Ardenstur Holiday Cottages

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Ardenstur Holiday Cottages

Explore the west coast of Scotland with the Ardenstur Estate. Our stone-built, self-catering cottages provide comfortable accommodation for parties of 2 to 10.
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Situated on the shores of Loch Melfort, on the West Coast of Scotland, near Oban, our 150 acre Ardenstur Estate offers a tranquil retreat in magnificent surroundings. Each cottage has an open fire or stove to supplement the electric heating. We welcome well-behaved pets.

31/01/2024

You are never too far from the shorelines of Loch Melfort at Ardenstur. As well as cobbled beaches our holiday cottages are also surrounded by woodlands which are perfect to explore!

28/01/2024

Spring and summer are on the horizon…. Well, they will be soon enough!

Enjoy some peace & quiet whilst immersing yourself in Scotland’s iconic west coast in 2024 with us at Ardenstur.

Hike the high hills, brush up on your stone skimming skills on one of our beautiful beaches or relax looking out over Loch Melfort. The Ardenstur estate is a great base for day trips to the Isle of Mull, Oban, Inveraray, wildlife tours and so much more!

Our practical and cosy cottages are surrounded by magnificent Scottish scenery and are a perfect place to make memories with family and friends.

https://www.scottish-lochside-cottages.com

08/03/2023

Blue skies on the west coast.

23/02/2023

The 150 acre Ardenstur Estate sits alongside the shoreline of Loch Melfort on Scotland’s famous west coast. Our peaceful holiday homes can cater for large families, couples and are perfect for a pet dog too.

Enjoy some of the very best Scottish views by exploring the surrounding hills and beaches, sample some of the finest seafood the world has to offer in the local town of Oban or kick back to relax and do very little at all.

Bring a boat, a fishing rod, wander our wiggly pathways through the woodlands and meadows… you could even start a new day with a wild swim!

Bookings for the spring and summer of 2023 are very much open! Head to our website for more information and dates currently available.

06/12/2022

Spectacular views to the Isle of Mull from the high hills behind the Ardenstur Estate.

Hiking the hills behind Ardenstur is a great winter activity. The low vegetation offers a great opportunity to watch wildlife such as Red deer, Red squirrels and various bird species like Sea eagles. We’re very fortunate to have all this on on our doorstep. The perfect way warm up after a winter hike is in front of an open fire in our lovely cottages.

We have some availability throughout winter 2022/23. Head to the website for booking information and to view the cottages at Ardenstur, we look forward to welcoming you.

29/11/2022

Sunset in Scotland.

This marvellous view can be found on the cobbled beach bay on the Ardenstur Estate.
The isles of Luing, Shuna & Scarba can be seen in the distance with the highest point of “Cruach Scarba” (449m) hiding behind the clouds.

22/11/2022

It’s frosty this morning, the sky is completely clear and there is just a little warmth in the low sun as it rests atop the hills and sparkles through leafless trees.

I’m sitting on that bench typing this and pausing to look at the beautifully still water of Loch Melfort.

I’d love to be able to bottle this feeling of peace and tranquility and send it to you, but I don’t think it would be quite the same.

26/10/2022

The urge to jump on a freshly made bed is difficult to resist.
Luckily you won’t have to hold back you can jump in and snuggle up under a cloud like duvet.
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11/10/2022

Autumn is a great time for wildlife watching in Scotland. As the leaves fall from the trees and the undergrowth dies back it’s a lot easier to see things. There’s a perfectly placed rock just off the shoreline at Ardenstur and it just so happens to be a great place to spot resting seals. Grey and Harbour seals haul themselves up onto the rocks most mornings and you can view them through the trees along one of the walks.

(You can also watch seals here from the comfort of a chair in Shore Cottage with a set of binoculars)

05/10/2022

Scramble along the shore and keep dry or strip off for a wild swim. You can explore many beautiful bays on the Ardenstur Estate!

With Booking available over a year in advance you can book your summer escape now!

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27/09/2022

Ardenstur Croft.

24/09/2022

Have you hiked the high hills? There’s bothies, bogs, buzzards, butterflies and of course beautiful views. But how far will you explore?

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05/09/2022

Loch Melfort still has to peek at you over our rainforest canopy in some places.

The leaves are just holding on a little bit longer before this view is covered in beautiful shades of gold and orange.

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04/09/2022

Here’s what you’ll see when you pull up for your September stay in Ardenstur Croft.

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28/08/2022

Sadly the summer holidays are nearly over for another year. Young eagles have fledged nearby nests, young deer fawns have lost their spotted camouflage coats and the leaves are slowly but surely beginning to fall from the trees. As the busy summer begins to wind down another beautiful time of year unfolds at the Ardenstur estate.

Our range of holiday homes are a great place to enjoy the west coast of Scotland this autumn 🍂 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿.

Explore or relax, the choice is yours!

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16/07/2022

A Fort once stood in this very filming spot, which is how Loch Melfort acquired it’s name. Today the fort no longer stands on this spectacular viewpoint but we were able to watch a White tailed eagle fly right the way across the bay to the tree line on the other side.

I wonder how many people have stood here before us and watched eagles?

We have limited availability for this summer/autumn and all dates currently available can be found on our website.

19/06/2022

“I used to tell my little brother and sister that the reason the walls of Ardenstur house are so thick is because fairies lived in them. I’d whisper the stories to them tucked up in our beds a night.

Having spent the day exploring the woods and scrambling along the shore, feeding my imagination. I was more than half convinced my stories were true! Ardenstur was and always will be magical to me.”

Helen
- Ardenstur visitor since 1990
- Ardenstur House Keeper since April 2021

P.s there is still some availability to have your Ardenstur Adventure this summer! Get in touch or check out our website.

05/06/2022

Little people enjoy big adventures at Ardenstur.

30/05/2022

We’ve been quiet lately! But here’s a recent picture from the high hills behind Ardenstur looking out over the isles of Scarba and Jura.

The holiday season is well and truly upon us with guests enjoying the explosions of green leaves and wildflowers as well as the holiday houses. May and June are beautiful months on the estate with deer fawns hiding in the grasses and birds such as the sea eagles busy building nests.

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09/05/2022

We showed you our Bluebells on the beach this morning - check out our Bluebells in the wood!!

09/05/2022

Ardenstur is currently covered in Bluebells! All the way from the shore to the headland. They are simply gorgeous.

Book your holiday with us for the beginning of May next year and you won’t just see them but you can walk among them for yourself.

19/04/2022

Shore Cottage basking in the sunshine as the clouds get pushed back to reveal a beautiful blue sky over Ardenstur this morning.

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13/04/2022

Perfectly perfect Puffins! All happening a few waves away from Ardenstur. Spring has sprung and the season for exploring the magical west coast of Scotland has begun.

We have had a plethora of puffins on our tours today ! Quite unusual for us to see them on our Corryvreckan Wildlife Tour and early in the season too !

16/03/2022

A peaceful morning at Ardenstur. Loch Melfort has become so still it has turned into an enormous mirror.

When the water is this calm, sound travels across it so incredibly clearly. I could almost here the conversations going on in the blue boat on the other side of the loch!

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14/03/2022

It’s starting to feel a little springy around here!

We get really excited at this time of year. The entire estate just feels like it is getting ready, preparing for something wonderful.

We’re starting to see little buds on almost all the trees. The sun is staying around and giving us longer, warmer days. Even the birds are singing and chirping more!

It’s a really lovely atmosphere to be surrounded by.

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Address

Kilmelford
Oban
PA344XD

Website

http://www.scottish-lochside-cottages.com/

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Videos

Autumn is a great time for wildlife watching in Scotland. As the leaves fall from the trees and the undergrowth dies back it’s a lot easier to see things. There’s a perfectly placed rock just off the shoreline at Ardenstur and it just so happens to be a great place to spot resting seals. Grey and Harbour seals haul themselves up onto the rocks most mornings and you can view them through the trees along one of the walks. (You can also watch seals here from the comfort of a chair in Shore Cottage with a set of binoculars)

A Fort once stood in this very filming spot, which is how Loch Melfort acquired it’s name. Today the fort no longer stands on this spectacular viewpoint but we were able to watch a White tailed eagle fly right the way across the bay to the tree line on the other side. I wonder how many people have stood here before us and watched eagles? We have limited availability for this summer/autumn and all dates currently available can be found on our website.

Seal Spotting! Such curious creatures. We walked down to the headland bay and the loch was really calm, perfect seal spotting conditions. We only had to wait 5 or 10 minutes for a head to pop up. Then they disappeared, only to pop up minutes later a little bit closer to shore. It seemed like they wanted to have a look at us as well. 🦭 🤩 👍 #harborseal #atlanticocean #scotland #argylladventure #holidayscotland #staycation #oban #sealspotting #wildlife #wildlifescotland

Looking back at Ardenstur from the other side of Loch Melfort. This is the view that welcomes our visitors on the last little bit of their journey. The cottages peeking out at you from amongst the trees. Even when everything is big and green in the summer you can just about make them out through the leaves. 🏡 🚗 🚣🏼‍♂️ ⛅️ 🍂 🍃 🛥 #lochmelfort #westcoastwaters #westcoastscotland #scottishholiday #holidayscotland #staycationuk #scotland #scotlandtravel #scotlandhighlands

Each morning we walk the dogs along the woodland and headland walks. As we reach the shoreline there’s a rock which just so happens to be a great place to spot seals at low tide. This morning 6 Harbour seals were relaxing in the autumn sunshine. 🦭

#redsquirrel

Maybe one of the final sightings of an osprey this year? Ospreys are awesome birds! Look out for them from mid-March through to the end of the summer as they wrestle a large fish from lochs in the area. They make a remarkable 3,000 mile migration to sub-Saharan Africa at the end of summer. Once just a single pair of ospreys survived in Scotland! Thanks to conservation efforts the osprey is well and truly back! We have plans to encourage ospreys to nest on the estate in the future through artificial nest platforms on the “Top Loch”.

We have a helipad! And it recently has been cleared of all the grass cuttings too!

We spotted a seal this morning whilst walking the shoreline of Loch Melfort. It’s a great time of year at the moment when food is plentiful and young animals are venturing out and about too. Here’s 5 top tips for spotting wildlife on the estate: • Be very quiet Many animals will be scared away by loud voices and heavy footsteps, so be as quiet and as still as possible. • Know what you're looking for Familiarising yourself with the different species that live on the estate can make it much easier to spot them. • Bring binoculars It's hard to get close up to many animals, so a pair of binoculars is great for seeing them in more detail. • Be aware of the seasons The Estate is home to a lot of different animals throughout the year. In spring you can expect to see quite a lot of activity, especially from the birdlife who will busy raising their young. • Be patient Be prepared to wait for a while, and remember that some of the species here are more timid than others.

Did you know that you can bring your own boat to Ardenstur? Just a short walk (or shorter drive) from the cottages you’ll found the Boat House with it’s own harbour. Many of or guests have sailed the west coast of Scotland and met up with family and friends at the Ardenstur estate for a fantastic holiday. Dogs are also welcome! 😅 🥾 🌲 🦌 🦭 🦦 ⛰ 🦀 #visitscotland #scottishholidays #wildlifeholidays #scottishbreaks #ardensturestate #westcoastscotland #holidaycottages #travel #travelscotland #accommodation #sailingholiday #familyholiday #sailing #holidayhome #dogfriendly #selfcateringholiday #summerholiday #getaway #scotland #bringaboat #walking #dogwalking #hiking #mountainbiking #adventure #explore #explorescotland #beach #coast #cycling

Cottongrass swaying beautifully in the breeze ✔️ Gorgeous blue skies ✔️ White fluffy clouds ✔️ Jarvis the dachshund makes a cameo appearance ✔️ 🌱 We’re looking forward to a wonderful weekend on the west coast! The soundtrack of the day is Scottish burns trickling into the calm crystal clear water on Loch Melfort and busy bumble bees buzzing trough the foxgloves….. bliss! 🐝 https://www.scottish-lochside-cottages.com/ ☀️ We still have some availability on our lovely cottages for this summer and would love to welcome you to the Ardenstur estate. • • • • #visitscotland #scottishholidays #wildlifeholidays #scottishbreaks #ardensturestate #westcoastscotland #holidaycottages #travel #travelscotland #accommodation #sailingholiday #familyholiday #sailing #holidayhome #dogfriendly #selfcateringholiday #summerholiday #getaway #scotland #bringaboat #walking #dogwalking #hiking #mountainbiking #adventure #explore #explorescotland #beach #coast #cycling

For the nature lovers. Keep your eyes peeled around the estate. Jimmy has been busy clearing our tracks and paths for you to walk and explore. He’d just cleared a fallen tree and big thorny bush from the coast walk that morning and as he enjoyed strolling along it, without getting caught by brambles, the same evening he spotted this Hedgehog .... Beachhog? . . . #ardensturestate #hedgehog #creatures #lochside #wildlife #scotland #holidayathome