General

Merlin Cottage is is a delightful, semi-detached 19th century cottage. The cottage is situated on the Portnellan Estate, a family owned private estate just outside of the picturesque village of Crianlarich in the heart of the Scottish Highlands.

This 2 bedroom cottage has views across the lambing meadow to the Loch and River Dochart. Inside, the cottage is furnished to a high standard and sleeps 5 comfortably in 1 double bedroom with an extra single bed and 1 twin bedroom.

Portnellan is a very popular holiday destination located in Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, with many holidaymakers returning year after year. With such stunning scenery, beautiful mountain ranges, breathtaking lochs, excellent fishing and a huge abundance of wildlife it's not hard to see why!

Bedrooms & Bathrooms

Ground floor master bedroom with double bed and single bed.

Ground floor twin bedroom.

Ground floor family bathroom with a shower over the bath, WC & wash basin.

Pets

1 x medium or 2 x small dogs are permitted in this chalet. There is a charge of £30.00 per dog per stay. Please bring a cage or crate for the dog(s) to rest in, or at the very least the dog(s) own bed as well as plenty of towels and covers to keep them clean and dry whilst in the property. The dog(s) must be kept under control whilst on the estate.

Terms & Conditions

For holidays under 7 days, the full payment is required and is non-refundable. For 7 nights or longer the deposit is 50%, with the balance due 8 weeks beforehand.

£250 refundable security deposit payable with the balance of hire.

Check in - 4.00pm. Checkout - 10.00am.

No smoking allowed.

All bedding, bed linen & towels are provided.

Beds are made up for your arrival.

Arran Aromatic handwash & bath/shower gel in bathrooms.

Electric heating.

Electricity is included.

Weekly breaks: Fri - Fri or Sat - Sat or Mon - Mon
Weekend breaks 3 nights: Fri - Mon
Midweek breaks 4 nights: Mon - Fri.

Location Information

Set centrally in the Scottish Highlands, Portnellan is a stunning location and great base and location to head off exploring the delights of Scotland with easy access to Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Scottish West Coast, Oban and the Gateway to the Isles, Fort William, Loch Ness and so much more.

The Portnellan Estate has been privately owned by the same family for nearly 40 years and offers fantastic facilities including fresh run wild salmon and trout fishing on the estate lochs and river, a games room with table tennis, table football, pool table and a small gym. Kayaks and rowing boats are free to use on the river and loch. Clay pigeon shooting can also be arranged.

Whether you are looking for the adrenaline rush of adventure or lazy days on your doorstep, out and about on the many hills in the local area or exploring one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland, Portnellan Estate offers you the warmest of welcomes upon your return.

Check Availability & Book

Optional Extras

  • 'Tempur' comfort topper mattress should you require a softer feel bed - £30 per booking.

Terms & Conditions


Covid 19 Cancellation Policy
The terms and conditions listed 1-5 below relate to any holiday booked at Portnellan and settlement received by Portnellan that is affected by Covid 19 restrictions.
If your holiday is curtailed for any other reason other than Covid 19 interruption our usual terms and conditions listed below will apply.
Should you not be able to attend your holiday at Portnellan due to any regional or national lockdown instigated by local Council or Government, Portnellan will offer the following.

1. Portnellan will provide the opportunity to reschedule your holiday within a two year period commencing from the date your holiday was originally booked to commence. You are welcome to reschedule as many times as required within this time frame with all monies carried forward.
2. Any price variation (increase or decrease) in the season will apply for any rescheduled holiday.
3. You are welcome to transfer the holiday to another family member, friend or work colleague. You are also permitted to sell your holiday on any market trading website i.e Ebay, Gumtree, Facebook market place or any other reputable trading platform. You must inform Portnellan of any changes in the names, address and contact details of people attending.
4. Portnellan can offer a refund however an administration charge of 15% + VAT will be applied and deducted from the total cost of your holiday.
5. The above terms and conditions 1-4 apply in full to all guests within the UK and travelling from overseas.

Holiday price
Your accommodation is only provisional until written confirmation is received. The price of your holiday will be confirmed to you by email or post. Special rates are available for returning guests – please ask for details. All prices include VAT.

Free amenities
We provide Egyptian Cotton bed-linen and towels, toiletries, cots and high chairs (please provide own linen for the cot); TV with SKY; DVD library; selection of board games, local maps and information. 5 miles wild salmon and trout fishing on the estate lochs and river (within season), boats, paddle boards and kayaks.

Paddle Boards
A selection of Paddle Boards are available to hire at a cost of £15.00 per hour.

Clay Pigeon and Target Shooting
Clay pigeon is available upon advance notice. Please contact the owner for further details.

5-star amenities
We provide bathrobes, slippers, face cloth and luxury Arran Aromatic toiletries. 37″-65″ LCD TV with SKY TV package (Variety with Sports), Blu Ray DVD and Nintendo Wii.

Booking and Transaction Fees
No booking or transaction fee will be applied to any form of settlement.
Euros are accepted into a business Euro account. Please contact the owner for a price in Euros and further details.
Bank details are as follows:
UK bank account for settling in Sterling:
Account Name: The Portnellan Company
Account Number: 90049271
Account Sort Code: 40-41-60
IBAN Number: GB75HBUK40416090049271
SWIFT CODE: HBUKGB4B
Euro bank account for settling in Euros:
Account Name: Cameron Taylor
RIB: 12406000225490193580130
IBAN Number: FR7612406000225490193580130
BIC: AGRIFRPP824

Water and Recycling Fee
Is included in the price of your holiday all year round.
Please note: any mixed bags of rubbish left at a chalet or cottage upon departure, the contents of which have not been recycled at our refuse and recycling facility, will be disposed of and a cost applied. This is charged at £10.00 per bag.

Electricty
With the continuing increase in the wholesale price of electricity an allowance of £10.00 per day will be applied. A meter reading will be taken on arrival and departure days with any balance exceeding £10.00 per day settled accordingly. The price per KWH is 40p.

EV Charging We are pleased to inform that a number of the chalets at Portnellan have been installed with exterior 3pin sockets enabling EVs to be trickle charged. The chalets that have this facility are as follows;
Osprey, Whooper, Heron, Eagle and Pinemarten.
Should you wish to use this facility a padlock code will be provided upon arrival to unlock the socket. The consumption of electricity which is metered in the chalet will be charged upon departure at a rate of 40p per KWH

BBQ
A Weber gas BBQ can be provided. It will be brought to your chalet or cottage upon request. The use of a Weber gas BBQ is free however, gas canisters are chargeable at £15.00 each and will also be provided upon request.

SKY TV
SKY TV freeview is included in all 4 star chalets and cottages. A SKY box with Entertainment and Sports can be hired at £30.00 per week/stay.
SKY TV package Entertainment with Sports is provided in all 5 star chalets and cottages.

WiFi
Wifi service is available throughout the estate. All properties have complimentary WiFi.

Smoking
All properties are NON-SMOKING.

Number of guests
Properties accommodate the number of persons shown on the tariff. Occupation must not exceed the chalet or cottage maximum.

Pets
We are very happy to welcome well behaved dogs to stay in certain allocated holiday properties but for the benefit of all our guests we require all dog owners to adhere to the following ‘Dog Rules’
Portnellan permits 1 or 2 small to medium sized dogs in certain allocated holiday properties by prior arrangement only. There is a dog fee of £40 per pet applied.
These include
Deerstalker
Buzzard
Fisher
An Caisteal
Otter
Osprey
Whooper
Heron
Ptarmigan
Gamekeeper
Ghillies
Raven
Kestrel
Kingfisher
Lapwing
Stob Binnein Cottage
Capercaillie Cottage

You hereby agree that as a dog owner you are responsible for the behaviour of your dog during your stay at Portnellan.

Worm and flea treatments must be up to date.

You agree to accept full responsibility for any damage and/or soiling caused by your dog during your stay and agree to pay the cost of any repairs or additional cleaning requirements.

If you have a group booking of more than one property, please ensure your dog(s) do not enter any chalet/cottage other than the one you are staying in. Otherwise we will levy an additional dog fee for the extra cleaning costs.

Please bring plenty of poo bags and clean up after your dog.

Dogs are not allowed on any furniture including beds and sofas.

Dogs must not be left alone in the holiday chalets/cottages unless they are in a crate and you are absolutely sure they will not bark continuously.

Unfortunately dogs that bark continuously are not allowed at Portnellan as they will disturb other guests. If any dog persistently causes a nuisance or distress we reserve the right ask the owners to leave.

Please bring plenty of your own dog towels for drying.

Please be considerate of anyone at Portnellan who may not be familiar or comfortable with dogs.

There will be other guests and maybe other dogs at Portnellan so please keep your dog(s) on a lead when taking your dog to your car, or setting out on a walk direct from the door.

Please ensure you are familiar with and follow the Countryside Code when out for a walk:

Maintain effective control of your dog and consider other people.
Protect the natural environment and wildlife.
Leave gates and property as you find them.
Bag it and bin it – it is an offence to fail to remove dog faeces.
It is an offence for a dog to worry livestock on agricultural land and farmers are entitled to destroy a dog without compensation to the owner.

Arrival and departure times
Arrival is 4pm onwards (April-October) The properties will be ready at different intervals throughout the day of your arrival. We will make every effort for an earlier check in time especially within Winter months (November-April). Please contact to discuss a relaxed arrival and departure time.
If you plan to arrive late in the evening, please let us know in advance so we can ensure you’re well taken care of.
Departure is up to 10am so we have time to prepare for our next guests. Later departures at certain times of the year and for short stays may be arranged by prior arrangement. Please call to discuss.

Grocery pack
Groceries, butcher meat, fish and other provisions can be provided on your arrival day. Contact details for local businesses that provide these services will be sent to you with your confirmation. Please contact the business directly with your orders. You can either settle directly or with Portnellan at the end of your holiday.

Cleaning surcharge
When you arrive you will see that the property is cleaned and maintained to a very high standard. You are expected to maintain these high standards of cleanliness in the lodge throughout your holiday. Upon departure the property must be left in the same condition as it was found. We have a team of housekeepers but they are not slaves – so please respect the property as your own and do not present us with the embarrassing situation of having to ask for a cleaning surcharge of up to £100. Glasses do get broken, but they do have to be replaced, so please note you will be asked to settle for any broken glasses. They are £4 each.

Security/Key Deposit
A security/key deposit of £250 is required on arrival. This amount is held on a credit card. Any damage, breakage or spillage in your property should be reported so we can maintain the high standards our guests expect. Repairs or damage will incur an additional charge, which must be settled in full.

Payment terms
Full weeks: A deposit of 50% is required on booking and the balance must be paid no later than 8 weeks (56 days) before your arrival. Cancelled holidays are subject to the charges detailed below. Cancellation Indemnity insurance is optional and at your discretion details of which will be sent to you with your confirmation. Short stays (less than full weeks) must be paid in full on booking and are non refundable.

Cancellation charges
If you’re not able to enjoy the holiday you’ve booked, we recommend you tell us as soon as you can. Cancellation charges are based on the likelihood of re-selling your holiday. 8 weeks before, deposit retained. 8-6 weeks before 50% holiday cost. 6-4 weeks before 60% holiday cost. 4-2 weeks before 80% holiday cost. 2 weeks before full holiday cost.

Property Features

  • Situated in beautiful surroundings with stunning views down the valley over Loch Dochart & mountains beyond.
  • Living quarters upstairs, sleeping quarters downstairs.
  • King-size double room with extra single bed.
  • Twin bedroom.
  • Furnished with wardrobe and drawers, hair dryer, bedside lighting and alarm clock.
  • Family bathroom with shower over bath, WC & wash basin.
  • Fully equipped kitchen furnished with washer/dryer, dishwasher, NEFF ceramic, fridge, hob, oven & combination microwave, tea towels & oven glove is provided.
  • Royal Doulton crockery.
  • Wide range of glasses, cooking utensils, pots and pans are provided.
  • Open plan living & dining area.
  • 37" LCD TV with Blu Ray DVD player and Nintendo wii console.
  • Freeview SKY television (basic package) - Full Sky TV boxes can be hired (£30 per stay).
  • Garden furniture provided.
  • Egyptian Cotton bed linen & towels are provided.
  • Electric heating.
  • Electricity is included.
  • Cot & highchair available.
  • WIFI available throughout at no charge.
  • Allocated parking.
  • 5 miles of wild salmon & trout estate loch and river fishing.
  • Onsite shop and visitors centre available
  • Free of charge access to games room with table tennis, table football, pool table and a gym.

Local Fishing Information



Fishing at Portnellan Holiday Chalets

Important Information

  • 5 miles of loch and river game fishing.
  • The variety of fish at Loch Dochart include: salmon, brown trout, arctic charr, eels, pike and perch.
  • Portnellan guests benefit from free boat and rod use.
  • The salmon fishing season runs from the 15th January - 15th October. Please note there is strictly no Salmon fishing permitted on Sundays throughout the year.
  • The trout fishing season runs from the 16th March - 15th October.

Local Attractions

The Harbour at Loch Tay

Local Supermarkets - Londis is a 5 minute drive away in the village of Crianlarich. There is a Co-Op 15 minutes away in the village of Killin

Crianlarich Village - Only 5 minutes by car, there is a local pub, a tea room, a village store and a couple of hotels in the village.

Falls of Dochart - Situated just outside of Killin on the western end of Loch Tay.

Ben Lawers - The highest mountain in the southern part of the Scottish Highlands.

Glencoe - Short & spectacular drive away.

Cycle routes at Portnellan - There are miles of cycle routes to enjoy, both on and off road. There are trails around the Loch, Glen Lyon and Drummond Hill with various levels of difficulty.

Water Sports - Within easy reach of Portnellan activities include: kayaking, boating, swimming, paddleboarding, sailing & windsurfing. Boats and Kayaks are free of charge to hire, paddle baords can be hired for £15 per hour per board.

The Scottish Crannog Centre - Discover what life was like in Scotland 2,500 years ago.

Scottish Wool Centre - Great visitor attraction, with a daily dog and duck show, a menagerie of animals and a food and whisky hall.

Nae Limits outdoor activities - Adventure activities including white water rafting, canyoning and quad biking.

Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre - A great variety of wild animals, children's play areas and pony rides.

Golf - There is an 18 hole golf course on-site, as well as an 18 hole putting green.

McQueen Gin Distillery - Located in Callander, Stirlingshire, tours of the distillery can be booked.

Loch Tay Safari - Travel on an RIB (rigid inflatable boat) across the loch and enjoy the stunning, dramatic scenery and get up close to wildlife in hidden areas of the Loch.

Castles - Ruins of Loch Dochart Castle, just a short distance from Crianlarich.

Eilean Dochart - Visit the ruins of Eilean Dochart castle situated on a tiny island in Loch Dochart.

Edinburgh & Glasgow - 1 Hour 30 Minutes from Glasgow and 2 Hours from Edinburgh.

Towns & Villages - The towns of Oban, Fort William, Perth, Pitlochry and Stirling are within a 1 hour drive.