Notes from the host
Kirtomy Cottage
Why not sit in the comfort of the living room with roaring log burner or look out the window enjoying stunning valley views. Alternatively stand at the front door and soak up the view of the Rocky coastline, cliffs and surrounding farmland. You may even find the odd sheep/lamb, chicken or hen wandering in the garden.
The house is only a few minutes drive from the very popular surfing beaches of Farr and Strathy and also near the village of Bettyhill where visitors can go for a dip in the public swimming pool or relax in their steam room or Jacuzzi.
For those guests travelling with young children you are never far from farm animals , but you only have to walk out to the next door neighbour's garden to see chickens, hens, goats, horses and ponys.
Located just off the North Coast 500 tourist route and only a short drive to the ferry of Scrabster terminal to visit Orkney. Near by is the large town of Thurso and further a field is the tourist destination of John O Groats.
Other points of interest nearby are the natural wonder of Smoo Cave, Durness, Dunnethead and Dunnethead Lighthouse (which is the most northerly point of the UK), Cocoa Mountain chocolate factory and beautiful Reay Golf Course.
Kirtomy Cottage (historically called Morrisons cottage due to this being in the Morrison family) has been passed down through 4 generations of our family. It is believed to be around 200 years old and there are many photos, postcards, letters and old items in the house that date back to 1919 (including wartime photos)
However due to work commitments the majority of these family are only able to visit once a year. By renting the cottage we are able to make enough money to maintain the cottage and hopefully get to enjoy this for many more years.
VIDEO OF HOUSE AVAILABLE AT YOUTUBE - https://youtu.be/jOQ_2VFRn2Y
You can also see more information about our house on our own website, kirtomycottage.com.
Full details :
ONE bedroom cottage with bathroom, kitchen and living room.
Ideally suited for 2 adults and 2 children (children sleeping on pull down beds).
On viewing the house from the front, the bedroom located on the left of the house and living room on the right. The kitchen is located at the rear of the house and is accessed via the living room or rear entrance.
The bathroom is located adjacent to the front door, off the hallway.
Facilities include;
Main Bedroom ****Sleeps up to 4**** King size bed (2 adults), 2 x fold down beds (ideally for children), wardrobe and chest drawers.
Living Room ****Can sleep 2 for occasional stop over***** Double sofa which pulls out into a sofa bed for occasional use (1 adults/2 children), second sofa beside window.
Log burner, Freeview TV, DVD player, ipod player,.
As the property is used by our family there is also additional items like a foldable travel cot and baby booster feeding seat (straps into dining chair) available for families with young children, however you might be more comfortable bringing your own.
Kitchen - Fold out dining table (4 seats), ceramic hob, oven, washing machine, fridge freezer, kettle, toaster, microwave, slow cooker , iron & ironing board.
Bathroom - Electric shower, wash hand basin, toilet, hairdryer.
There is a shelving area which has a hoover, bucket and mop, Books, board games and clothes horse for drying those wet items on those damp days ;-)
WiFi - 3g WiFi available within the house.
Outside - large front garden with stunning views of the valley and sea. Three sides are surrounded by a dyke wall. There is no wall at the front of the garden, with a small drop down to the single track road. This should be born in mind for young children playing in the garden.
There is a patio area beside the kitchen as well as a small grass area. Surrounded by acres of wild grazzing land. There are no fences or walls at the rear of the house so you will see sheep grazing literally on your back garden.
Outside table and benches, 2 folding chairs and a charcoal bbq. You will need to bring charcoal.
Log store containing kiln dried wood. This is not for guest use. A supply of wood will be left in the house on arrival. We kindly ask that if you require anymore fuel for stove to please buy coal/wood from local shops.
PETS - Pets are welcome free of charge, however not permitted on furniture/beds. Please respect our home and other guests who may have allergies.
This area is crofters land and cattle/sheep roam freely and often will enter the garden area, so only well behaved pets are advised to stay here.
CHECK IN -1600 hours. If an earlier check in time is required this should be requested via email nearer the time of arrival. If the house is free it won't be a problem.
CHECK OUT -1000 hours. A later check out can requested and will be considered if there are no other bookings that day.
Due to the remoteness of the area the cleaning company need time to travel between holiday rentals in the area. As we have a short turn around for guests to maximise their time on holiday we request that guests leave our home as they find it. There is plenty of cleaning products within the house to keep the house tidy and assist the local cleaner who only has a few hours.
Bedding will be supplied for guests stated on booking request.
PUBS/BARS - There are 2 pubs in the nearby village which is about a 5 minutes drive.
SHOPPING - There is only 1 local shop (post office) which is about a 5 minute drive/ 45 min walk that you can purchase basic goods and alcohol.
Thurso is about 40 minutes drive and there you will find butchers, bakers etc and 3 large supermarkets (Tesco, Lidl and Co-Operative)
Our neighbours have fresh eggs available daily.
DELIVERY - Groceries can be purchased online with Tesco and delivered to the house. Prices for delivery range from £1.50 which can be booked 20 days in advance.
Please note that this house is not suitable for people with walking difficulties or with assisted mobility and wheelchairs will not fit through the property entrances.
This area is also classed as a silent area between 2300 hours and 0700 hours therefore guests should respect this.
Many thanks
Jayne Higgins
