With 2009 the year of the Homecoming and Scotland looking forward to its first international clan gathering in decades, five thatched holiday cottages on the edge of a small Argyll loch will be the perfect place for clansfolk to appreciate the lands of Lorn. This family run business is the brainchild of John and Mary MacKinnon, and has been built in an idyllic site on the shores of Loch Nell, at Kilmore near Oban. While the cottages are modern inside they have been carefully constructed to emulate a small Celtic settlement. With a passion for sheep, John acquired five acres of land at Kilmore in 1995 for grazing. His work on the land led to an interest in trees and the following year he started up a native tree nursery using some of the acreage. During this time he was employed at Glensanda Quarry while studying horticulture in the evenings. In January 1999 he was made redundant and decided to expand the nursery business and begin a landscape gardening/design venture, trading under ‘Clan Trees.’

Having built a house on the site for his wife Mary and their three children, the nursery became a full time business, with Mary giving up her job in social work administration to join him. At that time the Mackinnons’ children were engaged in a school project on family trees and the couple became interested in the Scottish clans, discovering that each has its own identifying plant badge worn as a good luck symbol in battle. They considered supplying clan plant badges for the overseas market but the rules and regulations for transporting seed or plants were too constricting. However, this project planted a new seed of opportunity for John and Mary and when they discovered an old postcard showing thatched fishing cottages on the shores of Barra where John’s father had been brought up they knew they had found their future. There idea was to copy the thatched cottage theme on the shores of Loch Nell and so the ‘Clan Cottage’ dream was born.

Today their five holiday cottages are proving popular with visitors from around the world. Built by Stroan Construction of Slamannan, Falkirk, they vary in size and accommodation with interiors designed by John and Mary. But their success in this new venture did not come easily and both worked long hours to achieve their goal. Mary admits that she and John had a trip to the Garden and Home Show in Glasgow where they picked up some handy hints. The cottages are sympathetically designed to integrate and blend with the surrounding landscape and of a design reflecting the past. With spacious modern high quality interiors the couple sourced and purchased the majority of the furnishings locally. All with Clan names – MacKinnon, MacKenzie, MacDonald, MacNeil and MacDougall – they each have their own garden areas, some looking over the loch while others have patios on the banks of the River Nell where there is an abundance of wildlife including kingfishers and otters and even red squirrels in the nearby woods. One of the smallest cottages, the Clan MacKenzie, has a modern kitchen and living area and a downstairs bedroom and bathroom.

The surprise here is a stairway leading to a mezzanine level lounge overlooking the downstairs sitting area. There are also views overlooking the loch with its ancient crannog and the mouth of the River Nell. Pine woodwork, ash furniture and matching drapes, rugs and carpets give it a warm and relaxing feel. Two of the cottages have spa baths with his and hers sinks and the Clan MacDonald cottage is fully equipped for wheelchair access. Although the couple were not allowed open fires because of the 18-inch thatched roofs, all the cottages have fireplaces with gas fires. With double-glazing and the best of insulation they are cool in summer and cosy in winter. Window sills are of Indian slate and all the floors are laminated. With John’s Barra credentials it is not surprising that the cottages have a nautical feel with models of old fishing boats enhancing the decoration.

John has also shown his artistic flair with a painting of The Strand in Barra. With 4 star rating from Visit Scotland’s Quality Assurance Scheme and a Silver Green Tourism Award the internal decoration, fixtures and fittings meet the aspirations of today’s visitors in a romantic and unique development. Although the cottages are now their main business, John still runs the gardening side of things and supplies local hotels with hanging baskets and plants. He has also kept up his hobby and runs 20 texel sheep at Kilmore and enjoys exhibiting them at various local shows. With Mary’s musical talents, she is a prominent member of Oban Gaelic Choir, the cottages are furnished with CDs giving a flavour of Scottish and Gaelic music. ‘Our guests love the music and they often want to buy CDs of Scottish and Gaelic music to take home’ said Mary. The couple have also adopted the Scots Pine, which is the clan plant badge of the Clan Mackinnon, as their logo, adding Celtic designed roots which is in harmony with their Gaelic motto ‘Cum ur naire’ – remember your roots.

This is the Mackinnons’ first venture into the cottage letting world and although they admit it has been a steep learning curve they have risen to the challenge. ‘Our future depends on innovation and innovation is fun’, says John. ‘We have always given ourselves goals, occasionally we have been buffeted by the winds of circumstance, but we have never been blown off course.’ With the enormous effort the Mackinnons have put into Clan Cottages they certainly deserve a fair wind for their new venture.

Field Facts Clan Cottages, Dalnabreac, Kilmore, By Oban PA34 4 XU Tel: 01631 770 372 www.clancottages.com