The Smiddy - High-end quality self-catering studio

‘The Smiddy’ offers high-end quality self-catering accommodation on the Waternish peninsula, one of the most beautiful and peaceful areas on the Isle of Skye. Originally a blacksmith’s workshop, ‘The Smiddy’ has recently been converted into an open plan Studio with a mezzanine bedroom area to offer comfortable and spacious accommodation for two sharing adults. Fantastic sea views. Fully equipped kitchen. Scottish library. Enjoy a relaxed summer holiday or a cosy winter break. Sorry, no pets. ‘The Smiddy’ is a detached unit situated on our property, but offering all the privacy you wish for on your holiday. All windows face out towards the sea, away from the main house, taking in the morning light over picturesque Loch Bay, the beautiful views across Loch Dunvegan towards Dunvegan Head and the Islands Isay, Mingay and Clett, and of course the stunning Waternish sunsets looking across the Minch towards the Outer Isles. ‘The Smiddy’ offers ample off-road parking space. You can drive right up to the entrance door to unload your luggage. A spacious tiled porch offers sheltered entrance, room for muddy boots and hooks for wet clothes, as well as a Belfast sink, Bosch washing machine and tumble-dryer. You enter the main living area through a second door. ‘The Smiddy’ features an open-plan design with a comfortable and spacious lounge, dining area and kitchen and a separate bathroom on the ground floor. The mezzanine floor features a double bed, a large built-in wardrobe and a separate bathroom. ‘The Smiddy’ was designed to offer spacious quality accommodation for two people and will be a very comfortable ‘home from home’, ideal for couples. The bright and spacious lounge features large patio doors to take in the views across Loch Dunvegan while relaxing comfortably on the sofa. Or step outside onto the patio to take in the full panorama of this beautiful part of the Isle of Skye. Enjoy the fantastic views and take in the fresh sea air, surrounded by our wildlife friendly garden – weather and midges permitting. Extra warmth and atmosphere is provided in the lounge by a log fire effect gas stove. Carmen has a very keen interest in Scottish history, literature and music and has chosen a quality selection of books, DVDs and music for your entertainment and for your information about Skye, the Highlands and Scotland in general. Walking guides, maps and leaflets are also available for you to plan your holiday. The large kitchen features solid oak worktops, gas stove and oven, dishwasher, microwave oven, a large fridge / freezer unit and ample cupboard space for your own provisions. The kitchen is fully equipped with beautiful quality crockery as well as a large variety of colourful tools and utensils. You should find everything you need for a pleasant self-catering holiday experience. A solid oak stable style door leads to the spacious fully tiled main bathroom featuring a large walk-in shower with drench and hand-held shower head, a separate bath and a heated towel rail. A flight of twelve stairs takes you up from the lounge onto the mezzanine floor with its double bed, walk-in wardrobe featuring beautiful solid oak stable style doors and a south-east facing window to take in the sunrise over Loch Bay in the morning. A half-height wall provides privacy, without compromising the open plan design of ‘The Smiddy’. We provide bedding for a double bed with a choice of winter or summer duvet. Two single duvets can be provided should you prefer that. A solid oak stable style door leads off the bedroom to a second bathroom, for your convenience and extra comfort. Built by local builders and joiners, ‘The Smiddy’ features high-end quality materials like solid oak throughout. The black wrought iron latches, sheep-head coat hooks etc. reflect the building’s past as a working forge set within Waternish’s crofting community. Carmen has added some splashes of bright and cheerful colours for soft furnishings and accessories, especially her favourite sky blue and some lush green, reflecting the sky and the sea and the beautiful surroundings of ‘The Smiddy’, to provide blue sky and sunshine for your holiday, even if the Skye weather should fail to do so. We hope we have thought of everything you might wish for. Should there be anything else you require, please ask. 'The Smiddy' is a detached unit on our property. You will have your own key and be able to use the complete building for your holiday. We live on site but in a separate building. Carmen moved from Germany to Scotland in 2007. She is a keen traveller and enthusiastic tour guide with a particular love for all things Scottish: the land, the people, the language, the literature and the music. You will find a nice selection of books, maps and information material in The Smiddy to plan your holiday on Skye. Carmen’s partner John has a lifelong love of wildlife, especially for birds and wild flowers. If he is not out and about birdwatching, he is looking after our wildlife friendly garden. He is always happy to offer advice and answer any questions about local wildlife. We live on site, in the main house right behind you. If you should have any questions or problems during your stay, we will be happy to help. Unless you contact us, we will respect your privacy at all times. 'The Smiddy' is situated on the Waternish peninsula, one of the most beautiful and peaceful areas on the Isle of Skye. Waternish is a working crofting community with a long history of occupation dating back to Neolithic times. Explore the remains of three Iron Age Brochs, the beautiful Trumpan Churchyard, the scene of the notorious Battle of the Spoiled Dyke in 1578, and the lovely Fairy Bridge. Crofting past and present, are evident everywhere. Above all Waternish is an area of outstanding scenic beauty with stunning views across Loch Dunvegan to Dunvegan Head and MacLeod's Tables and across the Minch to the Outer Hebrides. Waternish sunsets are legendary. Waternish also features three Dark Skye Discovery Sites for stargazing enthusiasts. You might even be lucky enough to witness the Aurora Borealis. Waternish is an ideal base for you if you enjoy a quiet holiday, or if you like walking, photography or birdwatching. Or maybe you would like to visit one of Waternish’s craft shops and little galleries, Scotland's only tannery Skyeskyns or Shilasdair Yarns Shop, take a guided tour round Waternish Farm to learn how farming and conservation can work together, or you want to enjoy an excellent meal in Skye's oldest pub The Stein Inn or in Michael Smith's famous Loch Bay Restaurant. All of the above are less than a five minute drive or a nice walk away from 'The Smiddy'. The nearest grocery shop is a 15 minute drive away in Dunvegan, where you can also find a post office, medical practice, garage and filling station, various craft and coffee shops, the excellent Old School Restaurant, Skye's oldest bakery, the Giant MacAskill Museum and of course Dunvegan Castle and Gardens, one of Skye’s most popular visitor attractions. Portree, Skye's principal town, is a 40 minute drive away. Portree offers a large Co Op supermarket, a community hospital, the Fingal Centre with sports facilities, swimming pool and public library, and the Aros Centre, a community cultural centre with a cinema, exhibitions, dance and theatre performances and live concerts and hosting the Spirit of Skye Festival and the Skye Book Festival. Skye offers a network of public transport buses. There is a bus from Portree to Dunvegan that stops near Fairy Bridge at the Waternish junction. Unfortunately there is no public transport onto the peninsula and to 'The Smiddy'. We strongly recommend that you travel by car to make the most of your holiday on Skye. Many of the most beautiful spots and popular visitor attractions are not, or not easily, reached by public transport. The nearest train station is in Kyle of Lochalsh. The nearest airport is in Inverness. The Smiddy features an open plan design with one double bed on a mezzanine floor, accessible via a flight of twelve steps.