Boban and Lizzie, the owners of this bespoke, off-grid cabin, met in Zanzibar. He was running traditional dhow cruises, she was a doctor volunteering in the local hospital. In 2015 they moved back to Golspie, the Highland village where Lizzie grew up. While she completed her GP training, Boban started to renovate their new home, a ruined blacksmith's cottage that's now an off-grid retreat where they live with their young family, chocolate Lab and hens.
The Loch Fleet Hideaway, located a caber's throw across the saltmarsh, was Boban's next project. With its smart tin roof and covered decking, and picture windows giving uninterrupted views through the rustling grasses to the shore, it's a birdwatcher's dream bolthole. Curl up on the veranda with a glass of wine as the sun starts to sink, and listen out for the curlews' haunting cry. It's a mesmerising sound - a mindfulness moment straight out of the BBC Springwatch school of meditation.
Next on Boban's agenda is a whisky distillery in the grounds of Dunrobin Castle – the fairytale fortress that is Lizzie's ancestral home.
Highs
- It's Springwatch - or Autumnwatch - on steroids; the reserve is home to waders, buzzards, pine martens, otters and harbour seals
- Clamber up the ladder to the mezzanine for stargazing through the window in the roof
- We loved curling up with a gourmet breakfast in bed: delivered in a wicker basket to your door
- Complimentary tickets to the Duke of Sutherland's ancestral seat, Dunrobin Castle, a turreted chocolate-box confection, for booking through i-escape
Lows
- The price of staying in a nature reserve with walking trails is that people might occasionally wander past
- For heat and hot water it's DIY - you need to keep the wood-burning stove stoked
- Some might find the decor a little spartan, but the simple, pared-back design means you focus on what's outside
- The extra double bed on the mezzanine is accessed via a steep, narrow ladder, so take extra care if little ones are sleeping there
Best time to go
Summer is ideal for spotting ospreys fishing in the estuary, while winter is a good time to scan the mudflats for wading birds. Note that the nearby North Coast 500 can get clogged up with traffic, so if you're after peaceful seclusion, avoid the height of summer. The cabin is open year-round.
Our top tips
This is a wonderful place to really unwind. Bring a book and your binoculars and stay a while. Wandering over the saltmarsh and then returning to the deck and watching wading birds down on the shore as the sun goes down is unforgettable.
Talking of birds, don't miss the falconry display at Dunrobin Castle.
Talking of birds, don't miss the falconry display at Dunrobin Castle.
- Eco Cabin
- 2 bedrooms
- Self-catering
- All ages welcome
- Open all year
- Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach Nearby
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Car recommended
- Parking
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
- Daily Maid Service
- Towels & Bedlinen
- Bicycles Available
Rooms
The cabin is open-plan, with an L-shaped living area, the bed at the back, and the kitchen and lounge at the front. Picture windows face the covered deck and reveal sweeping saltmarsh views. The surprisingly sleek bathroom is enclosed, clad in dramatic black Caithness stone and wood, with piles of fluffy white towels. There's a ladder up to a small mezzanine with a queensize bed for kids (toddlers are allowed but parents should take extra caution) and a stargazing velux window.
It might be off-grid, but it's been expertly handcrafted by Boban. The kitchen units are made from honey-hued sycamore felled in Dunrobin Castle's grounds (and replaced with indigenous Scottish trees), while the interior walls are warm terracotta-toned chipboard. The mid-century style sofa is chic, and local artworks adorn the walls. A roaring fire in the large wood-burning stove heats the hut and hot water. It's the best of both worlds: you can go full digital detox but there is a TV and WiFi if you want to stay connected.
Features include:
- Coffee / tea making
- Fireplace
- Hairdryer
- Minibar
- Radio
- Toiletries
- TV
- Washing machine
- WiFi
Eating
The kitchen is well-kitted out (with a wood-fired stove and hot plate and separate gas rings), but a delicious gourmet breakfast is delivered in a wicker basket – with fresh flowers. Think crispy bacon, roasted tomatoes, free-range eggs (from their hens), a warm baguette and homemade scones wrapped in a cloth, fresh fruit, muesli and organic yoghurt. You'll find a range of kitchen staples awaiting you, such as tea, coffee, sugar, milk, salt, pepper, oil, pasta and rice.
In the nearby village of Golspie, there's a fishmonger along with The Trawler, for sustainably-sourced haddock (battered, breaded or in gluten-free batter) and chips, fish cakes and scampi. At Capaldi's ice-cream parlour, scoop up Belgian chocolate rum truffle, cinnamon latte and after-dinner mint along with more traditional flavours. Or head to Dornoch, where you'll find a local farm butcher's (their own lamb, beef and turkey) as well as The Courtroom, an industrial-chic bar and brasserie dishing up hand-dived Orkney scallops and local game.
Features include:
- Barbecue
- Breakfast
- Chef on request
- Coffee maker
- Dishwasher
- Fridge
- Hob or stove
- Kitchenette
- Organic produce
- Oven
- Toaster
Activities
- You can just hole up here. There are walks from the door through the coastal reserve, a tidal basin fringed by fragrant pine forest and peppered with wildlife-watching hides, and mountain bikes to borrow
- Spot wildlife on the mudflats – keep your eyes peeled for waders in winter (curlews, oystercatchers, dunlin and herons), as well as cormorants, buzzards and osprey, and seals basking on the sandbanks
- There are also hills to climb (Ben Bragghie), beaches to comb (Golspie has a long sweep of golden sand), and whisky distilleries if you fancy a dram (Clynelish the closest)
- Fairytale Dunrobin Castle is pure Disney, more grand chateau than forbidding fortress, with elegant formal gardens to wander
- Picture-postcard pretty Dornoch is just a 15-minute drive south, with its wild, dune-backed beach and 13th-century cathedral
- The northeast coast is home to a number of legendary golf courses: Golspie (James Braid-designed), Brora and Royal Dornoch
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Birdwatching
- Boat trips
- Cycling
- Golf
- Hiking
- Historical sites
- Mountain biking
- Plantlife / flora
- Swimming
- Wildlife
Kids
This is a wonderful place to allow your kids to run wild over the salt marsh and in the surrounding woodland. It's all big open spaces and freedom. Boban and Lizzie have two small children and a big, friendly dog. The whole set-up feels laid-back, relaxed and child-friendly. Nearby there are plenty of bucket-and-spade beaches.
Best for:
All ages
Family friendly accommodation:
There's a double bed up a ladder in the eaves for children.
Families Should Know:
The second bedroom is up a ladder so parents of toddlers and small children should take extra care if letting them sleep there.
Distances:
- Airport: 1hr 15m (Inverness)
- Hospital: 5 minutes
- Shops: 5 minutes
For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection
Location
The Loch Fleet Hideaway is in the Loch Fleet National Nature Reserve, close to the Loch and the coast. It's a 10-minute drive from the village of Golspie, in Sutherland, in the Highlands of Scotland.
By Air:
Inverness Airport (1-hour drive) is the closest, with flights from around the UK.
By Train:
Golspie railway station (5-minute drive) has trains to Inverness (2 hours).
By Car:
It's easiest to arrive by car. There's a parking spot behind the cabin. Edinburgh and Glasgow are a 4-hour drive south, Inverness 1 hour south.
Detailed directions will be sent when you book through i-escape.
Airports:
- Inverness Airport 92.0 km INV
- Edinburgh Airport 324.0 km EDI
Other:
- Beach 0.1 km
- Shops 5.0 km
- Restaurant 5.0 km