Seven Scottish properties are still available for Christmas or New Year

These are very good properties indeed, all in different parts of Scotland. As of to-day's date I know they still have not completely sold out either for Christmas or the New Year.

But you should think about it quickly. Still available for Xmas and the New Year, self catering in Scotland There is usually a flurry of late bookings between now and the middle of December.

If you have a large family and need several cottages or a large property don't give up yet, try them on this site.

John
ps Notice that in the following blog one of them is in Edinburgh - and Astra is offering a special rate for anyone who mentions this blog when booking. To do it just quote the url at the top of your browser page, or the name of this blog site and she will look after you.

Scottish Christmas Late Availability

This is my first blog here, so it may take me a wee while to feel at home. Once I'm comfortable, know my way around, and able to put my feet up I'll be happy to blether on. A bit like one should expect from Scottish holiday cottages actually - A welcoming, comfortable, home from home.

With Christmas just around the corner I thought I'd mention the availability of my Edinburgh Holiday Villa and Georgian Flat in the Edinburgh New Town . New Year is already booked I'm afraid, at both rentals, however we still have the Christmas weeks available. Edinburgh is a fine destination in December, especially for theatre lovers, shoppers, and those who know how to ice skate without gripping onto side walls (or complete strangers) for dear life. Edinburghs winter wonderland includes an Ice Skating Rink at the foot of Edinburgh Castle, there's German markets too!

Scotland in December is a fun place to be. Actually it's always fun, whether for Peaceful Lochside Breaks, Romantic Weekends in Breathtaking Scenery or City Centre historical experiences...

If anyone needs to know where to find Scottish Christmas Souvenirs, or wishes to book an Edinburgh Holiday Rental, just visit our website and send me an e:mail! There's some great deals going on for Scottish Cashmere right now. Bagpiping Santa's too...

Mention this Scottish blog and we'll give you a special Christmas rental price.

Tis The Season!

Astra.

Eight properties still available for Christmas or New Year

If you click on this page, it will take you to some properties in different parts of Scotland that still have openings for Self catering Christmas or New Year These are our friends, and their properties are top class. You can be assured of a very fine welcome and a home from home holiday.

John

Army Camps and Squirrels

This is my first blog so you will excuse me if I ramble. I know it’s supposed to be about short breaks, and just for the record we still have a couple available this year in the Bobbin Mill at the beginning of December if anyone’s interested. Phone me up or email me if you are. I did just want to blether (good Highland word) on about the place I live because I think that………

………Comrie is truly an extraordinary place. Not only is it very pretty and in fabulous scenery, with good shops and lovely people, but it has an overwhelming sense of community found rarely in our land.

We’ve had a busy weekend in the village. Our Bobbin Mill guests had booked early as usual - they usually have the same weekend every year. Our visitors were a wonderful group of women who come at least once a year and sometimes twice, for a weekend of song and fun. They're part of a singing group and use the Mill as a place to meet up and chill out. This time they brought 7 month old twins, as one member has had a production (as they say), and they added dandling babies to their activities.

Their weekend happened to coincide with the open day at Cultybraggan. To explain:

Recently, our village through the Comrie Development Trust has exercised a right to buy under new legislation brought in by the Scottish Government. Since September, we as a village are the proud owners of Cultybraggan Army Camp which until a year or two ago was used by the Ministry of Defence as a training camp. It was declared redundant and put on the market, at which point the Development Trust managed to jump through the many and varied hoops of the legislation and bought it on the community's behalf.

There have been ongoing consultations with the community about what uses to put it to and the result is that it will be used to fulfil various village needs with an emphasis on renewables. Already there are plans for allotment areas, sports facilities, energy generation, builder’s storage etc, and some sort of heritage area which will show the history of the camp and its connection to the village - for example, Rudolph Hess was imprisoned there at the end of the 2^nd world war. The land comprises 90 acres, and incorporates a large number of Nissan huts some of which are listed, and also a 2 story underground nuclear bunker. The possibilities are endless and enabled by the far sighted laws brought in by the (then) Scottish Executive. Considering land prices in this area, Cultybraggan was a bargain at £350,000 for the whole caboodle. There are plenty houses in the village selling for more.

So, lots of people came to the camp via the Comrie Community Bus which shuttled backwards and forwards, to walk around, examine their property and take part in the various activities laid on.

The road ahead will certainly have its bumpy times and may not always be straightforward, but we as a community all now have the most extraordinary opportunity to do something really special for this beautiful place that we live in. And in the process, we can foster this wonderful thing we have here, this community spirit. Do you know, there are more than 55 active community groups here, in a village with a population of less than 2000?

In addition to the Cultybraggan event on Saturday, we had a lovely craft fair in the White Church which is our community Centre. There were all kinds of beautiful things from hand made papier-mâché bowls to beautiful candles, jewellery, paintings photography etc. The Bobbin Mill guests told me they did really well on the Christmas shopping front.

And if that wasn’t enough, we also had some live music on Saturday evening provided by the Annie Grace Trio. Annie is a regular to Comrie (we have very vibrant music scene in the village) and she played a blinder on Saturday night to a full house. She is very well known on the traditional music scene (Google her or look on myspace) and she was playing on this occasion with Jonny Hardie and Aaron Jones both of the Old Blind Dogs. Annie’s music is evocative, compelling and compulsive and combines blues and jazz tinged traditional songs with a huge repertoire of instrumental tunes. It was a fun and footstompin’ night full of laughter and fun!

So that was our Saturday. And on Sunday we played avoid the squirrel which is becoming a regular game. We have acquired a kamikaze red squirrel that lives about 100 yards from the Bobbin Mill. He waits till a car is coming and he hightails it across the road in front of it, giving the driver a heart attack. Squashing a grey would be one thing, but a red….?. I think he’s an adrenalin junkie squirrel. I have managed to avoid him so far. I hope he hibernates soon.

Last minute Christmas Break Scotland self catering

The new last minute page offering selected properties still available for Christmas and New Year breaks is doing ok on its opening debut. (Isn't an opening always a debut? Must look up my book on tautology)

It was put in the website as a new page on Wednesday, two days ago. Google has indexed the new page already, we have managed to get on to page one for one or two good search terms and people have already found us. 5 visits yesterday to the page and one click on one of the website links. Traffic will build a bit, maybe we'll get 150 visitors in total interested before Christmas.

"christmas self catering break scotland" is one where we have page one, and also the blog site also has made page one. Google is brilliant isn't she? Here is another search term - we are more or less top of the page "christmas last minute break scotland"

Mind you a big search term such as "scotland christmas break" is beyond us because we have competition from all the hotel sites and directories.

It is not going to be big this, but it might do a bit for someone. Can I suggest that the members of this blog might add a little piece in the top left or top right corner of your index page with the words "Christmas (or New Year) self catering break still available (name your area)" Even a small traffic site will be getting about 200 visitors a week. Half of these are no good - they are looking for something else and hit the site by mistake - but you might get one or two to stick and bookmark you if they see your little comment in the top. You can change it later to January break/ February break etc and each time Google will find you and you'll head the Google page for each month.

But the big advantage will be for Google to find your new comment about availability and list you in the pages when someone asks for a Christmas break, self-catering in your area. You will not have much web competition for that.

Then you have one more opportunity. You should have at least one other site to link to your new page saying something like "Christmas self catering break still available in (your area) That is what this blog is for, you can do it yourself. This link in to your page is what tells Google that something new is happening and that your site's page is important. Especially if you use the same keywords as you have used in your own index page. (I used four blogs to link to the new page in last minute. All short, took two minutes each. Nah, I lie. Ten minutes each)

It is important to use the keywords such as /self catering/your area/christmas/holiday or break, in any order. Use them in the link to you and in your page.

I know that most of you use someonme else to do your website and this is such a pain.
It costs money, telephone calls, arguments, waiting. Can you pay them to show you how to enter your own site, put in the little changes you need, and upload the site to the web? It is not difficult I promise. It will take you less time than a phone call to your web person.

Do you feel a New Year's Resolution coming on?

I did this by posting this blog rather than by e-mail because then I can get in some more links to help the new page in the last minute site.

Still available for Xmas and the New Year, self catering in Scotland

Here are links to more properties which have availability at Christmas and I'm going to be putting them into a second page on the web site Short breaks,self catering late availability, special offers for Christmas and New Year Scotland

Christmas in the Highlands proper near Kyle of Lochalsh, Skye,by Eilean Donan castle

Spend Christmas in Argyllshire in the Loch Lomond National Park

Christmas at a 4 bedroom villa in Scotland's wonderful capital City Edinburgh

John
Autumn short Breaks November December Glencoe

Well, one has to blow one's own......doesn't one?

Christmas and New Year Late availability Scotland self catering

Four of our properties still have some availability at Christmas and the New Year. You could be lucky.

If you click on this link to you will see the details and how to contact them.


Last minute bookings for Christmas and the New Year self catering

Short weekend self catering break. A guest writes.

Anthony and his partner had a three day weekend in November at one of these cottages near Glencoe. He wrote:

We had a great long weekend. It's hard being back at work but at least the sun is shining.

We tried to go up to the Pap of Glencoe on Saturday. We got a bit lost due to the lack of a path, it got very boggy, and after about 90 minutes we realised it was going to take a long time to get to the top and back. We didn't want to risk losing the light so headed back after a while. We may well have gone the wrong way.

Weather was decent, on Saturday but poor on Sunday, rain most of the day. We slowly headed out to the Ardnamurchan peninsula as far as Salen, up to Lochailort, then back via Glenfinnan.

Didn't manage to get all the way to the end of the Peninsula because we left the cottage quite late and it gets dark so early at this time of year - next time! We stopped a lot for strolls and photo opportunities when the rain eased up a bit, and just to soak up the views and sounds.

Such beautiful and untouched countryside - just how we like it. On Monday we wandered up Duror Hill. Probably a bit less than two hours up and back in the boggy conditions and not rushing. Stunning views, and the weather gods looked down favourably on us by sending us sunshine with dramatic rain and clouds in the distance.

What a great way to end the weekend.

Anthony K

Touring Scotland by road the Right way

Scottish weather in January, February and March

Scottish weather, misconceptions and good weather spots

Winter breaks January February March in Glencoe

Travellers Tales from the Highlands of Scotland

Scottish Tourist Board - all the tourist needs in one web page

The Scottish Tourist Board does not exist as a trading name any more. Yet many people search for this term on the internet. So we thought we would help out by doing a special page in the web site, covering airports and travel, accomodation, hotels, eating out, events in Scotland, general information all on one page.

You would think you could get this from the official tourist organisation, but no, you have to wade through a mass of special offers, packages, and general sales junk and even then you won't find it.

John
Here is more information if you want it.
Last minute special offers, self catering and low season short breaks at special prices Scotland
Scottish weather in October November and December
Scottish weather, misconceptions and good weather spots
Self Catering Holiday Cottages and Apartments in Largs, close to the Yacht Haven and a short distance from the beach

The most spectacular view in the entire universe! Perhaps.

Ok, there are other views in the world. But this one imprinted itself in a teenagers memory that lasted all his days.

You had to get to Mallaig by Saturday otherwise you were cooked. No ferry on Sunday. That meant you could not get to your first climb in the Cuillins before Monday afternoon.

As a lad of 17 I used to race up the Great North Road, hitching rides on lorries to try to make it before the last ferry, and I never did. Not once. But it didn't matter.

I spent all Sunday pitched in the tent above Arisaig and just kept looking at the view. Looking endlessly at the view across those golden sands and rocks. That view, looking out over the Inner Islands I've never forgotten in over fifty years.

Usually the sunsets covered the entire North West sky in a 180 degree arc the other side of those mountains I was headed for. You can see the self same sunsets from the living room at Ach na Skia.

The view has not altered for 40,000,000 years. Yes, that's the right number of zeros since the last volcanic eruption in Ardnamurchan nearby which formed this stunning landscape. You can still see the outline of the crater if you go there.

Sheila's cottage and lodges are in the most stunning area. But they offer a family playground, too, with slides and swings for the youngsters, and a playroom if it ever gets mildly damp, as it does occasionally. The croft cottage and lodges in Arisaig on Scotland's West coast

Here also is the little 9 hole Traigh golf course. You can lose your ball in the water here and not feel the least bit upset as you look out with wonder across Rhum, Eigg, Skye, you can imagine Newfoundland as the next stop once you get past the islands. Who cares about a little ball?

Here also is the most brilliant canoeing area, safe, too, from rapids, but with the occasional four foot breaking wave to add excitement. The Morar sands, world-famous, few people about, rock hopping for everyone. What a place!

Oh, and did I mention the real Monster in Loch Morar nearby? Oh yes, not like puffed up monster stories from other places, this female one is really there. Those fishing for brown trout in this freshwater loch will tell you about Morag.

I nearly forgot watching Whales and Dolphins playing around your boat as you go on a little day cruise out of the Harbour as Gillian and I did. You'll drop off parcels and post on the Small Islands, of course. This is the West Coast after all, it is what people do.

Go to Ach na Skia, you'll get a fine, warm welcome from Sheila. Off-season with no one about it is magical. The blog site for Ach na Skia with personal stories

John
Ps This is a little-known insider tip. If you want to know more about hitch-hiking up the Great North Road in days of yore, ask an expert. Such as Sheila..

Short November self catering breaks Scotland, special prices

All over Scotland, the season for short breaks begins about now.

After the summer bookings have fallen away then some very special prices are offered, down to as low as £7 per person per night and this site shows some truly excellent properties around the country. You can see some of the best rates here
last minute, self catering holiday breaks scotland This site shows you about twelve owners who have got together to make these special get-away-from-it-all holiday offers.

November is a good month for those who want peace and quiet and this is the month usually when property owners will break down their weeks into shorter periods.

Just a weekend away in glorious countryside, with no hurry, little traffic on the roads - that for some is ideal.

This property offers a Friday to Monday break or a Monday to Friday break at £199 in a lovely small lochside cottage near Glencoe. Short Breaks Glencoe Plent of things to do, even in November. The colours are wonderful.

John

A famous 200year old listed Mill, can be yours for a holiday break

Bobbin Mill is so lovely. The guest book shows it:

"The house is most beautifully designed. Each window appears to be placed with meticulous care to yield the greatest sight and sound from the surroundings"

"Lots of wildlife in the garden – a fawn eating from the tree. Scotland’s for me!"

"Accommodation was first class and the attention to the smallest detail"

"We have fallen in love with everything round here: the Deil’s Cauldron for yummy dinners, a red squirrel in the garden, red deer, buzzards, hares, pheasants, partridge in the hills, buying trout and veggies down the road. We could go on and on……"

"The design and layout of the house is spectacular, finished immaculately and very well equipped"

Christine Grace thinks of everything, thats why she gets a 4 star luxury grading for the Bobbin Mill.

"John," she says, "What do you think of this virtual reality tour of the Mill on our website?"

Wow, I had to get one for us. It looks stunning.

Our e-mail exchanges go all over the place, from the pros and cons of moving her change date to Friday so she gets the weekend with her family, to climate change and when am I going to give up flying, to folk music, her sister's singing career, her Fort William upbringing. She is a true Highland lassie. I've just got my jazz band to tell her about, but she is very nice about it.

But this Mill that she and her husband restored with such care is absolutely outstanding. It is in the Perthshire hills, near Crieff and Loch Earn. It sleeps eight people and is ideal for families sharing. In the low season you can rent the Mill for £640 for a week, and she will let you have it for shorter breaks. How would you find such luxury anywhere else for about £11 per person for a night?

John

Beside the Seven Sisters, minutes before you reach the Isle of Skye...

Gillian and I were surrounded by the most beautiful mountains. We had driven along the small road towards Skye, from Invergarry. We dropped down towards the most photographed castle in the world, Eilean Donan, looking peaceful now, but deadly in its day, then up towards the Seven Sisters of Kintail, wondering if we had the energy....


Around the corner then was Colin, simply the most affable and warmest of men and the owner of Conchra Cottages.

I first met him at a meeting of holiday home owners when we found ourselves on the same side of a debate, the origins of which I've forgotten now, but I think our side lost. We've become e-mail chums - huffing and puffing against the rights and wrongs of many issues, on all of which we seem to agree. It is the "We are right and they are wrong strategy" and it works well for us.

His 3 cottages are wonderful and the garden flat which can sleep up to 6 people. From them you can see the little Highland village of Dornie across the water. The first - or is it the last - of the Seven Sisters is growing out of his back garden.

So would you like it if the romance of the Isle of Skye was only ten minutes away, if you had magnificent walks and views all around, to see some small old Highland communities on the lochsides, see the last remaining turntable ferry in Scotland, look inside an ancient and mysterious broch, and wonder as everyone does, about its origins and purpose a couple of thousand years ago? Of course.

You can find some wonderful pictures of the area here.

mailto:info@conchracottages.co.uk

The Winter rates vary around £280 for a week.

John

About this blog, self catering, last minute and offers

Scotland in the low season is cosy and offers low cost holiday breaks. Roads are free of traffic. The cottages are warm. The people are friendly. The prices can be as low as £10per head per night if the property is full, because the best owners want to keep their properties occupied. Scotland can be unbelievably lovely in the off season. For a short break away-from-it-all you can't do better.

Last minute breaks in the high season
When the schools are on holiday, properties are usually full, but you can sometimes find occasional weeks at the last minute. Sometimes a cancellation makes a property available, sometimes there is a week's gap in the bookings. If you search you'll find somewhere. Better to book early, of course, but come just the same.

John