Rent Holiday Cottage in Balintore Easter Ross, Scottish Highlands, Scotland

8 and a Half

  • 8 and a Half
  • The Kitchen
  • Living Room with Log Burner
  • The garden
  • The beach, Balintore
  • Family bathroom
  • Ground Floor Shower Room
  • Master Bedroom
  • Family Bedroom
  • Family Bedroom
  • Twin Bedroom
  • Utility Room


Property Description

A lovingly renovated fisherman's cottage in the picturesque village of Balintore, Easter Ross, 8 and a Half has been extended to offer luxury holiday accommodation. Situated in the historic centre of this Highland village, the cottage retains its original charm yet comes with modern facilities and offers a real Scottish Highland home from home. The cottage is situated on a quiet side street and is an excellent place to relax while you explore the Highlands. The charming village pub and hotel are just a short walk away. Accommodation is on two floors and the property has views across the village to nearby Nigg Hill. Outside, there is a large rear garden with lawn and BBQ.

Bedrooms: Master suite with king size bed and en-suite shower, WC and basin, flat-screen TV, views over the village to open countryside.
Bedroom 2 family room with double and single bed - views to the garden.
Bedroom 3 with twin beds - views to the garden.
Bathrooms: Ground floor - Fully tiled shower room with basin and WC.
First floor - Large family bathroom with double ended bath with hand-held shower, wash basin and WC.
Master en-suite fully tiled shower room with basin and WC.
Kitchen: Large kitchen diner with TV, table seating 8, fitted units with oak doors, stainless steel sink / drainer, mid-level double oven, hob, extractor hood, dishwasher, microwave, built-in fridge, toaster, sandwich maker, kettle, coffee maker, utensils, cutlery and crockery.
Utility Room: Washing machine, tumble dryer and freezer. Fitted units stainless steel sink / drainer, iron and ironing board, clothes airer, torch, vacuum cleaner, food mixer, baking tins and trays, cafetiere, cleaning equipment and materials. Picnic equipment.
Living Rooms: Sitting room with wood burning stove (1 bag of logs provided), 40" flat screen TV with Freeview, DVD / CD player, suite, coffee table, bookcase, side tables, solid oak flooring, rug, fire guard, books and games, DVDs.
Other: Large hallway with solid oak flooring and oak staircase to upper floor. Coat rack.
Cleaning/towels/
linen/maid service: Towels and linen will be provided (1 set per bed per week). Additional towels and bedding can be provided on request. Cleaning equipment and materials are provided. Please contact owner for details.

Notes on accommodation
Newly refurbished and extended fisherman's cottage upgraded to provide luxury accommodation for seven people. The property has all the comforts of home including a well fitted kitchen, a comfortable sitting room, TVs in master bedroom, living room and kitchen. The bedrooms are newly carpeted, the kitchen and bathrooms have tiled floors and the sitting room and hallways have solid oak flooring. All essential household and kitchen equipment and accessories are provided for your stay. Picnic equipment is also provided for your day trips. There is roadside parking at the front of the property which is situated on a quiet side street. Eight and a Half John Street is run by Christel and David Johnstone. David was born in the village of Balintore and met Christel when she came to run the local hotel. They married several years ago and still live in the village. Children are very welcome. Out of courtesy for others we are unable to allow smoking in the property and we ask you not to bring pets.

Accessibility
The property has a ground floor shower room and WC. There is a small step to the front of the property. There are six steps between the rear patio area and the lawn area. It must be noted that there is no sleeping accommodation on the ground floor. We would consider the property to be unsuitable for wheelchair users.

Outside
Outside, the cottage has a large shared rear garden with lawn and shrubs together with a seating area and BBQ. There is also a clothes line. The garden has wooden fencing but is not fully enclosed having pathways to the side of the house and from the bottom of the garden. There is a patio area with steps to the lawn. The garden is open and sunny.

Notes on prices
We aim to be flexible with our prices and encourage you to contact us with your requirements. We welcome any number of visitors from 1 to 7 and offer discounts to reflect reduced occupancy and short stays.

Take advantage of our special rates for exclusive use of the cottage by couples and groups of less than 7.
1 room (2 persons) ? 50% discount.
2 room (4 persons) ? 20% discount.

We also offer per night rates (minimum stay 3 nights)
20% of weekly full occupancy rate per night.

Changeover day
Our usual changeover is Saturday and you would be expected to vacate the property by 10am. We can, however be flexible regarding changeover and will endeavour to accommodate your needs.

Booking notes
Bookings can be secured by the payment of a non-refundable deposit. Full payment is expected 6 weeks before arrival and a refundable housekeeping deposit is taken against possible damage and non-return of keys. Payment can be made by all major debit and credit cards via PayPal offering increased security to our clients.

Seasonal Pricing

Season

Rental Period

Price
Weekly Min 3 nights2012-03-31 - 2012-09-29£680.00
Weekly Min 3 nights2012-01-14 - 2012-03-31£600.00
Weekly Min 3 nights2012-01-07 - 2012-01-14£450.00


Local Activities

Coast/Beach
Sandy beaches 5 minutes walk from the cottage. There also beaches at Nigg, (10 mins by car), and Portmahomack (15 mins by car). Further afield beaches can be found at Golspie (30 mins) and Dornoch (20 mins).

Golf
Easter Ross is well known for its excellent golf courses and there are several within an easy car journey of the cottage. These include Tain (9 miles), Portmahomack (9 miles), Royal Dornoch (14 miles), Alness (15 miles), Invergordon (13 miles), Brora (30 miles), Inverness (36 miles), Castle Stuart (40 miles) and Nairn (45 miles).

For further information and links please visit the owners website.

Travel
Balintore is 40 miles from Inverness airport, 36 miles from Inverness rail and bus station and 9 miles from Tain. Trains and buses are available from Inverness to Tain or Fearn (3 miles) and there is a local bus service from Tain to Balintore.

Distances
The cottage is in the village of Balintore. Hilton and Shandwick are villages adjoining to the north and south of Balintore and are easily reached on foot (approx 5-10 mins). Tain 9 miles. Portmahomack 9 miles. Dornoch 17 miles. Inverness is 36 miles.

Further details
A-Z.
Birdwatching - Good birdwatching at the RSPB nature reserve and hide at Nigg Bay (4 miles) star species include lapwing, redshank, pink-footed goose, widgeon and pintail. The area also has large colonies of sea birds, buzzards are a regular sight and red kites are now breeding in the area.
Cash machine - There is a cash machine in the village shop available during opening hours. There are also four major banks and 6, 24-hour cash machines in Tain.
Children very welcome.
Eating Out - Shandwick Inn, Kildary ? good pub grub (4 miles).
The Oyster Catcher, Portmahomack (9 miles away).
Grocery delivery - Tesco Shop n Drop delivery available.
Pictish Trail - Balintore lies at the heart of the Highland Pictish Trail ? The Clach a? Charridh or Shandwick Stone is at the edge of the village and traditionally the stone of sorrows marks the place where the unbaptised infants of the village were buried. There is another stone in the Old Church at Nigg.
Post Office - There is a PO in the village.
Sculpture -Mermaid of the North and the Balintore Sculpture Park ? see the 10ft bronze statue the ?temptress on the shore?.
Walking - Coastal walks from Balintore extend several miles north to Rockfield and south to the North Sutor. Many more walks are available a short drive away including forest walks at Auldie Burn, Tain and Tain Hill.
Wildlife - Dolphin watching at Nigg with boat trips from Cromarty.
Day trips from Balintore.
Dornoch ? beach, golf course, cathedral, museum, cafés and restaurants, gaol house ? 25-minute drive.
Golspie ? Dunrobin Castle and gardens, beach and forest walks ? 50-minute drive.
West coast beaches and mountains ? 1 hour 30 minute drive.
Orkney Islands ? day sailings ? 2-hour drive to ferry.
The Black Isle ? dolphin watching cruises, golf course, wildlife farm, cross-country mountain biking trail ? 40-minute drive
Inverness ? Aqua-dome leisure pools, restaurants and live music pubs ? 45-minute drive, shopping centre.

Holiday Home Searches

Scotland Holiday Homes

Holiday Cottage in Scottish Highlands