Eco & Luxury: How two simple words have become natural bedfellows in Scotland
A few years ago if you used the words ‘eco’ and ‘luxury’ in the same sentance, people would have laughed in your face. Eco was seen as shorthand for cheap & soulless, luxury on the other hand, could only mean expensive, exclusive & sycophantic. Scotland is the place to go to see this theory turned on its head. Glorious lochfront eco luxury pads are springing up everywhere; perfect for weekend hideaways, honeymoons and romantic breaks. Luxury personified, for less than the price of a hotel room.
Knoydart Hide is one such gloriously grown up hideaway on the shores of Loch Nevis, set in its own private woodland in the Knoydart Peninsula. Built to make the most of light, loch views and natural resources, the windows invite the outside in, framing the woodland wonderland. With an outdoor hot tub, an infrared sauna, a freestanding bath and an antique half tester canopy bed, this is eco luxury at its finest. Sleeps 2. From £190 per night.
Croft 103 is a pair of luxury eco dwellings in the very north west tip of Scotland. They sit on the shores of Loch Eriboll with their own wind turbine and solar panels. With huge windows, underfloor heating, wood stove, oversized feather-topped beds, outside solar tub and high-tech appliances, the design is such that they merge seamlessly into the rocky, watery landscape. Sleeps 2. From £220 per night.
Coillabus Eco Luxury Lodges are architect designed turf-roofed guest cottages on the glorious Isle of Islay, Scotland’s whisky isle. The turfed-roof buildings are built by Island and Argyll craftsmen using local stone and appear to flow out of the landscape: all in perfect harmony with their surroundings. The lodges command panoramic views across the island to Kintyre and Ireland. Sleeps 4 in 2 bedrooms. From £250 per night.
Balbinny is a unique self-catering development which comprises glass-fronted Steadings which make full use of their outdoor space. Corrugated roofs, recycled stone and renewable energy make these Scottish hideaways truly sustainable but the interiors are slick and modern. On site you will find a glass fronted spa and gym complex which comprises a fitness suite, an indoor pool, a Jacuzzi and a treatment room. Sleeps 4 in 2 bedrooms. From £190 per night.
