Roughley Cottage

I’d recommend you take a disposable BBQ as the one in the barn was broken and too dirty to use - it’s rustic - but the bedding is immaculate and good quality - you book this cottage to get away from it all - and it certainly does that - feel really relaxed

We loved our stay here- the accommodation is rustic but that is part of its charm.

We all totally switched off from our busy lives, bird spotting instead of emails….. we loved the remoteness and would return and recommend

Arriving on a cool afternoon it was very welcoming to have the heating on, really warm and cosy.

I loved the house, especially the bedrooms upstairs and watching the birds from the lounge window. We loved the peace, especially the dark night skies watching the stars. Playing on the water was great fun - I don't think the paddle boards and kayaks had been mentioned and were a bonus. We hadn't expected WiFi and the youngsters in particular enjoyed having that.

Beautiful setting & such a special place.

An unspoiled gem :)

Roughley Cottage is a little gem of a place, the setting is wonderful, facilities are good, the track up to the cottage is ok just need to take it steady with standard road tyres.

We’ve already rebooked for two weeks in 2026

All in all - it was a great experience at Roughley cottage.

loved the environment, the loch and the weather. However the cottage itself was a little in need of a deep clean (dusty and stains on soft furnishings etc.) Everything outbuilding based was covered in bird poowhich while not awful was not ideal. WIFI was not mentioned as available at the time of booking however it seemed to be up and running while we were there. A nice modern luxury to have but not explicitly mentioned in the listing. We would go back but the whole property could benefit froma bit of a refresh and touch up to make it more enticing. Oh yes and I forgot about the midges....

Exactly what we were looking for — wild, remote, peaceful We stayed at this cottage for a week and it was everything we hoped for.

Tucked away up a steep track in the hills, it offered the kind of peaceful escape we rarely find these days — no TV, no phone signal, no neighbours — just us, the dogs, and nature. The cottage was warm, clean, and full of character. It had everything we needed for a comfortable stay, and there was plenty of space for three adults, two rescue dogs, and a cat. We spent our days walking in nearby forests, hiking to old monuments, spotting birds of prey, and even seeing wild goats and enormous hares on the moors! It’s worth noting the access road is quite steep and bumpy — which we loved — but you’ll want a vehicle that can handle it. Once you’re there though, it feels like your own little world. We enjoyed it so much, I even made a short video of our stay to show others just how special it is. (Link included if allowed!) youtube.com/@deeandcooutdoors Highly recommended for anyone craving calm, wild beauty, and a proper digital detox.

We love this place.

It's very special to us. Thank you

We loved our time at Roughley cottage.

It was exactly as described - away from it all, no wifi or phone signal, no TV, totally private and absolute bliss. The little loch was wonderful and we spent every moment that we could rowing or kayaking around it. We had everything that we needed and the hosts were lovely.

Beautiful remote cottage in the most amazing of settings!

Will be back

A Beautiful cottage,lovely+remote.

Interesting history of the origional Shepherds cottage.The lake is wonderful+all equiptment readily available.Well equipt inside,comfortable + cosy(My visit was the second week in March) open fire+plenty fuel.I am disabled+this was my first adventure on my own to see if I could do it.The only problem I ran into was the need for electricity for my CPAP machine,I had taken my own solar generator but sadly it was overcast+I couldn't recharge it when I ran out.A wonderful place + I will definately return when I can.

Fantastically peaceful and remote though cosy and comfortable inside.

Roughley is the perfect 'get away from it all'

Stopped in this beautiful cottage in May and have to say its now a favourite of ours, lovely cottage in a stunning location with a beautiful private lake, weather was good so being able to have a barbecue every night was just perfect with the views, I do have to say though please fix the road leading up to the cottage I did damage the underside of my car due to how rough the road is, and would be nice to have a regular plug in living room just for simple things like charging cameras etc that aren't USB, I'd love to go back

We love our family time at Roughley.

Fishing, kayaking, swimming, reading, games, eating and drinking. Gorgeous countryside even when it rains. Already booked for next year. Fingers crossed for sunshine

Thank you for sharing your beautiful holiday cottage.

We had such a wonderful time as a family of three generations. We have only great things to say about our stay and look forward to returning. It would have been helpful to know beforehand that we wouldn't be able to plug anything in (we brought a hand held blender to make the baby's food with and a slow cooker with us) it wasn't a problem but we wouldn't have brought them had we known. It would also have been good to know there us a small freezer so a couple of updated notes on skyes website would be good.

Definitely away from it all with no internet or mobile telephone coverage.

Oldie worldie but very comfortable and well equipped. LED lighting with no power for anything other than the fridge. Lovely loch with good fishing, kayaks and a small rowing boat. Scenery and isolation magnificent.

Charlotte aged 11 wrote: I really enjoyed relaxing around Roughley and spending time on the hills, fields and the loch.

I especially enjoyed going out on the rowing boat and fishing. I would definitely like to come to Roughley again. Zoe aged 9 wrote: My highlight of the Roughley was probably the frogs. I enjoyed picking them up… I liked exploring the field. The sheep are so cute to look at out the window. I have been coming here since I was a tiny baby. I love roughly cottage. PS Felting is fun making it out of sheep’s wool. Jem aged 14 wrote: I liked the two creeks here. I enjoyed canoeing… Their parents wrote: Lovely relaxing roughly! Our sixth visit in 11 years and this place has retained its charm. Long lie-ins, dog walks, including up to the stone circle, canoeing, fishing (several caught and released) games in the evening, reading, bliss… Thank you for preserving this little sanctuary. Thank you also to Pete and Liz for letting the kits feed the lambs – very special.

Another great time at Roughley – coal fires, cards, reading, walking and of course fishing.

Visit number five and still as magical as the first. Good to see the resident brown trout are breeding. First time here to see the cute newborn lambs – each season here has something new to offer

We left with the swallows in the autumn and returned with them in the spring.

On Monday evening we had a trout fresh from the loch – smoked over oak chippings on the barbecue, eaten outside on a beautiful balmy spring night watching the sun go down beyond the hill. Another Roughly memory for the dream back of the mind. 16 fish caught ½ lb- 6lb – all returned but one.

Roughley Cottage is an amazing place to stay.

The accommodation is very comfortable and the location unbeatable. We will return, as usual, next year.

Beautiful location in a cosy cottage.

The fire makes the living room delightful to sit and relax in. Our boys (7 & 9) loved the kayaks and even swam! My brother enjoyed fishing each day in his own loch. Perfect family holiday if you want to get away from technology.

Most peaceful, relaxing place.

First time at Roughley, we wanted a remote cottage and definitely got that!

... we totally wound down (it) was definitely what the doctor ordered... thank you for letting us stay in your peace of paradise.

Saw the Barn Owl most nights.

He/she is very beautiful. 20 fish caught 4-6lb. 1 Eaten.

We had many meals outside on the new pinic bench and sunbathed.

We had a really fab and relaxing time.

Fantastic week spent here at Roughley.

Rowing, paddling, fishing, swimming and just generally playing about on the water. What fun! The cottage is so cosy and welcoming. Our two girls (aged 7 + 5) loved the swing, loch and boathouse and are already planning our return visits. Barn owls very active – feeding their young at night which made for interesting noises in the downstairs bedroom.

As always, just what we needed.

Peace and quiet, apart from the barn owls at night. Books read, crib learnt, fishing, kayaking, walking and swimming.

Second time here for a week of family fun, Jake caught a small brown trout followed by Sam with a bigger rainbow.

We ate both cooked on the BBQ with garlic, lemon and dill. Delicious! We brought our paddleboard…. Harry and Chris were brave enough to swim… We saw the beautiful barn owls Great to spend time together in fabulous countryside. See you next year

Lovely cosy cottage, especially with the fire blazing.

Gloriously remote. Had the company of owls at the start of the week, and were serenaded to sleep by the chicks’ feeding songs. We think they have flown the nest now. Allan wrote: The Roughley is a taking place, as it takes your worries and cares and leaves you as you again. Come here, forget the outside world and become yourself again. If that’s too hard, don’t worry, the Roughley will do it for you without you even knowing.

We have been to this cottage many times.

It’s just a peaceful place. We love this cottage.

Back again (8th or 9th time) for some relaxation and family time.

Lovely to see nothing ever changes – just a tweak here and there. Jet our collie loves his walks and mastered getting in the canoes with the kids. Zoe wrote: Out of the great things you can do here I have decided to crochet trousers and shoes and a top for my best toy. I also went in the river at the bottom of the twinning field. It was very fun, and I loved it. We had a few wonderful sunny days after 1 week of being wild and crazy. It was so fun and the weather didn’t bother me because I like the cold. Her sister Charlotte wrote: The two weeks with my family and the amazing Roughley cottage have really made my summer holiday

Two weeks of switching off.

Bliss. Had family over both weekends for the day. All loved it here. Fishing has been challenging but really good fun. 41 landed…..some lovely brownies included. Some beautiful sunny days with clear starry nights have made this once again (it was their 8th visit) a great 38th anniversary treat….we will be back

Roughley is our favourite place to go and after over 20 years of going there it still doesn’t disappoint.

The improvements to the bathroom and kitchen have made a huge difference without taking away the charm of Roughley. Excellent

Fabulous location away from it all.

Love the addition of the dart board, new boats and paddle board as well as the recent refurbishments. It’s our home away from home!