Stable Cottage

The stable block of a Georgian house

Ashfield House dates from 1824 and stands in its own grounds at Gartocharn. Stable Cottage was its stable, laundry, hay loft and garage, and the conversion left a long, low building with floorboards and tongue and groove panelling.

The sitting room seats six round a dining table and has an electric stove heater, a television with streaming, and shelves of books, games and jigsaws. The kitchen runs to a double oven with a grill, a ceramic hob, a dishwasher and a fridge freezer. Off it is the conservatory, with wicker chairs, underfloor heating and red squirrels in the trees outside.

Outside is the part worth planning around. A wood fired Hikki bath stands in the garden, and the owners will light it and bring it up to heat for your arrival for £50. Beside it are a wood fired pizza oven, a firepit, a table with benches and a rope swing, and beyond that a walled garden, a small wood and an open field.

The three bedrooms

The loft is the room to think about before booking. The owners describe the door and ceiling height as very low and recommend it for children rather than adults.

Good to know

Features

Location

Where it puts you

Gartocharn sits at the southern end of Loch Lomond inside the national park, with the loch a short drive off for cruises, swims, walks and picnics. At Balloch, the Loch Lomond Birds of Prey Centre is an hour that works with children who have already run the field.

The other direction is city. Glasgow is close enough to treat as a day out, and the airport is a manageable run if you are flying in. Iain, who owns the cottage with Zoë, runs North Star Spirits, an independent whisky bottler, so a bottle can be added to the stay.