Window to the world: Assynt House

Scotland as a destination is more akin to an annual pilgrimage for those left yearning year-round for its stirring beauty, and Assynt House is the perfect destination for some Highland respite.

The lure of dramatic and tumultuous cloudscapes, the purple hue of heaths adorned with heather and dewy fresh morning light bathing unspoilt mountainous coasts becomes nothing short of an infatuation for those who have visited Scotland and allowed its rugged scenery into their hearts.

Nestled in the gateway to the Highlands, and burrowed into the mountainside, Assynt House is a resplendent Georgian house that watches majestically over the surrounding farmland. Lightly veiled by the cool purity of the encompassing woodland, the renovated dower house is shrouded by the whispers of ancient trees and the continuous ripple of the nearby river as it gently trips and ambles over a pathway of moss-laden rocks and branches.

Just 20 miles north of Inverness and just outside the small village of Evanton, this idyllic retreat represents the perfect combination of luxury and exclusivity, allowing users the freedom to truly escape from the real world and find sanctuary in the eternity of the pastoral symphony that surrounds this historic Scottish gem.

Assynt House is an award winning 5-star exclusive use holiday house with seven en-suite bedrooms and the capacity to sleep 14, making it a popular choice, for family celebrations and weddings too. This is also the ultimate Christmas and New Year’s venue, but be warned, you’ll need to get your bookings in early, as the word is getting out about this picture-perfect Highland haven, particularly now that it’s a Sawday’s pick (travel publisher and self-proclaimed defender of all that is special).

The kitchen is large and spacious and designed specifically to facilitate entertaining, with everything just where you need it to make it look like you know exactly what you’re doing.

Although the property can accommodate between 50 and 100 guests for a large event, the wood panelled drawing room offers open log fires and exudes a cosiness that you can’t help but sink into, as a serene contrast to the sheer drama of the external scenery and ever-changing weather.

Daily housekeeping is included in order to keep the property in perfect order throughout your stay, as is the choice between self-catering or having the owner-come-chef, Graham Waugh, provide you with a catered service that incorporates local seasonal produce; a service that easily reaches into the realms of the gourmet.

With so much to do nearby, including exhilarating walks across Fyrish Hill, Black Rock Gorge (the backdrop scenery to some of Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire) and Loch Glass, the beaches of Dornoch and the Black Isle, a range of options for sampling whisky at nearby distilleries, and of course the obligatory golf and fishing facilities, this is the ideal place from which to take in the full Highlands experience and to share it time and again with your friends and family.