I had the good fortune to meet Jayne and Andrew at the Garbh Eilean wildlife hide during my June 2015 visit to the Scottish Highlands. Following a subsequent Google search for Mingarry Lodges which Jayne had mentioned, I eventually booked a week in Hooting Lodge commencing 19th September 2015.
Searching for availability and booking via PayPal was very straightforward and I received both an auto-generated receipt for payment and a personal confirmation e-mail from Jayne. Information provided by Jayne in respect of finding Mingarry Lodges was very good albeit we did not need this as we are familiar with the area from numerous previous visits.
The Mingarry Lodges website is very informative in terms of what is offered but even then this does not prepare you fully for the excellent standard of accommodation in all respects.
We stayed in Hooting Lodge which was warm, comfortable, spotlessly clean and fully equipped. We tried to identify something that was not provided but we failed completely. Absolutely everything you will need is provided!
Jayne and Andrew provided a genuinely warm welcome and their knowledge of the local area and what to see and do is exceptional. This is supplemented by a huge amount of information in files and folders in the lodge itself. This will be extremely helpful to any guests who are not familiar with the area.
Apart from the lodges, Jayne and Andrew deserve great credit for attracting a variety of wildlife to the grounds surrounding Mingarry Lodges. Every morning we saw Red Squirrels visiting the nut feeders at the rear of the lodges (at least 4 individuals seen at once) plus we had evening/nightly visits to the verandah table from 1 or 2 Pine Martens (at least 3 different individuals seen). Amazing!
Mingarry Lodges is located very centrally to visit all of the Ardnamurchan peninsula plus Mull and Skye can easily be reached by CalMac ferries. Stunning mountain and loch scenery and exciting wildlife, including White-tailed Eagles, Golden Eagles, Otters, Common and Grey Seals, Red Deer and much more, is on offer everywhere.
We have stayed in many self-catering cottages and cabins in the Scottish Highlands over the years but I can say without any hesitation at all that Mingarry Lodges is by far the best in terms of quality, value for money, friendly hosts and on site wildlife watching.
Well done Jayne and Andrew on all the hard work that you have evidently put in to make Mingarry Lodges so attractive and many thanks for making our stay so enjoyable.
Mingarry Lodges is highly recommended. For anyone reading the reviews, don’t just think about booking, do it!