Luxury self-catering accommodation in Loch Ewe

A world away from the urban cool of Glasgow and Edinburgh, little Loch Ewe has an unexpectedly dramatic maritime history, having once been a wartime convoy collecting point. Now it rests sleepily in its hideaway spot deep within Scotland's Western Highlands, at the mouth of the River Ewe. Several pretty villages can be found on the loch shores, not least Poolewe, on the sheltered southernmost tip. This small village had a busy past, at one time housing a 17th-century iron furnace, and also having once been a major port in the area.

Thanks to its location on the Gulf Stream, Loch Ewe has a temperate climate, even though it's actually more northerly than Moscow. This makes it the perfect place for a stunning tropical garden; guests visiting Inverewe can spot rare plants from all over the globe, such as Himalayan blue poppies, Californian redwoods and worldwide rhododendrons. Driving or cycling around the loch is a good way to take in more beautiful surrounds; if you head far north, be sure to stop off at the remote hamlet of Cove for a picnic by the peaceful shores.