Testimonials 2019

Wow ! What a find ! The perfect honeymoon retreat – better then we could ever have imagined ! The lodge is amazing. Beautifully decorated and immaculate. The views from every window are scenic and picturesque – but clearly the front windows overlooking the bay are just incredible. We could have sat for hours just watching, but for the need to explore the local area. We may have been very lucky, but we spotted Otters, the local Pine Martens, Deer, Stags, Seals….it goes on. A truly unspoilt wilderness right on the doorstep and it’s been wonderful. Special thank you to Christine and Ian for the cake, mince pies, Honeymoon and Xmas decorations – you made it so special. We look forward to returning for our second visit next year.

Thanks for the birthday cake and the mince pies. Our first time to the area and lodge was fantastic. Saw the Pine Martens once and also saw the Otter in the bay. Sanna beach was so nice, arrived 1 hour before sunset – so still and colourful. We also drove to Skye which was great. Real home from home – I can’t give enough high praise. The view is so perfect, always changing. Clouds and colours of the land this time of year is breath-taking, so quiet too, no cars ! Thanks again

What a wonderful place to stay, we had a wonderful time and it was lovely to see so much wildlife. A robin in Tobermory, Dolphins on the way back, Seals on the beach at Sanna and an abundance of birds. Thank you so much

Thank you for a fantastic break. The lodge is fantastic, a real home from home. Views in every direction are stunning. Peace, tranquillity and Pine Martens. What more could you ask for. Thanks.

We have been completely blown away by the sheer beauty, rugged character and pure wildness here. We have enjoyed every second, our kids (all 3) have truly found their adventurous side, lots of walking, clambering, squelching and searching for wildlife. Thank you Brightwater for allowing us to find our souls and peace in this tranquil palace. We will be back !

We have had another wonderful break in Brightwater Lodge. Everything was perfect from the lodge to the peaceful relaxing atmosphere and the wildlife, in particular the Pine Martens and the Badgers who we got some great photos of. Thank you so much for the lovely cake and the welcome pack. We are looking forward to returning again in February.

Home made carrot and banana cake on our arrival: divine !!! Beautiful clean linen and towels ! Brightwater Lodge is in a wonderful setting; very private; handy for scubadiving and scallop diving. We used every opportunity to take photos. Spa bath is wonderful; toiletries fabulous. We appreciated the amount of logs included compared to some houses where you have to pay extra for kindling etc. Well done guys ! Sanna Bay takes the breath away, preserved immaculately, preciously untouched, so clean and unpolluted. Visited bonnie village of Salen, lemon drizzle cake from Salen Jetty Shop a must ! Humbled and privileged to have stayed here, easy to lose the self in this environment. Ian and Christine were warm, attentive and homely. You are doing an amazing job !!

We came north this year for our annual autumn break and what a find Brightwater Lodge has been. An idyllic oasis of calm surrounded by some of Scotland’s most spectacular scenery. We climbed the lighthouse, gathered shells on the beach and scaled the small island to visit Castle Tioram. Glorious weather helped make our visit just perfect – as did the wildlife visits (see Nature Diary). Thanks again for such a beautiful house.

Wonderful to be here again. A truly fabulous week in this beautiful lodge. Thank you for the wonderful welcome and goodies, it was so appreciated after a long drive. Many thanks

Another glorious week in Ardnamurchan ! Weather ranged from heat wave to the first of the autumn gales ! Badgers and Pine Martens are frequent visitors especially if you put peanuts and jam sandwiches out for them ! Also, they are very fond of peanut butter. Look out of the French doors that face the picnic table from 10.30pm onwards ! Thank you so much for the beautiful cake and kind welcome pack – much appreciated. We will be back next year ! Thank You !

Another fabulous holiday based here at Brightwater ! The lighthouse, Sanna Bay and now our favourite Portuik have been some of the highlights, sometimes having the beaches to ourselves. Rain or shine this place is amazing. Brightwater is a place we will continue to return to – fab views, comfy and a very welcome cake and fizz. ☺ We were fortunate enough to see Pine Martens on 2 nights around 8 – 9pm, loving the eggs – they stayed at the front of the lodge awhile and kept returning for about 15 mins – brill ! We came to unwind and relax and that we have done. Until next time !

First time in Ardnamurchan and we have had a fabulous week. Very sunny day at Sanna beach – swimming and pottering all day long. Visited the lighthouse – very informative but lots of midges. Two days paddling with Otter Adventures around here and from Strontian also. Did the Gaelic alphabet walk from Salen, also had a lovely meal at the Salen Hotel (booking essential !). Spent another sunny day on the beach at Ardtoe. Visitor Centre/Shop/Café down the road is worth a visit.

Lost count now, how many times we have been here. So many family memories and we just keep making more. First full day was awesome with a trip to Bay McNeil in full blazing sunshine. Everyone was in the water and we tried our new paddle board. The night time visitors started to arrive for dinner, they came overnight. Mr Pine Marten, Mr Badger and Miss Mouse and the Seagull twins. We got some cool pictures of them on our trail camera. Sunday/Monday weather was wet so we took it easy and then Tues/Wed/Thurs we had great weather again, visiting Bay McNeil again/Lighthouse/Laga Boat Trip/Sanna – all amazing days. Gutted to have to leave but we will be back – booked for next year ! Thanks to the owners Meryl/Budgie for letting us stay in such an awesome house !!! PS…in case you don’t check the nature diary, an Otter ran past the front window one night about 9pm – first time that’s happened to us ! ☺

This year we decided to stay in the UK and visit somewhere remote and beautiful. Iain spent some childhood holidays in the Highlands and so we decided to come here. What a fabulous decision ! I cannot get enough of that stunning view. I have taken so many photos and still haven’t properly captured it. On a good day it is stunning and on a day like today – showery and changeable – it’s magical as it changes every few minutes. I don’t really want to leave it. The facilities are of such high quality too, Wifi and a TV capable of many stations including Netflix have helped with teenagers ! Plus her own bathroom ! ☺ The wildlife also makes this a special place. Only a distant view of an Otter but visits from Pine Martens who can pose for the camera. Especially thrilling for the three of us was a pod of three Dolphins alongside the Tobermory. – Kilchoan Ferry and leaping right by our seats. Thank you for telling us of Sanna Bay, we had a memorable afternoon there. Thank you so much.

Wonderful spot – hard to drag ourselves away from this amazing and ever-changing view, but we did to explore more of Ardnamurchan, and a day trip to Mull. The scenery, the wildlife, the unspoilt nature of it all ….totally relaxing in a way that stirs the soul. The lodge is fabulous – high spec, well equipped, everything that you would want provided. Thank you for the lovely cake and goodies. Fabulous holiday !!

What an amazing place ! We have all had a wonderful week. The very Scottish weather has done nothing to dampen our enthusiasm to get out each and every day. Our trip to Sanna beach was spectacular and it was not surprising to see artists there, trying to capture the stunning scenery. Our dog Ralph took every opportunity to get into the water wherever we went. He will certainly miss his early morning swim in the loch. We managed to see Otters in the bay and a Sea Eagle over the lighthouse as well as nightly visits from Pine Martens and a friendly Mouse. Thanks so much for the welcome gifts and the lovely cake. The lodge was perfect ! My grandmother told me that staying for sometime in the Scottish Highlands was good to Feed the Soul, all 3 of us feel very well nourished !!

Thank you for the warm welcome we (and the dogs) received after a long journey. The lodge is stunning and the ever changing views are spectacular. The weather was mixed, but didn’t stop us enjoying Ardnamurchan every day. A must to see the Ardnamurhan lighthouse and Sanna Bay, a beach BBQ was a great end to the day. Eating out at The Salen Hotel is a must and the Highlander Café was a lovely stop for lunch. Fish & Chips at Café Fish in Tobermory was delightful. All in all a chilled holiday. Left the distillery and plenty of walks for our next trip back. Didn’t see the Pine Martens, but enjoyed the field mice playing. Beautiful birds and gorgeous highland cattle. A great week with lots of happy memories. Thanks again for a wonderful holiday.

Thank you to Meryl and Budgie for telling us about this wonderful place, the stresses of working life melted the moment we walked through the door and saw the amazing view. Finally got to see the Pine Marten on our last night, he didn’t stick around long though after having his supper. Can’t wait to come back again next year. Many Thanks

BREATH-TAKING ! That’s all we can say. Brightwater is magical – views, wildlife and ambience, what a special place. This lodge has really blown us away and we will have such special memories to treasure. We will certainly be back !! Thank you so much.

Well where do I start? Thank you so much for making Stuart’s birthday that extra special, the birthday cake, card, decorations, welcome pack were delicious. The lodge is stunning, the views are amazing. Didn’t get to see the Badgers or Otters or Pine Martens but we know they are around taking the peanuts and eggs. We went on a Staffa tour to see the Puffins and saw Dolphins playing by our boat, Seals, White Tailed Eagle and Puffins. A tour is highly recommended ! We went for a drive to Sanna Bay and so glad we did as it was just stunning (had the bay to ourselves). On the way back we saw Stags, Deer and hairy moos. Our car did pack up but Loch Shield Garage gave fantastic service. We may have lost a couple of days but there was plenty to do. We didn’t eat out much but we went to Loch Shiel Hotel for food, which was lovely and the little café by Loch Shield Garage / the Highlander Café was simply delicious….the fish and chips…have never seen such a big portion ! The Visitor Centre down the bottom is a lovely little shop for coffee with a nice view. We finally got to Singing Sands….a 4 mile walk but worth it for the amazing beach. (we had it mostly to ourselves). Some places are rocky, so wear good walking shoes. Brightwater Lodge, Ardnamurchan – you have been the best holiday ever ! Thank You.

A wonderful place with unparalleled views. A delicious welcome basket, great after care from Christine and Ian and email support from Meryl re walks etc. Highlights included the walk to Singing Sands, Sanna Bay to Sanna Point and the view to the Small Isles (and the Skye Cullins) The lighthouse ! Tobermory !, Eilean Moore (only an island at high tide !) The distillery – no whisky yet ! Starry, starry nights ! Walking from the viewpoint down to Camaes Nan Gaell and the history from Bronze to early Christianity to Vikings to lazy bed farming, sheep and now tourists ! Golden Eagles soaring over Ben Hiant, Herons flapping over the bay in front of the lodge. The daily disappearance and returning of the fishing boats…and so on ! This is a magical warm and cosy place to embrace spectacular views and watch the elements change from rain to sun, from squall to clear blue skies and the occasional rainbow. Perfect !

Another fantastic time at Brightwater Lodge. Weather has been kind to us. Enjoyed a great walk at Smirisary Beach, lunch at Glenuig Inn. Good Walk along Loch Shiel. Look out for yellow cottage – nice place for a picnic. Nice walk at Sunart Oakwoods and coffee in café. After a perfect walk at Singing Sands, it was off to Kilcamb Lodge Hotel for afternoon tea. Thank you so much for the welcome basket and yummy cake. Many thanks to Meryl, Budgie, Christine and Ian.

Our fifth stay in this beautiful house. Excellent as always !!!

I cannot even begin to do justice to how staying at Brightwater Lodge has made us feel ! Waking up every morning to such spectacular views made us feel like new people again. We had the fire lit almost every day which was such a wonderful luxury. The area itself is breath-taking – the mountains, the lochs, the wildlife ! (We did manage to lure some Pine Martens with fresh eggs !). We went to Tioram Castle, had lunch at the Salen hotel (the owner is lovely, and the food delicious !). Visited the Ardnamurchan lighthouse, had lunch on the beach at Sanna Bay, and went kayaking with Karl at Otter Adventures (highly recommended !). We are both so sad to be leaving this beautiful place. Hopefully we will be back, one day. Thank you for sharing this beautiful slice of heaven with us – we are so grateful.

Whenever I write in this book I am reminded of the phrase It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all because I am always maudlin at the thought of leaving again. The lodge and the area are such an oasis away from the turmoils of political affairs, economic woes and the misfortunes of Sheffield Wednesday FC. It is with this in mind that I consciously, throughout the week, drink in the atmosphere till I am drunk enough to remain intoxicated until I return next time! Thank you for providing such a brilliant place.

Lovely relaxing break away. The lodge and views are stunning. Just a beautiful place to stay. Can’t wait to come back! Sanna is definitely a place to visit, couldn’t get over the beautiful beaches. Thank you very much for the welcome basket. We’ll definitely be back soon!

We have had a lovely relaxing weekend in this wonderful lodge. Thank you very much for the welcome pack and delicious cake. We will be back in October. Many thanks

Wow – what a fabulous place. It exceeded our expectations in every respect. Thank you so much for the lovely welcome pack and the wonderful cake, which was delicious. It was hard to do anything other than enjoy the incredible view – very relaxing. Thank you so much.