An Taigh Cuil Sleeps 4 | £775.00 to £1650.00 per week

Fionnphort Explore the area, things to do and more

The ever-changing turquoise tides, the CalMac ferry plying the waters back and forth to Iona, the sunset behind the split granite boulder on the beach – the sight and sound of the sea will set the natural rhythm of your stay at An Taigh Cuil from dawn to dusk.

Few cottages sit as close to the beach as this one on Mull, with a grassy path leading from the garden straight down to the white sand of Fionnphort beach and yet more magical coves to discover from the door along the pink granite headland to Tor Mor too. A wonderland for beach-goers, wild swimmers and those who want to enjoy some of the most beautiful coastline in the Hebrides – views you’ll take inside with you at An Taigh Cuil, too.

Arriving at the cottage, there’s parking for up to two cars on the shared driveway with the owner’s adjoining cottage – in a but ‘n’ ben style, so neither cottage overlooks the other, giving you plenty of privacy and uninterrupted views. Enter the gate to your private garden and a blue door invites you in to explore at An Taigh Cuil, with the soft nautical palette running throughout the cottage.

A large hallway offers plenty of space for beach gear and binoculars, while four steep steps lead down into a utility room too. Moving straight through, the centrepiece of the cottage reveals itself, a large, open-plan dining, kitchen and living area, where large windows unveil spectacular views over the beach, pink granite outcrops and the sea, with views to Iona too.

The kitchen is beautifully presented and the layout offers plenty of space to get lots of chefs in the mix together, with all the appliances you need to serve up the catch of the day, or pop the slow cooker on for a hearty meal to return to after a day island-hopping to Iona and Staffa. The layout flows effortlessly on to the dining area, which in turn spills onto the living space, all designed to maximise your views of the sea.

Gathered around a characterful wood-burning stove, plush armchairs and sofas offer a comfortable vantage point to enjoy a book by the fire, chart your next day’s activities or simply sit back with a cup of coffee and watch for marine mammals and birdlife on the tides.

Both bedrooms lead off this living space, each beautifully appointed with an en-suite shower room. The master offers a king-size bed and the second a standard double, with both rooms finished to an elegant standard that will make no one feel second best!

The small garden wraps around three sides of An Taigh Cuil and is enclosed with a fence, with a sheltered sitting area beside the front door and another on the seaward side. You can pick up a grassy path straight down to the beach from the cottage – perfect for those early morning leg stretches or to pack up a picnic basket and enjoy a lazy day by the beach, with your cottage comforts close at hand.

From this south-western tip of Mull, you're poised to explore many more beautiful beaches at Fidden, Knockvologan and Uisken to name just a few. You can also make the crossing at low tide of the tidal sandbar from Knockvologan to the island of Erraid, or if you want to embark on a more challenging adventure, hike the Tireregan Nature Reserve to discover the remote Traigh Gheal beach.

Boat trips depart from the slipway in the village to Staffa, where you can see Fingal's Cave, basalt columns and puffins in season, as well as across to Iona, which makes a wonderful day trip with plenty of historical interest and the chance to listen for the elusive corncrake in season too.

There can be few cottages as well positioned as An Taigh Cuil to make the most of the Hebridean coast and shell-sand beaches, with the promise of beautiful interiors and every comfort to return home to each day.