Rowan Cottage is a cosy, Scandinavian-style chalet nestled in woods on the banks of the pristine River Glass in the majestic Scottish Highlands. The chalet sits in the grounds of Kerrow House, a former fishing lodge of the heads of Clan Chisholm. This is an area of outstanding natural beauty, home to some of the last remnants of the ancient Caledonian pine forests, and host to diverse wildlife, such as deer, pine martens, badgers, owls, red squirrels, ospreys, otters and the recently returned beaver. Easily accessible from Beauly or Loch Ness via Glen Urquhart, this is the ideal getaway from city life.
Rowan Cottage is a year-round home away from home, with a fully equipped kitchen, and warm and cosy bedrooms and dining space, ideal for a small family, couple, or small group of friends. We are only a short distance from Loch Ness and the majestic forests and munroes of Glen Affric. Guests are free to relax on the riverbank or swim in the bracing (!), peaty water of the Glass. Guests are welcome to explore the grounds and riverbank, and they are of course free to use Kerrow as a base for exploring the majestic forests of the neighbouring glens and Loch Ness. This is a walker’s paradise. The more energetic are encouraged to explore the summits and monroes of the nearby Affric hills.
We own nearly 6 kilometres of river bank, and guests are welcome to fish for trout free of charge (fly only). Salmon fishing can also be arranged. The River Glass, one of Scotland's prettiest rivers, invites canoeists for a gentle drift downstream.
Rowan Cottage is situated discreetly in twelve acres of wooded grounds of Kerrow House, constructed in the 18th century by the chief of clan Chisholm a few decades after the battle of Culloden. In the 19th century, Kerrow House was the birthplace of the Golden Retriever breed: it was here the first retriever pups were born in the heart of some of the most beautiful glens in Scotland: Glen Affric, Glen Cannich, and Glen Strathfarrar.
Occasional buses run from the nearby village of Cannich to Inverness, but the truth is that Kerrow is at the end of the glen and that's the way we like it! This is a place to get away from it all and relax. Though the cottage is fully connected with high-speed internet, and with good mobile reception, the only noises you will hear are the running of the river, the wind in the trees (and the occasional splash of a salmon, or hoot of an owl). We are 20 minutes' drive from Drumnadrochit, and 45 minutes from Inverness.
