Maple Cottage Sleeps 5 | £695.00 to £1150.00 per week

Kintra Explore the area, things to do and more

Hidden away in a tranquil corner of the island, you’d be forgiven for not knowing a setting like Kintra, home to Maple Cottage, even existed. And yet find it you can, thanks to this charmingly renovated holiday cottage nestled into a row of stone cottages gazing straight out to sea and the shore of Kintra Bay.

The journey from the ferry port in Craignure will instantly awaken a sense of tranquillity, through the dramatic mountains of Glen More, then down past Loch Scridain and along the Ross of Mull peninsula with its pretty pink granite rocks to Kintra. Arriving at Maple Cottage with its pretty gardens, wood-burning stove and spellbinding sea views, you’ll soon be recharging your batteries.

Peel off your boots and jackets in the porch, where there’s lots of storage and light thanks to the large windows overlooking the back garden, and then make your way into the open plan kitchen and dining area. Don’t put your binoculars down too soon, as there are lots of visiting garden birds to see and as you venture through the property, you’ll find your eyes drawn back to the bay.

The kitchen at Maple Cottage is contemporary and well equipped, with a full-height fridge freezer and plentiful storage space for fresh produce and local ingredients. The quality oak dining table, seating and sofa promise a sociable experience for the chef of the party, while the sliding doors directly to the patio and gravel garden bring the outside-in, or indeed, the chef outside to enjoy the purpose-built barbecue!

A corridor from the kitchen leads to the bathroom and then the living room at Maple Cottage. This cosy space feels incredibly snug on a wild winter’s evening with the wood-burning stove lit, while being equally charming come the summer months when the long days promise almost limitless daylight hours to watch wildlife on the bay.

Guests will appreciate the cottage’s characterful layout, with a spacious double bedroom with superb sea views over the bay concealed behind one door, and a favourite spot for morning coffee from another in the intimate sea view sunroom, while the steep staircase typical of cottages of this age ascends to the further sleeping quarters upstairs.

Upstairs, there is a second double bedroom, again with lovely sea views and an impressive iron bedframe, and a sea view single bedroom too, both with ample storage space and reached from a shared landing.

Nestled in a rural, coastal oasis, guests could easily fill their stay with the delights of the Ross of Mull alone. From the cottage, enjoy a walk across croftland to the ruins of villages that were emptied during the Highland Clearances, or simply wander the shore of the bay taking in the wildlife and wading birds.

This part of Mull is renowned for its pink granite coastline and stunning shell-sand beaches, often sheltered by skerries making for a pleasant (if bracing!) dip or paddle. The tidal island of Erraid can be walked to at low tide from Knockvologan beach, and the islands of Iona and Staffa can both be easily reached by boat from Fionnphort too. Fresh produce and seafood can be purchased locally in season.

For a peaceful escape that immerses you in some of the island’s finest scenery and a cosy cottage base to call home, Maple Cottage is one you’ll certainly want to return to.