The Broch

The Broch was crowned Scotland’s Greatest Escape by the BBC in 2024 and it’s easy to see why. This is top-end self-catering in a spectacular coastal spot on Harris in the Outer Hebrides. Its dry-stone walls and turf roof pay homage to the Iron Age history it’s inspired by and the scenery it stands in. From some angles The Broch looks as ancient as the hills that surround it, but this place was built in recent times and has all the mod cons you could wish for. Those include floor-to-ceiling windows on each of its three storeys which give views of wooded valleys, heather-covered hills, pristine sandy beaches and the Atlantic ocean.

This is a unique holiday home that’s just for two and designed for adults only. It’s a romantic, relaxing and remarkable place to stay on the south of the Island of Lewis and Harris, part of the Borve Lodge Estate, and with an equally unique sister property in The Rock House. It feels remote, reached by ferry and a drive on the only road south, but you are very well looked after here. The estate has a super-friendly team on hand and Harris has a real sense of community too. It’s celebrated within The Broch where local skills and materials have been used to build the dry-stone walls, to craft the furniture and to provide your welcome pack.

You’ll find that in the kitchen-diner which occupies the ground floor and is entered across a slate drawbridge. The use of stone and wood continues here but it’s more subtle, part of the contemporary interiors which flow into each other from heated floors up spiral stairs. The second floor is home to a sitting room and a luxurious bathroom that features a free-standing bath as well as a power shower. The top floor is a generous bedroom with the best view in the house at the foot of the four-poster bed.

In winter, the dark skies offer spectacular star gazing and the possibility of seeing the Northern Lights. In summer, you can watch eagles hunting and might just catch sight of a red deer nearby. For more of that, take a (summer-only) boat trip to wildlife-rich Taransay. It’s the UK’s largest uninhabited island and it’s owned by the estate which also offers endless walking and fishing for salmon and trout. Elsewhere, you can visit the Isle of Harris Gin Distillery, the Harris Tweed museum or take a boat trip to St Kilda.