Cool Place of the Day: Skye Shepherds Huts, Scotland
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Your support makes all the difference.Skye Shepherds Huts, Skye, Scotland
It only seems fair that to discover a country’s most breathtaking scenery you’re sometimes required to trek right to its remote, outer edge, where turbulent seas and moody skies mould masterpieces of geology. This is certainly true of Skye, whose feathery peninsulas and battered cliffs give way to inland dramatic mountain ranges and boggy peat moors. It’s the sort of place that reminds you just how beautiful and wild the natural world can be.
Bang in middle of all this, Janet Ward's Skye Shepherd Huts enjoy a truly wonderful sense of isolation, and starry nights that the rest of the UK simply can’t compete with. There are just two huts on the site, and Janet does everything she can to make a stay here truly special, arranging a time that’s convenient for breakfast and appearing with a tray laden down by whatever selection of goodies you’ve chosen from the menu – including porridge with Talkisker whiskey, eggs from her own hens, local organic sausages and bacon, Stornaway black pudding and more. Janet’s home is really just an extension of the campsite: the shower and toilet are in the hallway of her house, just a scamper down the white pebble path from your hut, and her barbecue is available to use if you want. Each of the huts sleeps two in a double bed; they have hot water and electricity and drying facilities, and there's an extra toilet in the summerhouse.
For outdoor enthusiasts this really is paradise. Walking routes range from easy ambles along the coast, to challenging scrambles among the menacing Cuillin range, while mountain-biking and sea-kayaking are just beyond your doorstep. Dog-owners are also in luck – Janet loves dogs and welcomes them just as much as any human and will even offer to dog-sit if you fancy heading out for dinner. Which with the excellent Michelin-starred Three Chimneys not far away, you might just want to do!
Cool Places is a website from the creators of Rough Guides and Cool Camping, suggesting the best places to stay, eat, drink and shop in Britain (coolplaces.co.uk)
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