DUNALASTAIR HOLIDAY HOUSES, SCOTLAND

Family-friendly holiday cottages in Highland Perthshire

Discover our comfortable holiday cottages on Dunalastair, near Pitlochry in the central Highlands of Scotland.  You will find clean and well-equipped holiday homes with views to die for.  The cosy log fires, the wild places for walking holidays, the tug of a trout on the line on Dunalastair Loch,  the sight of an osprey fishing, or a red squirrel skimming through the trees bring guests back year after year.   And there is so much to discover in the area.

Highland Perthshire is renowned in Scotland for its wide range of outdoor activities for all the family from fascinating highland safaris and scary white water rafting to fishing, field sports and golf and the more leisurely pursuits of visiting castles and gardens, quality shopping, Pitlochry theatre, galleries …… The choice is yours, the choice is endless.   Holiday cottage guests find that there is something for every taste and age.

Our nine secluded self-catering holiday cottages, lie in individual locations and offer you a home from home and escape from stress. These self-catering cottages vary in size, sleeping from 2 to 8 people, and are surrounded by the magnificent, unspoilt scenery of the Central Highlands of Scotland.  Around them you will find highland lochs fringed with birch trees, and mountains rising up to form rocky peaks, such as the famous 'munro' Schiehallion, 'Hill of the Fairies' (1083m). In the glen are wild and windswept heather moorlands which turn purple in August, and an ancient Caledonian pine forest - the famous Black Wood of Rannoch.

Book Online
Your can browse the website to see up-to-date availability and book securely online.

Rentals, Short Breaks and Late Availability
Cottage rental is normally by the week but we can also offer short breaks at certain times.  Late availability discounts are available as well. 

Well Equipped
The holiday cottages ('vacation homes' to our US guests) are very well equipped and comfortable and are constantly updated. They have open or woodstove fires and eight of the nine have Sky TV. Bridge Cottage has no TV which is a relief to some!

• Nine beautifully restored estate cottages sleep 2 to 8 guests
• Each cottage located in its own secluded position
• Just half an hour from Pitlochry and Aberfeldy
• Only two hours from Edinburgh and Glasgow 
• Fabulous scenery and views of hills, lochs and glens from the holiday cottages 
• Electricity and oil, bedlinen and towels included in rental
• Pets Welcome 
• The cottages have Log Fires - either open or woodburning stove
• Sky TV in 8 cottages 
• Four-poster beds in some cottages
• Huge variety of activities in the area
• Short breaks available at certain times
• Tennis court
• Trout fishing free
• See the abundant wildlife like deer, eagles, whooper swans, osprey, red squirrels and so much more

February on Dunalastair
It is February and some snow is still on the low ground areas but there is more on the hills.  It has been very cold indeed but is now more like an average February.  Our resident whooper swan family's four beautiful cygnets are almost fully grown and have been joined by winter visitors; many more swans and hundreds of geese.  The bird table has a host of birds from blue tits to a woodpecker and even pheasants!

Dunalastair Estate
20,000 acre Dunalastair Estate is family-run and includes, in addition to the self-catering holiday cottages, hill sheep and cattle breeding, forestry, native woodlands, trout fishing, deer stalking and shooting. There are several Sites of Special Scientific Interest on the estate including Dunalastair Loch.  Visitors to our holiday homes find the loch and its vicinity a haven for all sorts of waterfowl and wildlife both common and rare and the osprey can often be seen in summer quartering the loch searching for fish to swoop.
 
Day Trips from Dunalastair Holiday Houses
Dunalastair is centrally placed in mainland Scotland so that it is easy to make day trips to such varied places as Loch Ness (2 hours), Edinburgh (2 hours), St. Andrews, Balmoral and Loch Lomond and return to your welcoming cottage in the evening.

Bring a Camera or your Paints
This is an idyllic spot for photographers and artists.  In May and June the wild flowers are spectacular.  In autumn the colours of the Highlands easily compete with New England, and all through the year the magical, ever-changing light makes it essential to have a camera or your painting gear with you. Here is the place to find beauty and dramatic scenery.

Wildlife in the Central Highlands
The Rannoch area is well known by birdwatchers for its great variety of birds such as eagles, ospreys, rare waterfowl, black and red grouse, barn owls. Also to be seen are deer, pine marten, red squirrels, otters and much more.

Golf and other Activities
Within easy reach in Highland Perthshire are a large number of golf courses with very reasonable green fees and there is a great choice of other activities in the area from Highland Safaris, to pony trekking and white water rafting, from gardens to historic castles, distilleries to woollen shops. There is something for everyone here.

Local Village
The nearby village of Kinloch Rannoch has restaurants and hotels, licensed grocer, post office, churches (Presbyterian and Episcopal), garage.  There is a medical centre in the village. 

Please note that there is no petrol or diesel in the glen at present so it is advisable to fill up in Pitlochry or Aberfeldy before coming to Rannoch.  We hope the community filling station will be able to reopen but this is not known yet.

This is a brief round up of what is in more detail on other pages.

www.dunalastair.com