Holiday cottages in Scotland

Article updated every 6 months. Last update: 18th April 2008
Author: Susan Roscoe (Travel Expert) Ask me a question.

Scotland is half the size of England and roughly two thirds of it is mountain and moorland.

With its beautiful highlands, lakes, lochs, salmon filled rivers and great cities, it's a lovely place to rent a cottage and take a relaxing holiday away from it all!

Susan Roscoe
( Travel Expert): Cottages4you - Thousands of Cottages and Villas in the UK, Ireland, France, Italy Spain and Portugal all in one place.

Hoseasons - Hoseasons offer a superb range of carefully selected cottages for holidays and short breaks throughout the most beautiful locations in Scotland.

English Country Cottages - A premium Cottage holiday brand with a portfolio of 4 and 5 star graded properties throughout England and Scotland.
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Cottage holidays in Edinburgh

As the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh is one of the most beautiful cities in the UK. With streets steeped in history and a thriving cultural scene, Edinburgh offers the perfect balance between all things traditional and contemporary. It has become the city of festivals - the main ones being Edinburgh's Hogmanay at New Year and the International Festival in August. Running concurrent with the international festival is the Fringe, the Book Festival, the Film Festival and others. With great views, brilliant shopping, excellent restaurants and nightlife, this city is a great place to stay.

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Cottage holidays in Glasgow

The city has been reborn as a centre of style and vitality set against a backdrop of outstanding Victorian architecture. With fantastic shopping, a buzzing nightlife along with lots of galleries and museums, it's a lovely city to spend a few days. By renting a self catering holiday cottage within one of the quieter towns or villages in the Glasgow area, you can benefit from easy access to the city centre attractions whilst enjoying the peace and tranquillity of a more rural retreat.

Cottage holidays in the Scottish Highlands

The Highlands is the part of the country which reflects perfectly most people's romantic image of Scotland. One of the main towns is Fort William, which lies in the shadow of Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain. North from here stretches a dramatic shoreline of deep sea lochs and sheltered coves of pure white sand backed by towering mountains with views across to numerous Hebridean islands. This is a great area to stay if you're looking for total relaxation and the chance to get away from it all.

Inverness is the largest town in the region and 'capital of the Highlands'. Linking to the deep and mysterious Loch Ness with the west coast and giving access to Glencoe, one of the most beautiful Highland glens and a major climbing and skiing centre. Inverness is also ideally situated for exploring the north east coast, with its lovely little fishing ports, and the rugged north coast, running west from John O'Groats to Cape Wrath, as wild and remote a place as you could ever dream of.

Due to it's popularity with tourists there is a wide variety of holiday cottages and accommodation available in the Scottish Highlands - from luxury properties, to those ideal for large families and groups, to smaller properties with more basic facilities - ideal for those on a tighter budget.

Scottish Borders

Covering about eighteen hundred square miles, the Scottish Borders stretches from the rolling hills and moorland in the west, through gentler valleys to the rich agricultural plains of the east, and on to the rocky Berwickshire coastline with its secluded coves and picturesque fishing villages. Made famous by the countless battles with the English, this area of Scotland has many ruined castles and abbeys here too!

The area is great for hill walkers and cyclists whilst with the River Tweed you'll find some of the best fishing in Scotland.

As the Borders is a region famed for its textiles, a major attraction for many is to browse and buy beautiful tweeds and tartans and the highest quality knitwear direct from the local mills and shops.

As this is such a large area it's really important to choose the location of your holiday cottage carefully - ensure you are situated close to all your 'must see' visitor attractions so you are able to make the most of your time away.

Who do we recommend?

With so many companies to choose from, we have researched the market to find those with a wide range of choice as well as some that are more specialist. Browse our list below to find the right company for you, then click through to their web site for more information and how to book. It couldn't be easier!