Holiday homes & rentals in Gairloch

Gairloch, a small community with a village feel, offers a selection of holiday lettings, including traditional croft cottages with coastal views, larger, detached properties, or modern bungalows. Gairloch self-catering accommodations let you escape day-to-day life will all the comforts of home.

Great local produce and international cuisine

Gairloch and the surrounding area offer a good range of options for eating out, from bistros with fine dining options to pubs serving no-nonsense homecooked classics. If you prefer to relax with a takeaway meal, Gairloch has both Chinese restaurants and fish and chip shops with some great choices.

Local produce features on the menus of many local eateries, with prawns, mussels, lobster, and venison particularly popular. As community markets run regularly in Aultbea, Poolewe, and Gairloch, self-catering travellers have the perfect opportunity to pick up some homecooked delicacies to take home and pop in the oven.

Marine life and military history close to Gairloch

Several companies run boat tours from Gairloch's pier – taking a trip out to sea is both entertaining and educational. Whales are often found in the waters off Wester Ross, and older children will love a trip out into the Minch on a fast speedboat to spot them. Younger kids, and those who prefer more sedate trips, will enjoy a glass-bottom boat trip around the bay, with an experienced guide on hand to point out the dazzling array of marine life below the waves.

Loch Ewe, just to the north of Gairloch, played an important role during WW2 as a muster point for Arctic convoys heading to Russia. A modern interactive museum in Strath explores this period of history, and many of the gun placements and lookout positions can still be seen on the shores of the loch.

Caribbean-style beaches and tropical gardens in the Scottish Highlands

The shores of Wester Ross, which are warmed by the Caribbean Gulf Stream, boast white sands and turquoise seas that look tropical too. There are many stretches of unspoilt beach in the Gairloch area, including the village's own beach and beaches further up the coast at Big Sand and Melvaig. The serene stretches of sand offer ample space for everyone, and the water is safe for swimming.

The other benefit of Wester Ross's microclimate is mild winter weather for the latitude – the region is on the same parallel as Canada's Hudson Bay. In the National Trust Garden at Inverewe, you'll find palm trees and other plants typically associated with the Mediterranean or tropics. Inverewe House, set within the garden, houses an interactive museum, where you can learn about the history of the botanic garden and the man who created it. There's also a tearoom and lovely souvenir shop.

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