Cape Cove, Rosneath peninsula
If you swooned over Martin Compston’s waterfront pad in the BBC’s 2020 psycho-drama The Nest, then Cape Cove — the house used for filming — is the one for you. Wall-to-wall glass, the uber-stylish modern house all but dips a toe in Loch Long, with sweeping views from the Scandi-chic lounge and barbecue terrace towards the Cowal hills. A private jetty and pebble peach cries out for group loony dooks. Seven nights’ self-catering for 10 from £2,622 (holidaycottages.co.uk).
Sand House, East Neuk of Fife
Elie postcodes don’t come cheap, but this handsome three-storey sandstone house is worth the splurge. Just a beach ball toss from Elie beach, the house has a traditional Victorian vibe with high ceilings, sea-view window seats and painted floorboards — but also cowhide rugs, funky art and a spectacular glass kitchen/dining-room opening on to a walled orchard garden. Three nights’ self-catering for 10 from £2,100 (elieselect.com).
Rothmar East, Kintyre
A two-iron and wedge from Machrihanish golf club and pub — and bang on the dune-backed five-mile beach — Rothmar East is the ultimate party pad for a big group of golfy mates who fancy bodyboarding on the side. Elegantly decorated, with a modern kitchen and towering sea views, the house has a games room with table football, dartboard and mini pool table. Seven nights’ self-catering for 10 from £2,261 (bigdomain.com).
Aikwood Tower, Selkirk
Lording it over the Yarrow valley from its lofty perch outside Selkirk, this five-centuries-old A-listed Border Peel Tower is an ancient riot of original oak doors, vaulted stone ceilings and fireplaces; a boutique makeover adds oodles of cool. A steep spiral staircase leads to five en suite bedrooms with mighty views; a games room is a bonus if Borders hiking and biking gets old. Seven nights’ self-catering for 11 from £2,337 (thebigdomain.com).
Leuchie Walled Garden, nr North Berwick
Built in the 1960s as a family home for the Lord Lieutenant of East Lothian, this sleek mid-century, post-Bauhaus house is chock-full of the family’s 300-year-old collection of furniture and portraits. Flooded with light via acres of glass, the house has six en suite bedrooms and an open-plan kitchen/lounge, opening on to a huge walled garden and surrounding 60-acre estate. Seacliff beach only ten minutes’ drive away — it’s a cracker. Three nights’ self-catering for 12 from £3,700 (leuchiewalledgarden.com).
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Eilean Shona House, Loch Moidart
“Discover Neverland” is this private island’s tagline, partly because JM Barrie wrote Peter Pan here, but also because this is a car-free, beach-fringed outpost reached only by boat from the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Here, the owner Vanessa Branson has styled her magnificent nine-bedroom estate house with artsy flair, with a Grayson Perry pot here, a kaleidoscopic dining room paint job by the Glasgow artist Fred Pollock there, plus a billiard room and grand piano. Three nights’ full board for 16 from £14,000, including boat transfers (eileanshona.com).
Traigh House, Arisaig
Three miles around the coast from Arisaig, this nine-bedroom 18th-century house overlooks a sliver of bone-white beach that gets more sheep than people. A modern kitchen looks through bay windows to Rum and Eigg, but otherwise the decor is reassuringly old money: think wooden toilet seats and avocado bathtubs, a threadbare pool table and faded portraits of uniformed relatives in the Raj. Seven nights’ self-catering for 18 from £3,200 (georgegoldsmith.com).
Stationmaster’s Lodge, Kyle of Lochalsh
Quote “ALBA” for £100 off in spring at this grand stone Victorian pile, yards from Loch Carron shore in the wee village of Stromeferry. Built in 1880 for the village stationmaster, the house stands right next to Stromeferry station, just over two hours’ train ride from Inverness on the wildly instagrammable line to Kyle of Lochalsh. A log-burning stove and unfussy interiors are just the job after yomps on Skye and visits to nearby Plockton. Three nights’ self-catering for 18 from £1,275 (stationmasterslodgescotland.com).
