Each of Scotland’s five canals; the Caledonian, the Crinan, the Forth & Clyde, the Union and the Monkland, offer dramatic scenery and celebrated landmarks along their waterways and are bursting with their own tales and history.
Cottages & Castles, Scotland’s high-end holiday lettings company have announced that they are now marketing a range of unique canal-side houses owned by Scottish Canals, with front row views of the occasional passing boats. It is unsurprising that the most picturesque of them all, Argyll’s Crinan Canal, features more than once in the list.
Before the properties were fit for visitors they needed some TLC to ensure the interiors reflected the picturesque exteriors and dramatic surroundings.
Interior designer Emma Clanfield was approached in 2011 to decorate a selection of lock keeper cottages across Scotland for holiday lets. Scottish Canals were looking to engage an interior designer to ‘fit-out’ these properties to a high, comfortable standard but one which respected the heritage of the quaint and often quirky cottages.
Having originally trained as a textile designer, Emma is drawn to patterned fabrics and wallpaper and make the most of this when decorating cottages for holiday lets mixing the prints up with textured weaves, subtle tweeds and unusual plaids giving the properties a warm, good-humoured and gives each property an organic feel, as if the interior has evolved over time.
When asked about the challenges faced when designing the interiors, Emma says: ‘Every cottage is a challenge especially when I have to narrow down which fabrics I can use in each. I like to complement printed fabrics with colourful tweeds and checked wools.
‘I have just finished Seaview Cottage at the Crinan Canal Basin, which has to be my favourite so far.
‘I gave the property a strong retro feel with old school posters of seashells and painted vintage furniture from the Fifties alongside kiln dried tree trunk sections as side tables painting a simple stripe around them to give a nautical feel. The bathroom was even tiled in white with a red stripe running around the shower area to reflect the lighthouse visible from the bathroom window.
‘With the canal holiday cottages I reinstated original features that had been lost over the years and added new ones such as old lock gates that were stripped back and refashioned as fireplace mantels. My designs aim to give warmth and character to a holiday let, where clutter needs to be kept to a minimum but where first impressions really do count.’
Sue Bourne, manager of Cottages & Castles, says: ‘The properties from Scottish Canals truly are very special indeed and really add something a bit different to the existing selection of properties on our books. Emma Clanfield’s interiors have enhanced the buildings’ charm and added a real sense of individuality to each property. There is also an abundance of outdoor activities on your door step at which ever cottage you choose to enjoy; scenic strolls can be taken along the canal ways where local wildlife can be spotted and you can watch the daily traffic of boats”.
Properties available to let through Cottages & Castles include:
Seaview Cottage [top photograph] is set on the banks of the Crinan Canal. There’s plenty to do in the Argyll area, for visitors of all ages, plus plenty of the glorious natural scenery Scotland is famed for. Guests can expect facilities of the highest standard and cosy, comfortable surroundings with a unique Scottish twist. The cottage sleeps four and is available to rent from £521 per week.
Bannatyne Cottage this property sits on Lock 11, a delightful spot on the Crinan Canal which is certainly one of the prettiest canals in Scotland on the Argyllshire Coast. The cottage was originally built in the 19th century as a lock keeper’s cottage and having been beautifully renovated, today offers a stunning quirky holiday cottage. The cottage sleeps four and is available to rent from £500 per week.
Sandray Cottage is a former lock keepers cottage situated right on the Caledonian Canal in the Great Glen of Scotland. Kytra Lock is one of the prettiest of locks hidden up the canal path and is a perfect retreat to explore the Highlands and west coast. The cottage sleeps four and is available to rent from £400 per week.
Laggan Bridge Cottage, found in Invergarry, this 18th century former canal worker’s house sits snugly on the mini peninsula where the Caledonian Canal spreads out into Loch Oich. The cottage is surrounded on three sides by water and enjoys beautiful views of the surrounding Highlands. The cottage sleeps four and is available to rent from £500 per week.
