Enjoy the simple life in Siskin and Coll Cabins! Stay in these unique hand built timber cabin in our Permaculture woodland garden on the tranquil Black Isle in the Scottish Highlands. The cabins combine environmentally friendly features, artistic touches and rustic charm for a truly sustainable holiday in a comfortable and relaxing spot amongst the trees. The Green Tourism Gold rated cabins are ideal for eco conscious travellers who want to experience simple living surrounded by everything the Highlands offers. Both cabins are off mains electric and water but have plenty of eco friendly creature comforts to make your stay comfortable AND low impact. The cosy spaces each have a wood burner with firewood and kindling supplied from our own woodland. Both have an outside deck with table and chairs, and a view across the wood and fields, ideal for relaxing after a day exploring the area, and maybe spotting the Red Kites swooping overhead or sheep in the field in front!
Fresh drinking water, which can be heated on the gas hob or wood burner, is supplied by a foot pump (note that there is no hot running water on demand). Old whisky barrels has been repurposed as shower trays where you can fill the bucket with heated water for a short shower. Organic cotton bedding and towels are provided, with cosy blankets to snuggle into on chilly nights while you watch the flames crackle in the wood burner. There is no direct WiFi in the cabins but 4G data is available on most networks, or just relax with a digital free retreat! There is plenty to keep you entertained apart from screens, there are games and books, a radio and a speaker to play music from your smartphone. Low voltage lights and USB phone charger are powered by solar charged battery.
Included in your stay
• Gas for cooking and heating water
• Off grid 12v lighting and USB socket for phone charging
• Bedding and towels
• A supply of basic essentials such as oil, salt and pepper, sugar, tea, herb teas from the garden, coffee, and milk (or oat milk)
• A supply of firewood and kindling
• Off road parking and bike storage
What’s not included
• Washing machine/laundry
• WiFi (but there is 4G signal in the cabin, network dependant)
• Extra firewood (additional wood can be purchased for longer stays)
Optional Extras:
• Breakfast hamper for two of home-made organic goodies (light sourdough rye bread, homemade jam, eggs from our hens (or a local organic croft), muesli and granola, plus extra milk, and butter, or a vegan version with oat milk, vegan butter and baked beans, for £20, which should be plenty for a short stay. You can simply add this to your booking below.
• Please ask about garden tours on a ‘pay what you want’ basis for a two hour tour with optional refreshments
Siskin Cabin
Siskin is the smaller of our cabins, and sleeps up to two people in a double bed, with cooking facilities, a compact dining/seating area, a compost toilet and bucket shower in a small en suite bathroom.
In the kitchenette you have cooking equipment and essentials (oil, salt, tea, coffee, sugar), a double gas hob, sink and storage (there is no fridge but a cooler and ice packs are supplied).
COLL Cabin
Coll cabin is slightly larger, and sleeps up to two people in a double bed, with cooking facilities, a compact dining/seating area, a bench seat which turns into a small desk/workspace and a compost toilet and bucket shower in the small en suite bathroom. In the kitchenette you have cooking equipment and essentials (oil, salt, tea, coffee, sugar), a double gas hob with grill and oven, sink and storage and a small 12v fridge/freezer.
The cabin is designed for couples or individuals and is not suitable for infants, children or under 18’s.
Please respect the peace and quiet of the area, so no groups or parties. Dogs and pets are not allowed (due to sheep in the fields next to us!) and we also request guests try and minimise noise at night, and there is no smoking in the cabins.
There is free off road parking, then a short walk down through the gardens and woodland to the cabin. There is also a secure bike shed and cycle paths nearby. We are perfect for a car free holiday, being 20 minutes walk to a bus stop and public transport links in Inverness. We want to encourage slow, sustainable tourism and visitors are easily able to get here by bus, coach, train or bike, with cycle maps for exploring the Black Isle provided. A great resource for sustainable travel planning in the area is the transitionblackisle active-travel-map.
The property is less than 10 minutes drive from the A9 Tore interchange. There is free off road parking for cars and bikes storage on site. We do have a mains power socket near the parking space if you bring a vehicle that needs charging (Bike or EV car) but we don’t currently have an EV charging point.
A stay here is ideal for people with an interest in nature, sustainable living, eco tourism, organic food or Permaculture. The regenerative forest garden is full of plants, trees and wildlife. Guests are welcome to explore the small woodland, following the meandering paths, and even a boardwalk over the bog garden. Please ask if you’d like to learn more and have a tour around the gardens (for a small ‘pay what you feel’ contribution). There is a stile over the fence for pleasant, easy walks to Monadh Mor or Redcastle. We are ideally located for travellers on the North Coast 500, but why not take some time to slow down and explore the Black Isle and its hidden treasures such as cycling, dolphin watching, history, woodland walks and tranquil coastal villages such as Cromarty, Avoch and Rosemarkie. Coast, Forest, Mountain, Loch and Glen are all within easy reach, by bike, public transport or car, for stunning scenery and wildlife. Nearby are Inverness and Dingwall for transport links, eating out, nightlife, entertainment and activities. We are easy to reach by public transport and within walking distance of a bus stop with regular services to and from Inverness, so ideal for a car free holiday.
We live in the bungalow onsite, so are usually around if you need us for any assistance! There are some private areas of the garden around the house.
You can find also book on our AirBnB pages. Any questions then email [email protected] for more information about a Permaculture inspired holiday! You can also find us on sustainable holiday planner Holiable.Com, and on the VisitScotland website.