Our cottage rental for week two was near the Carin Gorm and the small picturesque town of Boat of Garten. As a complete package, this was without a doubt the best of our four rentals for the month. Balvattan Cottage is part of an old croft barn that has been restored and converted to a large U-shaped complex. It includes the owners home on two sides; a beautiful garden in the middle; and the rental cottage on the third side.
The front of the rental is a raised stone patio accessible only from the living room. The front door is actually to the right on the courtyard side. Dan was busy looking at Carin Gorm through the binoculars and didn’t realize I was taking this picture.

One of the things that made Balvattan our favorite all-round week was this beautiful garden. The owner, Val, has an amazing green thumb and we thoroughly enjoyed the results of her tireless gardening.

And what wasn’t in lush garden, was perfectly manicured lawn!

All that, and you haven’t even seen the inside yet! Balvattan’s owners, James & Val, are the kind of rental owners we dream of. They are attentive to every possible detail of comfort. The interior was more than complete.
When we book a rental, our two non-negotiables are sharp knives and a cloths washer. Beyond that, what we really want is a place that is equipped in a way that a person could comfortably “live” there. One of our little secret tests for “livability” is how many cloths hangers are in the closets and what condition they are in. Balvattan passed that test with flying colors.
Here are a few interior photos.



So, if you find yourself planning a trip to the Scottish Highlands and you want a comfortable base from which to explore, you would be very lucky indeed to have the opportunity to enjoy the haven that James & Val have created at Wester Balvattan.