The Brochs Of Coigach

Overview

The Brochs of Coigach are modern recreations of this ancient concept. The Brochs of Coigach have been shortlisted by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) for the 2011 Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award which is, with a prize money of 25.000 pounds, both the largest architectural prize in the UK and one of the most significant architecture awards in the world. The leading German travel magazine MERIAN lists The Brochs of Coigach as one of the 100 Best Dream Destinations for Two in the world - the only destination in the British Isles that made it into the list. The Brochs of Coigach are located within four acres of their own ground at the end of a private farm track. They are works of art as much as the most luxurious holiday houses you can think of. Each window frames stunning views of the coastline, the sea, the islands and the mountains. Inside, they are furnished with original works of arts by leading contemporary Scottish artists and artists with Scottish connections, such as John Bellany, Will MacLean, Peter Howson and Tracey Emin.

Scàl's Broch is a large one bedroom hide-away with an open plan kitchen and dining area, sitting and observation room, and a grand bath and sauna. Gille Buidhe's Broch is the ultimate holiday destination for the most demanding visitors, incorporating a huge observation and drawing room, three further rooms, a large kitchen and a sumptuous bathroom with sauna. Like a hotel, it is available on a daily basis or for any period you wish. It can accommodate up to four people.

Gille Buidhe and Scàl were two brothers who are said to have been the first people to settle Coigach, a remote peninsula on the wild northwest coast of the Highlands of Scotland. Polbain by Achiltibuie is one of a number of small hamlets on this peninsula which abuts from the mainland into the Minch, a broad waterway that separates the mainland from the Outer Hebrides.

The revered Scottish poet Norman MacCaig called this landscape 'masterless and intractable in any terms that are human.' It is one of the most unspoiled and pristine areas of Europe. One might observe a sea eagle hunting for fish or hear the haunting call of the rare Great Northern Diver. Porpoises and minke whales come this way. Occasionally, pods of bottle nose dolphins pass by, jumping in and out of the water as if for pure joy. Seals are always abundant. Despite its remote location, there is a Michelin star restaurant in the vicinity as well as a highly rated smoke house that produces some of the best smoked salmon in Scotland. There are opportunities for hill walking, climbing, sea kajaking, sailing and motor cuises.