Ice House

Laide, Highland
Self-catering
+44 (0)7794 013211
Visit owner's website

Per night
£285 - £330
Per week
£1995 - £2310

2 beds

Bedroom

2 bedrooms

Sleeps

Sleeps 4

Babies welcome

A stunning renovation for this fishing station Ice House on the shore of Gruinard Bay, with magical views, wildlife and Scot-Scandi interiors

Per night
£285 - £330
Per week
£1995 - £2310

Visit the owner's site and book direct with them. No fees or fuss from us.

What part does Sawday’s play?

Use our quick form to drop the owner a line asking anything you need to know.

Ask a question

£285 - £330 per night

£1995 - £2310 per week

The Experience

This is a marvellous spot for those who desire to retreat from the modern world, enjoy some calm in nature or to walk, swim, sail. The upstairs sitting room has an enormous window overlooking sea and sky, with window seats for spotting wildlife, and a Danish wood-burner to keep you warm on the coolest days. The house is highly insulated, sheltered from the west wind, and tucked into the cliff with views that soar for 40 miles on clear days.

Spotless bedrooms are downstairs: two doubles with sliding glass doors opening onto a wooden deck for delightful early morning swims, or simply tea in bed spotting otters and seals. You’ll drop off to the sound of the waves – very romantic. Two bathrooms, one with a bath and the other a shower, are scented with Sea Kelp handwash from Scottish Fine Soaps.

The swish open-plan kitchen has all the most demanding cook could want, but you’re a short drive from good cafés and restaurants in Poolewe or Gairloch.

Ice House - Gallery

We think you'll love

  • The little library of fiction, non-fiction, local history, maps and guides to help plan some wonderful hikes and hill walks, including majestic An Teallach
  • Just watching the sky and the sea – looking out for otters, sea eagles, curlews, seals and, if you're lucky, dolphins, whales and porpoises
  • Lighting the wood-burner on chilly days, cooking up a storm in the kitchen, settling in with a dram or two
Ice House - Gallery

You should know

  • WiFi can be a bit tricky because of where you are, but if you avoid using too many devices at once you can achieve reasonable speeds
  • Sorry, no dogs
  • It's not the best spot for young children with unprotected cliff edges and being so close to the water

Essentials

  • EV charger
  • Self check-in
  • Swimming pool
  • Hot tub
  • Garden
  • Open fire / woodburner
  • Breakfast included
  • Breakfast available
  • Meals available
  • Vegetarian meals
  • Oven
  • Parking on premises
  • Free parking nearby
  • Accessible by public transport
  • WiFi
  • Television
  • Central heating
  • Mobile reception
  • Hob
  • Barbecue
  • Paid parking nearby
  • Air conditioning
  • Relaxation areas
  • Washing machine
  • Tennis court
  • Microwave oven
  • No smoking
  • Credit cards
  • Working farm
  • Owner has pets
  • Electricity included
  • Dishwasher
  • Pets welcome

Family friendly

  • Baby monitor
  • Books and toys
  • Children welcome
  • Babies welcome
  • Stair gates
  • High chair
  • Fire guard
  • Cot available

Nearby

  • Pub/bar within 3 miles
  • Restaurant within 3 miles
  • Shop within 3 miles

Activities

  • Bikes available
  • Food courses
  • Kayaking
  • Other courses
  • Sailing
  • Surfing
  • Wild swimming

Pricing

Nightly price
from £285
Weekly price
from £1995
Damage deposit
£250
1 House for 4
From £2852 beds2 bedrooms

Information

Booking information

Check in
4pm
Check out
10am
Other details
Minimum stay: 4 nights, 7 nights in high season. Extra bunk room available on request if you would like a single bed (max. capacity of Ice House is 4 guests). STL licence number: HI-10382-F.
Closed
Never.
No smoking
Smoking not permitted anywhere in the property.
Owner has pets
Animals living on the property

Reviews

A secluded and romantic retreat where you can immerse yourself in nature, embrace the peace and quiet, watch for local wildlife, or simply slow down and unwind beside the wood-burning stove while taking in the breathtaking sea views.
Inspected Alessia Sawday's Inspector

Christine, Somerset

A must for natural beauty and wildlife. We have been visiting Scotland for 30 plus years and never had a more stunning view of the highlands, straight from the living room window. The constant changes from the sky and sea are hypnotic. The window on the highlands is addictive. And we did see an otter swim past the window. A truly privileged experience. Never to be forgotten.


Katrine, Perth

What an utterly beautiful location to relax, unwind and recharge. A stunning home with the most amazing views of breathtaking changes in the light and the landscape - a feast of weather, water and wildlife with a wee glass of wine in hand. The Ice House is truly magical.


Charlie, Glasgow

An extremely comfortable and well appointed house in a fantastic location. Glorious views and night skies - wake up looking out over the water. A great base for exploring a beautiful part of the country.


Elena, Wick

What a wonderful place! We had a super relaxing time despite the weather. Winds too strong for kayaking, rain squalls too frequent for exposed walking. The community woodland in Laide offered lovely sheltered walks, the Artic Convoy museum in Aultbea was very interesting. But best of all was the everchanging panorama out of the huge window overlooking the sea at the Ice House. Also the ease of cooking in the well supplied kitchen and the comfort of the beds added to our relaxation. To cap it all we made friends with the fisherman at the neighbouring slip and were donated a lobster!


Location

The neighbourhood

Laide is the nearest village (easily walkable) and here you'll find an exceptional general store and post office, selling most things. It's a short drive to two magnificent beaches – Mellon Udrigle and Gruinard – perfect for picnics. At Poolewe you can explore Inverewe gardens with its exotic plants and flowers, there is fishing and sea fishing nearby and you can launch a kayak from the stone jetty only yards away.

Local points of interest from Jane & James Will

  • Perched at the edge of the sea in North West Scotland, the Ice House offers stunning views of the sea, mountains and islands of Sutherland and Wester Ross.
  • Explore some of the best beaches in the world, hike to Slaggan's ruined village or enjoy activities like fishing, kayaking, mountain biking and wildlife cruises.
  • A recent guest wrote: "Location like being in a wildlife documentary. Seen from the house - otters, pine marten, white tailed sea eagle, herons, seals, cormoronts, gulls, oystercatchers etc From nearby - red deer, buzzards, golden eagles."
  • Ice House was shortlisted for the HIAA 2024 Building of the Year in the 'New Life for Existing Buildings' category.
  • Visit nearby attractions like the Arctic Convoy Museum, Gairloch Museum and Inverewe Gardens.
  • Some of the best walking and hiking in Scotland. Routes of a range of walks are in the Ice House.