“Magic Kintillo”
We had the most incredible time here. The cottage is so perfect as a holiday rental...neutral enough decor that it feels calm, but with just a few small touches to make it feel very homely and cozy and it's obviously very loved. Being teetotal, we were left some fizzy drinks instead of the usual bottle of wine, which felt unbelievably welcoming after a long day's journey from London.
The cottage was impeccably clean, the heating is straightforward to understand, there's a deluxe flat screen tv with DVD player, a fantastic power shower but also a bath if you need a soak after a long walk plus a dishwasher, washing machine and dryer (although we dried our clothes on the line and they smelt so good afterwards). Also it's dog-friendly, which is important if you are a dog owner who likes to take your dog on holiday with you!
The kitchen was well stocked and we had local oysters and scallops one night from the oyster place just beyond the Talisker distillery. They were delicious and such a treat, but very reasonably priced compared to eating them in a restaurant. As it was summer, the days were very long, but we both slept like kings as the bedroom has good blackout blinds and it's so deeply peaceful there.
The cottage is situated on the outskirts a lovely little village called Glendale. The views are uplifting and you can see the sea quite close by, and it's about a 10 min walk away. Willie Campbell the owner advised me to stock up in a supermarket beforehand so we did that, but actually the co-op in Portree isn't too far away.
Also Glendale is blessed with the excellent RedRoof cafe which serves beautiful lunches and tempting baked goods and their coffee is obviously sourced by people who wouldn't settle for anything less than an excellent cup of coffee. It ended up being somewhere we went a lot! We also had a meal at the Three Chimneys which was, as expected from a Michelin starred restaurant, very sophisticated food.
The holiday was just what I needed and I felt completely different when I came back to London. The beauty of Skye is phenomenal and it's hard not to feel affected by it on a profound level. Kintillo was a wonderful base to experience Skye and I hope to return there as soon as possible.
- EHHT, June 2012
