Cabin by the Castle

The family seat of the Dunbar family for no less than 12 generations, the Duffus Estate is one of Eastern Scotland's undiscovered gems – over a thousand acres of farmland and woods, a couple of miles inland from the Moray coast and stretching towards the busy market town of Elgin. Once here you can feel as if you're found somewhere truly remote, and it's true that Duffus is basically your very own Scottish county estate to explore while you're here. But you are also comfortingly close to lots of amenities, too, making this a perfect holiday retreat for anyone looking for peace and quiet but with a few distractions thrown in as well.

Not only that, the Estate's latest addition, the cosy Cabin by the Castle, provides stylish and extremely comfortable eco-friendly accommodation, with stunning views of Duffus Castle thrown in. Designed to be both sustainable – it's powered by a set of solar panels – and cosy (or 'coorie' as they say in Scotland), the cabin sleeps two in a high degree of comfort; an open-plan living area has huge floor-to-ceiling windows providing both wonderful views and lots of light; there's a living area with a comfy corner sofa and Smart TV, and a well-equipped kitchen with ceramic hob, electric oven and a coffee machine. The bedroom has a king-size bed with cashmere duvet, and there's central heating throughout, good wifi and the smartly appointed bathroom has thick and fluffy Egyptian cotton towels, Highland Soap Co toiletries and a powerful walk-in shower. Outside, the cabin's private garden is home to a Weber BBQ and a fire bowl for enjoying al fresco dining on summer evenings, along with the glorious night skies.

The estate's current custodians, Ed and Caroline Dunbar, live close by and are always on hand to dispense advice and generally make your stay more comfortable. The Estate's main attraction, however, is its 14-acre native woodland, which includes ancient Sequoia and Cedar trees and is criss-crossed by trails to explore; it's full of wildlife, including resident red squirrels, roe deer, badgers and stoats, rabbits and hare, not to mention a plethora of happy woodpeckers! Duffus Castle, which you can see from the cabin, is under the custodianship of Historic Environment Scotland and free to visit. Beyond the estate, Lossiemouth (or 'Lossie' as its known locally) is a cheerful seaside resort with lovely sandy beaches stretching out in both directions, and Elgin is worth a visit for its twisting medieval streets, cobbled market square and the ruins of what was once Scotland's most beautiful cathedral.