Craig Cottage

Situated on one of western Scotland's most beautiful yet least visited lochs – Loch Etive – this comfortable self-catering holiday cottage is the perfect answer for anyone seeking a properly remote, off-grid place to stay that's also not too hard to reach. Down a forest track on the western side of the long crooked sea loch  of Loch Etive, two miles from any sort of proper road, it's accessible by car (preferably but not necessarily a 4x4), or by sea, but that's about it. Once here, it's about as peaceful and remote a spot as you could find in the UK, yet you're only a two-hour drive from Scotland's most populated region.

A single-storey stone cottage right by the water's edge, Craig Cottage (to give it its proper name) is the sort of place that people come back to year after year. There are two bedrooms – one double, one twin – so it's an ideal place for a family of four looking for somewhere to spend a week without phones and Facebook, instead getting up close to nature, which is all around.  There is no mains electricity, only a generator to provide lighting (if you want it); the kitchen stove and fridge are powered by gas, and heat comes from the wood-burning stove in the sitting room, which provides hot water that also fills the radiators, keeping the house warm and cosy at all times. There is plenty of free wood and kindling, and also plenty to gather nearby if you want to really get into the off-grid experience. Both bedrooms have lovely views of the loch, and big comfy beds with new mattresses and good quality linen; there's a family bathroom (with bath) and the loft has been converted to a play den for the kids, with crafts and games – plus there are lots of books and other activities throughout the property for wet-weather days. Outside there's a garden, but really the entire landscape here is yours to enjoy pretty much as far as the eye can see.

The property is dog-friendly, and it's hard to imagine a better place to bring your dog on holiday. Just don't bring anyone who craves wi-fi or needs a coffeeshop around the corner. This is a place to enjoy the UK at its most wild and untamed, with fast-running rivers, native forests and of course the loch itself, much of which is inaccessible by road. There's plenty to explore nearby – Etive is almost fjord-like in places, with high mountains on either side and depths of up to 150m.  You could visit the Falls of Lora, where it flows into the sea, or take a boat tour from Dunstaffnage or hire a boat on the loch from Taynnuilt; while at the opposite end, Allt Easach and Glen Etive are delightfully unspoilt, with plenty of opportunities for kayaking and wild swimming. There are a number of points along the shore from which you can launch your own boat or kayak.

But the beauty of this place is that you're already in a beautiful environment, and can just stay put and enjoy the local wildlife – the woods around the house are home to roe, fallow and red deer, there are otters in the loch and pine martens visit the house almost daily. You can also swim from right in front of the cottage or further up the loch in a shallow bay. And if you end up missing city life, Oban is just a half an hour's drive away (and is worth visiting even if you're not). Otherwise just hunker down and enjoy the cottage: there aren't many places in the UK like it.