front. The area around the property was full of interest to all of us and offered lots of options during a week of mixed weather. Highlights were an informal walk along the Silver Sands beach; a boat trip from Arisaig to Eig and Rum; a day on Skye via the Mallaig car ferry; the ‘Harry Potter’ train passing by four times a day; and the excellent (if a little pricey) bakehouse in the town for sour dough loaves, croissants, pizzas and more. I can certainly recommend this well-priced property and would suggest that reading its logbook at the start of your stay would be time well spent as it is full of useful suggestions from previous visitors.”
“Fantastic stay at the Ard Choile Croft cottage, the cottage was spotlessly clean with excellent facilities, very comfortable and warm with stunning views. There are walks nearby to local lochs and a mile to Mallaig harbour town, if walking to the lochs then sturdy footwear needed as the ground is very boggy, would recommend the west highland hotel in Mallaig town for drinks as family friendly and a cracking view of the bay, would also recommend an island boat trip from nearby arisaig. A highlight from our stay was seeing the steam train going past the cottage. Will hope to be returning ourselves to this cottage and would strongly recommend for a lovely stay.”
“Fantastic cottage in a great location – We had a wonderful stay at Ard Choille croft – the cottage was very comfortable, spacious, and spotlessly clean. The owners were very helpful, answering lots of questions before we arrived. Our three young children had a great time, with lots to explore from the doorstep, including visiting Alice the pig, and an easy walk up to the beautiful Loch Nostarie. The Jacobite steam train (or Hogwarts Express as far as my kids are concerned!) passing by every day made the holiday extra special, and the owners have really made the most of the fabulous views and train spotting opportunities with a lovely big deck and great outside space. Location was perfect for us – very close to the amenities of Mallaig (local shops, pubs, cafes and boat trips etc etc), but still felt very much away from it all. Fabulous beaches and walks all within easy reach. Could not recommend this place highly enough – we hope to be back soon!”
Details
- Guests: 5 | Bedrooms: 3 | Beds: 3 | Bathrooms: 1 | Rooms: 1
- Check-in After: 4:00 PM
- Check-out Before: 9:30 AM
Features
Amenities
- Baby Cot
- Coffee Machine
- Disabled Access
- Dishwasher
- Family Friendly
- Free Parking
- Garden
- Hairdryer
- Highchair
- Microwave
- Music System
- Sea views
- Secure Bike Storage
- Sky TV
- Smart TV
- Tumble Dryer
- TV Cable
- Washing Machine
- Wi-Fi
Map
Terms & rules
- Smoking allowed: No
- Pets allowed: No
- Party allowed: No
- Children allowed: Yes
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