Last week I finally got to visit my dream location, Inverness, the Highlands. I'd never been this excited about going on a holiday in a long time, and what surprised me, was how excited the kids were; even the pending 9-hour drive didn't deter their excitement - they couldn't wait to see the mountains and visit the Loch Ness.  

Where we stayed

The Dairy at Daviot is a converted 19th-century dairy farm offering luxurious homely self-catering accommodation for families in the beautifully secluded idyllic countryside of the Highlands of Scotland. It's conveniently central and a great base for access to the Inverness city and the breathtaking Highlands.

The surroundings of our cottage were stunning. With a backdrop of beautiful mountains, a river just a short walk, and with busy wildlife (hares running past our living room window most evenings, the odd pheasant walking past, to the highland cattle in the field, and many different types of birds). 

The Dairy at Daviot has 6 cottages, each one named after a cattle breed, we stayed in the Jersey cottage. 

The cottage has two bedrooms, one with a king-size bed, the other twin bed. The bedroom with the twin beds was large enough to fit a further put-me-up bed. The soft furnishings used on all beds were Egyptian cotton bed linen and luxury duvets, which all ensured for a great nights sleep. Each bedroom has an en-suite bathroom (there is an additional toilet downstairs). The quirky windows in the upstairs bedrooms overlook the courtyard and surrounding landscape (which include beautiful fields and mountains). The luxurious soft furnishing continued through the rest of the cottage, with real wool throws on the sofas, to plump pillows and thick fluffy bath towels.

There is a fantastic open plan kitchen (fully equipped kitchen, including a washer-dryer and dishwasher), a full-size dining table with 8 chairs and a cosy lounge. There are three sofas, thus plenty of room to snuggle down in front of the large floor-to-ceiling window which allows for a breathtaking view of the surrounding area, perfect snuggle area to wind down in after a long day of exploring. 

There is wifi and a TV. Included are family DVDs, plenty of board games. In addition, there were folders of information of the area, including a comprehensive folder that listed an array of local walks with printouts of each route.

The design and décor of the cottage create a comfortable home from home atmosphere that is perfect for couples, or families looking for a short or extended stay. It is perfectly placed for making the most of the Highland capital and equally for getting away to enjoy the wildlife and area.

The Dairy at Daviot is the perfect place/introduction to our first visit to the highlands, and we will definitely be returning soon.

Discount code 

The Dairy at Daviot and Baby Friendly Boltholes are offering my readers a £50 discount code who may wish to book a stay for stays of 3+ nights at any of the Dairy’s properties.

The code is: BFBDAVIOT and is valid until July 2019. 

Photos

We loved the stunning view the large window in the living room gave. Hubby and I sat on the sofa's talking, whilst the kids played together on the floor. I would watch them as they, every now and then, stop to take a peek of the view, or to capture a glimpse of a hare as it ran past the window.

The beds were so very comfortable, not a grumble from any of us (which is unusual, especially from the kids), and we all had a good nights sleep each and every night.

Even the put-me-up bed was super comfortable.

The kitchen was perfect. It was fully equipped. Everything was in good working and clean order. They even offer complementary dishwasher tablets and washing machine tablets for you to use. There was also a nice bottle of white wine in the fridge and some tasty short cake on arrival. Tea and coffee was also supplied.

The kids loved the park. They played on it every day, it had:

• A large sandpit with toys.

• In-ground trampoline

• Swings

• Climbing fort with a slide.

• Picnic bench

The courtyard was such a treat, we sat out on the picnic tables in the evening having a drink, it was just lovely.

There is also a cafe with a nice outdoor area to sit.

we ate in the Dairy Café a nice area to sit eat good food and enjoy the views. The cafe offers local produce that is all prepared on site, we enjoyed fish and chips, scampi and chips and the kid's food portion were good too. The food was both fresh and tasty, we all cleared our plates! The cafe also offers a delicious selection of cakes, as well as locally made ice-cream - yummy.

The cafe was a great addition to the site, making it so much easier for when you are staying in one of the cottages. You can pre-order your dinner, breakfast or even a picnic hamper to take with you on your day out.