A Highlands Cabin
Sometimes I’ll just sit and browse around for any cosy, unusual, and affordable (the price of Airbnb’s and whatnot these days is actually a little frightening) places to stay. It’s good to have a change of scenery now and then, even if it’s just for one night.
This log cabin, just to the west of Lairg caught my eye as it reminded me a lot of a cabin that Steven and I used to stay in years ago in Northumberland. It was off grid, simple, but in the middle of nowhere and super peaceful. It was so cheap that we sort of turned it into our own holiday home, and went back there every few months or so. The photos below are of that Northumberland cabin, back when we had little Pim, and pre-Fox days.
Back to the Lairg cabin… I thought they were too similar to be a coincidence, so I checked the name of the Airbnb host and low and behold, it was the same guy. Reassured that the place would be worth it to drive along for a night, we booked.
We’d been looking for an excuse to drive all the way north, along one of my favourite roads, to visit Cereal Bakery in Tongue. So we set off from Findhorn, braved the wind and rain, and spent the morning pulling over and taking photos, enjoying the views, and finishing it off with one of the best coffees I’ve had in months.
Refreshed and recharged, we drove straight back down the same road and chased the light to the cabin. We got there just as it started to get dark, up a gravel track in the middle of nowhere.
The cabin is super basic. Just a tiny solar panel to charge phones, some battery powered lights, a log burner, and an outdoors gas cooker and sink. The bathroom is a long drop toilet and an outdoors shower, tucked behind a piece of wriggly tin overlooking the hills and a pond.
Absolutely perfect.
I genuinely mean it when I say I could live like this. I pretty much already do, just in a caravan rather than a cabin. But the cabin had the added bonus of being away from everyone, with just nature surrounding it. I have no problem with sacrificing luxuries like running water and plug sockets to live a simpler, calmer life.
The inside of the cabin is two rooms, separated by a doorway in the log wall. A little sofa, the fireplace, a tiny table and chairs and a huge, super comfortable bed.
The only thing that spooked me a little…. No curtains. I wasn’t worried about anyone seeing, there’s quite literally nobody around, there’s just something really unsettling about the idea of waking up and seeing something strange at the window. I think I’ve consumed too many horror films over the years.
But, saying that, I actually thoroughly enjoyed waking up just as it was getting light, and going out in the semi-darkness to the outdoors kitchen and getting the coffee on. If I’m completely alone, I have absolutely no issue with going outside to use the cooker. Watching the scenery as it brews, getting some fresh air, and admiring the hills.
All in all, if you appreciate seclusion, nature, peace and simple living, this place is for you. I’ll leave a link to the cabin at the end of this post, but you have to promise not to book it when I want to go.
