On to a shore thing

Loch Rannoch offers a spectacular setting for modernist marvel Elemental, finds Gaby Soutar

Ifeel sorry for some of the other cottages beside Loch Rannoch, with their titchy windows. We’re staying at the Le Corbusier-style modernist Sixties house, Elemental, one of luxury accommodation provider Unique Homestays’ properties, and it’s a picture frame, of sorts.

Almost every room in this angular monochrome property, which features four double bedrooms, presents a mind-boggling view of the loch, just a few metres away. Even the bathroom’s skylight doubles as a perfect portrait of a fir tree’s peak, heavily laden with cones.

We try to take a few snaps on our phones, but those pixels just can’t capture the magic.

From the open plan kitchen, dining and living area, with its comfortable sofa, swanky coffee table and Boconcept-ish seating, we watch all the happenings outside the floor-toceiling windows.

Our sheltered patio is regularly visited by a couple of gallus robins (we name them Ian and Derek), who don’t even seem bothered by a kestrel hanging out in a tree nearby.

Each morning on our three night break and determined to make the most of every moment, my other half gets up at the crack of dawn, wraps up and takes his cup of tea to the shore to watch the sun rise.

According to him, it casts apricotcoloured blooms of light across the water, which is sometimes so still and polished looking that the reflections resemble a sideways Rorschach test.

I get up, um, much later, by which time there are smoky puffs (or, less romantically, cloud inversion) like vapour trails, and dippers have woken and are flipping into that icy cold pool, in search of whatever wriggly brunch is in the depths.

They provide kayaks here, but, since we don’t own wetsuits (and are wusses), we declined.

We do, however, feel a bit jealous when we watch a leisurely solo paddler gliding along, slowly patting at the water with their oars, in a bright green boat like a French bean. They do a quick circuit round the tiny stone built crannog, Eilean nam Faoileag, which features a little tower – a folly built in the 19th century by Baron Grantley.

If you want to brave the outdoors, this place has a large area of lawn with benches, and two small private

beaches. It’s way too cold for a picnic or barbecue, though we manage a bit of stone skimming, using tortilla-shaped chips of blue and white china that’s washed up among the pebbles, before rushing back inside and firing up the wood burning stove (logs and kindling are included).

That was unnecessary, as this place features underfloor heating, which acts like a magnet, making it almost impossible to put your boots on and leave the house. Other tech includes wifi and a Smart telly, as well as a fancy sound system.

Almost every room presents a mind-boggling view of the loch

We don’t have to venture out, as we’ve got enough supplies to keep us going for a while, including a bottle of wine, whisky, bread, jam and other goodies in the hamper that’s provided. However, should you need extras, Kinloch Rannoch, with its shops and restaurants, including the ones at Dunalastair Hotel Suites and the more casual Riverbank Cafe, is only a ten minute drive away.

We took the trip, since we were in the market for some exercise.

I suppose we could have gone Clockwise from main: view of Elemental by Loch Rannoch; the living area; one of the four bedrooms slightly further afield, and tackled Schiehallion.

Instead, we did a couple of short walks, with one that took us by the hydro-electric power station (not quite as beautiful as the grandlooking Rannoch Power Station, on the north side of the loch), where there was a group of stags, nonchalantly grazing and hanging out – best pals, while rutting season is so far on the horizon.

In anticipation of eating cheese later, we also tackled the steep bluff, Craig Varr, which only took about an hour and a half, even though we were trying not to slip on the ice.

Our daily step count was complete, so we headed back to the ranch.

The walks had been lovely, but we’d missed the beauty on the doorstep of our comfortable hiking boot-free house.

(And we really wanted to watch Ian and Derek beat up that kestrel). ■

Elemental, Loch Rannoch, is available to hire through Unique Homestays, see www. uniquehomestays.com or call 01637 881 1183. It sleeps up to six guests and

prices start from £1,650 per week, or £1,195 per short break.