luxury seaside bothy Scotland

luxury seaside bothy Scotland - sleeps 2

Owl Cote luxury seaside bothy near Gatehouse of Fleet, with lovely sea view.

What better place to spend the most glorious week in May than in this luxury bothy close to Carrick Shore on the beautiful Galloway coast. We came here to relax and have a quiet break doing whatever the weather suggested and as it turns out, have hardly had to stir from the immediate vicinity.

The Bird's Nest bothy is one big room with separate areas for sleeping, eating and relaxing (and of course a separate bathroom). Although space restrictions mean the furniture and furnishing have been kept fairly minmal, they are all high class - even verging on the sumptuous. Light comes in from every possbile direction and you can even see the sea from the living area; for cool evenings there's a wood burning stove (not required!). This is perfect, cosy accommodation for a romantic sojourn.
Carrick is a small community of holiday homes of varying shapes, sizes and designs, from modest wood cabins to rather grander affairs, so in the summer there's a definite holiday feel to the place, although the beaches never get too crowded for comfort.

We brought our canoe and have had so much fun paddling along the coast and around the Isles of Fleet, barbcueing on beaches and swimming in the clear, turquiose water. There are lots of seabirds to spot and if you're quiet and lucky, seals too.


For supplies, Gatehouse of Fleet, just six miles away, has everything we need - fantastic chutneys and preserves in the Galloway Lodge (a great cafe here too) and a good Spar shop, as well as a grocer's, chemist and several other interesting shops. We popped into the charity shop to have a browse and I was lucky enough to pick up a perfectly fitting wetsuit for just a fiver! Along the Fleet, the Mill on the Fleet has a lovely shop and cafe.
Dining out locally is easy - in Gatehouse, both the Masonic and the Murray Arms do delicious bar or restaurant meals and a little further in Kirkcudbright, do please try the Selkirk Arms where the food is excellent - but book first!

luxury seaside bothy sleeps 2