Enjoy the Cromarty sunsets from the garden patio, make the most of the area's fine local ingredients on the kitchen's Rayburn and come home to a roaring open fire after walks around town.

 

Accommodation details

• 2 storeys



• Sleeps 6 - 2 doubles, 1 twin



• Sitting room with open fire



• Kitchen



• Dining room/study area



• Bathroom with bath and shower over bath



• WC with wash basin



• Garden with patio



• Oil fired central heating



• Free parking on Church Street, around the corner

 

About the area

Cromarty has plenty to enchant both travellers and holidaymakers: sandy beaches, Georgian architecture, bottlenose dolphins, and bird colonies of international importance. It first became a Royal Burgh in the 13th century. In the 1700s salt-fish processing and sea-trade helped to swell the town's economy, and many of its famous merchants' houses date from this era.

 

Cromarty is only 40 minutes' drive from Inverness, the "capital of the Highlands".

 

Things to do

• Visit the birthplace of Hugh Miller. Miller was a stonemason, geologist and writer, whose thatched cottage is now a museum with a colourful garden of native plants.



• Climb the 'Hundred steps' to South Sutor, accessed via the Reeds Park Path along the shore at the east end of town. The Sutors are rocks on either side of the firth thought once to be the abode of two giant shoemakers.



• You'll be less than an hour's drive from Culloden. Discover the story behind the Jacobite uprising and the last battle to be fought on Scottish soil.

 

Getting there

Cromarty is 22 miles north-east of Inverness. From the Kessock Bridge in Inverness, follow the A9 north until signs for A832 to Cromarty.

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The house lies at the heart of Falkland's cobbled streets and old buildings, and is a perfect base from which to explore the rich history and rolling countryside of this picturesque part of Fife.

 

A stay at St Andrews House includes a complimentary visit to the Palace and gardens for non-members, during normal property opening hours.

 

Accommodation details

• First floor



• Sleeps 4 - 2 twin bedrooms



• Sitting room



• Kitchen



• Dining room



• Bathroom with bath only



• Gas central heating from gas fire with back boiler



• Immersion water heating



• Parking space available, plus free car park in the village, a short walk away



• A spiral staircase leads to the property which is regrettably not suitable for the infirm

 

About Falkland Palace

With a history that includes a murderous duke, an imprisoned king, several changes of hands and some of Mary Queen of Scots's happiest country days, Falkland Palace is a treasure trove of history, brought to life by exquisitely restored display rooms.

 

The current palace was built between 1450 and 1541 and served as the hunting residence of the Stewart kings and queens. Its tapestry corridor containing 17th century Flemish masterpieces is unmissable, as are the gardens which contain the oldest real (or royal) tennis court in Britain, built for James V.

 

About the area

History runs deep in the village of Falkland, a former Royal Burgh inhabited since before the 12th century. The Falkland hunting estate was given to Duncan Macduff, 6th earl of Fife in 1160 and served as a base for royalty and aristocracy right up until the twentieth century.

 

Falkland also found fortune as a weaving town, and in 1792 an estimated third of the village's population were weavers. Cobbled wynds, an old horsemarket and no less than 28 listed buildings add to the village's historic charm.

 

There are international restaurants and traditional pubs in the village, plus a small supermarket with a post office. To source your own local food, have a look at www.fifediet.co.uk for details on nearby farmers markets.

 

Things to do

• Spend a day at the seaside on one of Fife's famous beaches. West Sands at St Andrews, Silver Sands at Aberdour, Elie and Burntisland have all received the prestigious blue flag award, meaning they are safe, clean and have great facilities.



• Scale the summit of East Lomond, a 424m hill looming over Falkland's south west side. For the brave, its wooded slopes also have a series of downhill mountainbiking tracks.



• Soak up Edwardian elegance at Hill of Tarvit. A classic mansion house remodelled in 1906, there are 'upstairs' and 'downstairs' rooms to explore as well as a rose and kitchen garden.

 

Getting there

Falkland lies 11 miles north of Kirkcaldy on the A912. < Hide

 

The windows overlook the old courtyard, a remnant of the Royal Mile's medieval 'fishbone' structure, where closes, wynds and courts led down off the High Street's central spine. Though comfortably refurbished now, in Gledstanes's day living conditions in these 'high-rise' buildings were cramped. Records show that at one time or another he let parts of the building to a merchant, a minister, a knight and a guild officer.

 

Accommodation details

• Fourth floor



• Sleeps 2 - 1 twin bedroom



• Sitting room with gas fire



• Gas central heating



• Kitchen



• Bathroom with bath and shower



• As access is via a steep turnpike staircase, regretfully this property is not suitable for the infirm

 

 

About Gladstone's Land

A tall, narrow, six-storey 17th century townhouse, Gladstone's Land offers two floors of restored display rooms, giving a fascinating glimpse into the grandeur and the squalor of town life 400 years ago.

 

About the area

Edinburgh still buzzes with a mercantile spirit and there are always farmers markets, craft fairs, buskers and festivals to be discovered around the centre. In August the Royal Mile comes alive with street performers; at Christmas time the smell of mulled wine fills the air around Princes Street when the annual German market comes to town.

 

Things to do

• Follow the High Street from the crags of the Castle down to the medieval abbey and Palace of Holyrood, or wander down one of Edinburgh's infamous closes that lead from the Royal Mile towards Princes Street.



• There are plenty of restaurants dotted up and down the High Street serving Scottish and international fare, but for fine healthy local produce, head to the Saturday morning farmers market on Castle Terrace, a short walk away.



• See how the other half lived, in the National Trust for Scotland's lavishly refurbished Georgian House, across in Edinburgh's New Town.

 

Getting there

Gladstone’s Land is located in the Lawnmarket at the top of the Royal Mile. There is no parking available outside the property. Waverley Railway station is a ten-minute walk or a short taxi ride away. Edinburgh International airport offers a bus link to Waverley Station. < Hide

 

The apartment is one of three designed by architect Sir Frank Mears and was originally intended to provide housing for people of limited means - the first tenant paid just 4s 6d per week. Helen Harrison donated the flat to the Trust in 1934.

 

Accommodation details

• Second floor



• Sleeps 2 - 1 twin bedroom



• Sitting room with gas fire



• Gas central heating



• Kitchen



• Bathroom with bath and shower over bath



• As access is via a steep turnpike staircase, regretfully this property is not suitable for the infirm

 

About Gladstone's Land

A tall, narrow, six-storey 17th century townhouse, Gladstone's Land offers two floors of restored display rooms, giving a fascinating glimpse into the grandeur and the squalor of town life 400 years ago.

 

About the area

Edinburgh still buzzes with a mercantile spirit and there are always farmers markets, craft fairs, buskers and festivals to be discovered around the centre. In August the Royal Mile comes alive with street performers; at Christmas time the smell of mulled wine fills the air around Princes Street when the annual German market comes to town.

 

Things to do

• Follow the High Street from the crags of the Castle down to the Palace of Holyrood, or wander down one of Edinburgh's closes that lead from the Royal Mile towards Princes Street.



• There are plenty of restaurants dotted up and down the High Street serving Scottish and international fare, but for fine healthy local produce, head to the Saturday morning farmers market on Castle Terrace, a short walk away.



• See how the other half lived, in the National Trust for Scotland's lavishly refurbished Georgian House, across in Edinburgh's New Town.

 

Getting there

Gladstone’s Land is located in the Lawnmarket at the top of the Royal Mile. There is no parking available outside the property. Waverley Railway station is a ten-minute walk or a short taxi ride away. Edinburgh International airport offers a bus link to Waverley Station.

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The O'Neill Flat has been refurbished in gorgeous Scottish style, blending contemporary luxury into period detail. Mrs O'Neill who owned the flat in the mid-1900s, was a caretaker for the Saltire Society, a charity formerly based in the building.

 

Accommodation details

• Fifth and sixth floor



• Sleeps 4 - 1 double, 1 twin bedroom



• Sitting room with dining area



• Gas central heating



• Kitchen



• Shower room



• As access is via a steep turnpike staircase, regretfully this property is not suitable for the infirm

About Gladstone's Land

A tall, narrow, six-storey 17th century townhouse, Gladstone's Land offers two floors of restored display rooms, giving a fascinating glimpse into the grandeur and the squalor of town life 400 years ago.

 

About the area

Edinburgh still buzzes with a mercantile spirit and there are always farmers markets, craft fairs, buskers and festivals to be discovered around the centre. In August the Royal Mile comes alive with street performers; at Christmas time the smell of mulled wine fills the air around Princes Street when the annual German market comes to town.

 

Things to do

• Follow the High Street from the crags of the Castle down to the Palace of Holyrood, or wander down one of Edinburgh's closes that lead from the Royal Mile towards Princes Street.



• There are plenty of restaurants dotted up and down the High Street serving Scottish and international fare, but for fine healthy local produce, head to the Saturday morning farmers market on Castle Terrace, a short walk away.



• See how the other half lived, in the National Trust for Scotland's lavishly refurbished Georgian House, across in Edinburgh's New Town.

Getting there

Gladstone’s Land is located in the Lawnmarket at the top of the Royal Mile. There is no parking available outside the property. Waverley Railway station is a ten-minute walk or a short taxi ride away. Edinburgh International airport offers a bus link to Waverley Station. < Hide

Set in acres of surrounding greenery, Holmwood's former Coach House would have accommodated the merchant owner's stable grooms. The house has plenty of space for all the family, with its own enclosed garden for children to play in safely.

 

Accommodation details

• 2 storey - entry is on the first floor via an external stairway



• Sleeps 5 - 1 double, 1 twin, 1 single



• Sitting room/dining area



• Kitchen



• Spacious bathroom with bath and shower over bath



• Downstairs WC with wash basin



• Gas central heating



• Electric fire in sitting room



• Private parking available

 

... Our guests said...

"... a beautiful property in a beautiful setting...As my wife wrote in the visitors book, it is like a suburban oasis. Thank you so much." (Mr.Knowles, Wallasey)

 

About Holmwood House

James Couper, a local paper manufacturer commissioned the building of Holmwood House in 1857. By 1858 it was complete, designed by Alexander 'Greek' Thomson and widely thought to be his finest domestic work.

 

Richly ornamented with neo-classical motifs and acres of surrounding greenery, the house is a symbol of how mercantile wealth grew to compete with aristocratic inheritance during this fascinating period in history.

 

About the area

Glasgow is a vibrant cultural hub, home to world-class art exhibitions, pioneering theatre practitioners and Scotland's national ballet company.

 

Holmwood is ten minutes away from Glasgow city centre by train, with a walk of ten minutes to the station.

 

Things to do

• Cook up a storm with fresh vegetables purchased from Holmwood's own vegetable garden.



• Spend a night at the theatre. The Citizens Theatre offers traditionally staged plays, the Arches has great atmosphere and an avant garde programme, while the Tramway is a fantastic contemporary space created from an old tram shed.



• Visit the Tenement House to see a different side of Glasgow life, from the early 20th century. This four room house was lived in by independent woman, Miss Agnes Toward for over 50 years.

 

Getting there

Holmwood is on Netherlee Road, Cathcart, Glasgow and is 4 miles south of the city centre. Netherlee Road is off Clarkston Road (B767). The nearest station is Cathcart, 1 mile away.

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Inside, the apartment is furnished in classic cottage style, while the building is a perfect example of traditional Borders sandstone houses.

Guests who are non-members staying at Pear Cottage will have free access to Priorwood Garden during normal opening hours.

Accommodation details

• First floor - 12 steps to front door with hand rail



• Sleeps 2 - 1 double



• Sitting room



• Kitchen with dining area



• Bathroom with bath and shower over bath



• Gas central heating



• Private parking

About the area

Melrose's history dates back to the Bronze Age, and there is still a scattering of brochs round about the town, possibly a legacy of the Romans for managing the rich sheep grazing on the moors.

The town has a good selection of shops including those selling knitwear, tweeds, books and antiques. There is also a variety of restaurants serving classic Scottish fare in cosy surroundings.

In June, Harmony Garden plays host to the annual Borders Book Festival, whose past attendees include Ian Rankin and Sir David Frost.

Things to do

• A trip to Melrose isn't complete without a wander round the Abbey. Although portions of the 12th century structure survive, the magnificent rose-stone building dates from the 1385 rebuilding. Look out for the chapter house, where Robert the Bruce's heart is said to be buried, or the statue of Scottish medieval wizard, Michael Scott.



• Visit nearby rustic Priorwood Garden to learn about the craft of dried flower work; pick your own blooms to order and take home.



• Walk part of the St Cuthbert's Way, following in the footsteps of the eponymous saint. The whole route takes four days and leads across the mudflats to Lindisfarne. The Melrose to St Boswell's section is 7.5 miles each way. (stcuthbertsway.info)

Getting there

Melrose lies off the A6091. First Bus operates a route from Edinburgh and Peebles. < Hide

The Priory next door once housed the relics of St Ninian, a local missionary, bishop and mystic healer who died around 431AD. Medieval Kings and Queens travelled to Whithorn to pray at his bones, seeking either cures or salvation.

 

Accommodation details

• 2 storeys



• Sleeps 4 - 1 double, 1 twin with 6ft box beds



• Large sitting/dining room with working fireplace (bag of fuel provided)



• Kitchen



• Bathroom with bath and shower attachment



• Family room



• Small paved courtyard with garden furniture and barbeque



• Under-floor oil-fired central heating



• Internet access in adjacent Visitor Centre



• Off-road parking is available



• Public transport accessible

 

The Pend has some doorways below standard height. The master bedroom's 17th-century windows open directly on to the street below and may not be suitable for young children.

 

...Our guests said...

"A few quiet days in the Shire over Half Term. By and large we retraced our steps from ( many ) previous visits : trying to spot all of the crosses in St Ninian's Cave; enjoying the snowdrops in the woods at Galloway House; book browsing in Wigtown, and watching wildflowl at the hide by the harbour... As always the local produce is so good that we hardly had anything that was not sourced with D&G" (Mr. Welfare,Director of English Heritage, York)

"A wonderful and special place for our holiday. We've never been to the area before, and your welcome and the beauty of this cottage were a gift to us...And peat fires every night" (Mr. and Mrs. Chapman, Pittsburgh, PA )

"The Pend is just fabulous, every conceivable thing is here ( including a beautiful Christmas tree and festive table decorations) all carefully thought about." ( McNaught Family, Edinburgh)

 

About Whithorn

The Pend lies at the heart of the Outstanding Conservation Area of Whithorn, one of Scotland's oldest settlements and once the seat of Celtic Christianity.

 

Visiting Whithorn Priory you will join a long line of Royal pilgrims, from Edward II of England through to Robert the Bruce, James IV and Mary Queen of Scots. 15th century pilgrims from Europe were required to obtain a badge from the priory as proof of their visit - the precursor to today's passports. The ruins of the 12th-century Romanesque cathedral and its adjacent crypts are only an echo of the grand structure that would once have stood.

 

Whithorn is famed for its outstanding local produce and is at most three miles in any direction from the sea. At nearby Garlieston the shallow sandy beach is very suitable for toddlers and young children, since there is no deep water.

 

About the area

Whithorn lies at the south end of the Machars, or 'plains of Galloway', a peninsula surrounded by sea on three sides and, rich dairy farm country on the fourth.

 

Inhabited since the Bronze Age, the surrounding countryside is an archaeological treasure trove. Ten miles away, Wigtown, Scotland's new Book Town, is home to a variety of bookshops and hosts a literary festival in September, as well as fairs and regular markets.

 

Things to do

• Pull on your hiking boots and head to the Southern Uplands, half an hour's drive away, for some challenging hill walking.



• The Galloway Forest Park is home to the UK's first Dark-Sky Park, a hotspot for stargazing, due to its pitch black unpolluted skies.



• Rock and harbour fishing, golf and off-road driving for the adventurous are available nearby.

 

Getting there

To reach Whithorn, turn south at the Newton Stewart roundabout on the A714 following signs to Whithorn.

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The name refers to an early monastic precinct, which was divided up to make the gardens of later houses. Period fire grates, Georgian furniture and a magnificent four-poster bed create a faithful reconstruction of the house as it originally stood.

 

Accommodation details

• 2 storey
  
  
• Sleeps 3 - 1 double, 1 small single with compact box bed
  
  
• Sitting room
  
  
• Glass-roofed dining room
  
  
• Kitchen
  
  
• Shower room
  
  
• Enclosed courtyard with garden furniture and barbeque
  
  
• Free wifi (telephone calls up to one hour also free)
  
  
• Under floor oil-fired central heating
  
  
• Open fire - 1 bag of fuel provided
  
  
• Parking available on the front street
  
  
• Public transport accessible
  
  

 

About Whithorn

The Precinct House lies at the heart of the Outstanding Conservation Area of Whithorn, one of Scotland's oldest settlements and once the seat of Celtic Christianity.

 

Visiting Whithorn Priory you will join a long line of Royal pilgrims, from Edward II of England through to Robert the Bruce, James IV and Mary Queen of Scots. 15th century pilgrims from Europe were required to obtain a badge from the priory as proof of their visit - the precursor to today's passports. The ruins of the 12th-century Romanesque cathedral and its adjacent crypts are only an echo of the grand structure that would once have stood.

 

Whithorn is famed for its outstanding local produce and is at most three miles in any direction from the sea. At nearby Garlieston the shallow sandy beach is very suitable for toddlers and young children, since there is no deep water.

 

About the area

Whithorn lies at the south end of the Machars, or 'plains of Galloway', a peninsula surrounded by sea on three sides and, rich dairy farm country on the fourth.

 

Inhabited since the Bronze Age, the surrounding countryside is an archaeological treasure trove. Ten miles away, Wigtown, Scotland's new Book Town, is home to a variety of bookshops and hosts a literary festival in September, as well as fairs and regular markets.

 

Things to do

• Pull on your hiking boots and head to the Southern Uplands, half an hour's drive away, for some challenging hill walking.
  
  
• The Galloway Forest Park is home to the UK's first Dark-Sky Park, a hotspot for stargazing, due to its pitch black unpolluted skies.
  
  
• Rock and harbour fishing, golf and off-road driving for the adventurous are available nearby.
  
  

 

Getting there

To reach Whithorn, turn south at the Newton Stewart roundabout on the A714 following signs to Whithorn. < Hide