Overview
Built by a local schoolmistress
Cul na Shee (or Cul na Sythe) means ‘nook of peace’ in Gaelic, which in this case refers to a minute bay, backed by steep woods, a few hundred yards beyond Saddell Castle. Here in the 1920s a schoolteacher, the daughter of a local minister, built herself a simple home for her retirement, on the grass behind a rocky beach.
No more peaceful spot to while away the hours
It would be hard to find a more tranquil place, reached by a path along the beach, overlooked by no other building and with just the sea and Arran to look at. It has, moreover, been a pleasure to preserve a building of a kind so very unfashionable now, to show how suitable it can look, and how snug and cheerful its pine-boarded rooms can be with a driftwood fire crackling in the grate. The cottage stands at the far end of the sweep of Saddell Bay in the lee of the wooded coastline. It gives directly onto the beach, with just the sky and the sea to contemplate. The whole of Saddell Bay with its long white strand and rocky point belongs to Landmark, including the castle, a later mansion and four cottages. Each building stands alone and staying here, you have the freedom of the whole bay in all its wild and unspoilt beauty, where seals, sea birds of every kind and even an otter are regular visitors. The ruins of an ancient abbey are also nearby to explore.
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Independent feedback based on 34 verified reviews.
Map & local info
Cul na Shee is a tranquil place sitting in its own minute bay backed by steep woods with just the sea and Arran to look at across the Kilbrannan Sound. Less than a mile away on the east Kintyre road towards Carradale lies the tiny hamlet of Saddell. From here you can take a short walk to the beautiful ruin of Saddell Abbey.
Follow The Kintyre Way around the stunning peninsula and enjoy exploring its wealth of hidden coves, deserted beaches and fishing communities offering local produce.
Wildlife enthusiasts can experience the superb bird watching facilities at The Machrihanish Seabird & Wildlife Observatory or take a boat trip around the islands of Sanda, Ailsa Craig and the Mull of Kintyre to see puffins, seals and other exciting forms of sealife.
Golfers will enjoy the fine choice of golf courses around Kintyre, claimed to be some of the best in Scotland.
Discover local walks for dogs with our friends at Walkiees.co.uk, the dog walks community. Take a look at our Pinterest map for more ideas of things to do and see during your stay at Cul na Shee.
Please Note: The Landmark Trust does not take any responsibility and makes no warranties, representations or undertakings about the content of any website accessed by hypertext link. Links should not be taken as an endorsement of any kind. The Landmark Trust has no control over the availability of the linked pages.
See all our Landmarks at Saddell
Essential info
What you need to know about this building
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Yes. You are welcome to bring up to two dogs. A charge of £20 per stay is made for each dog.
Please contact booking enquiries if you have an assistance dog, for which there is no charge.
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Via an estate track from the main road.
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Glasgow – 123 miles.
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There is parking for two cars just before the rocky outcrop. Access is by foot only, approximately 20m along the beach.
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There are electric night storage radiators and an open fire.
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Logs may be purchased and delivered under a private arrangement. Further details will be provided with your booking confirmation.
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To check up-to-date mobile network coverage in the area, visit
signalchecker.co.uk.* Due to the location and structure of many of our buildings, signal strength may differ to those indicated.
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The majority of properties do not offer WiFi but many now have
mobile coverage. Facilities in some properties rely on WiFi to function and we are currently piloting guest use of WiFi at
a few of our buildings. We are going to extend the pilot across more properties and review customer feedback in 2025.
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The kitchen is fully equipped with all plates, cutlery, fridge etc. There is also an electric cooker.
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There is one bathroom with a bath.
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There are no difficult internal stairs.
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There are large open grounds and direct access to the beach.
Please note that public footpaths run through the estate.
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Yes, the clock on the church next to The Priest's House chimes through the night.
Booking and Payment
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If the weather is bad, please contact our booking office who will be able to tell you whether the Landmark is accessible. If the housekeeper can safely get to the building to prepare it then we consider that it is open and available for guests. However if we cannot undertake a changeover then we will do our utmost to transfer your stay to another Landmark, depending on what we have available. It may not be of a similar size or in the same part of the country as your original booking. If the building is accessible but the customer cannot travel due to poor weather in his/her local area then please be aware that Landmark will not provide a refund. However the customer may be able to claim on his/her own travel insurance. We recommend that all guests take out travel insurance when they first secure a booking.
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We accept Maestro (if issued in the UK), Visa, MasterCard, direct transfer and sterling cheques drawn on a UK bank. Cheques should be made payable to the Landmark Trust except for Lundy stays and boat/helicopter tickets which should be payable to The Lundy Company Ltd. All payments must be in sterling.
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The key arrangements will be included in the Further Infomation document which will be sent to you prior to your stay.
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If your stay starts more than two months from the date you make the booking, you are required to pay a deposit of one third of the cost of your stay (or £100 per booking, if greater) at the time of booking. Camping on Lundy and The Bunk House at Llwyn Celyn must be paid for in full at the time of booking.
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If you wish to cancel or change your booking, please contact our Booking Office on 01628 825925
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At the moment we only accept payment in sterling.
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Our housekeeper will leave the key in a suitable place, the details of which will be sent to you prior to your stay.
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It depends. Some of our most popular Landmarks are booked up a long time in advance, but many can be booked at short notice. We will always have Landmarks free for the coming weekend so it’s always worth checking our availability list.
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No, Landmarks are available to be booked for anyone.
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No, all the information you need can be found on our website, although we’d like you to buy one anyway as it will be a pleasure to own!
Staying at a Landmark
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Some of our Landmarks are suitable for people with disabilities or limited mobility. However, many Landmarks have steep or narrow staircases, uneven floors and thresholds, changes of level, low ceilings or beams, as well as indistinct colours on steps and in corridors. We recommend that you call
Booking Enquiries on 01628 825925 if you would like to find out the suitability of a particular Landmark for anyone with a specific disability.
Further information on access when visiting Lundy can also be found
here.
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Yes, Landmarks are only available as self-catering accommodation. We do not offer bed and breakfast.
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Landmark does not provide catering, but we can recommend Greycoat Lumleys who can arrange for expert and well-trained staff to cater for one evening or for your entire holiday. Their cooks and chefs are able to work with you to meet your specific requirements
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You may bring up to two dogs to properties where dogs are allowed (please see specific property details for exemptions however dogs are not permitted on Lundy except assistance dogs). They must be kept off the furniture and under proper control.
A charge of £20 per stay is made for each dog. Please contact
booking enquiries if a registered assistance dog is supporting one of the guests, for which there is no charge.
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Apart from two dogs (see above) no other pets are permitted.
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Arrival is from 4pm and departure is by 10am.
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We do not carry insurance for breakages. However we appreciate that accidents do sometimes happen. If you have a breakage during your stay, please let the housekeeper know and if appropriate we reserve the right to invoice you accordingly.
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Yes, most of our Landmarks are perfect for children, with gardens to play in and secret places to discover. Our furniture is surprisingly robust and we positively encourage families to stay. However, some of our buildings may not be suitable for small children; for example, some of them have steep or uneven spiral staircases. We recommend that you call the Booking Enquiries team if you would like to find out the suitability of any of our Landmarks for young children.
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Unfortunately, most of our Landmarks are not licensed for weddings. However, you may get married on Lundy.
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All our larger Landmarks are perfect for gatherings of family or friends. You may invite an additional two guests to visit you during your stay, however they must not stay overnight. This is very important because our fire regulations specifically note the maximum number of people in any one building. In addition our properties are prepared, furnished and equipped for the number of people specified and greater numbers cause damage and excessive wear and tear to vulnerable buildings. Should this condition be ignored we shall make a retrospective charge per person per day (whether or not they stay overnight) for each guest over the permitted limit, the charge being pro-rated on the total cost of your booking.
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We deliberately do not provide televisions and find that most people appreciate this.
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One of the challenges of restoring unloved buildings is gaining access to them. We frequently have to negotiate rights with our neighbours and share tracks with them. In many cases tracks do not belong to us and we have no right to maintain them. Wherever possible we work with our neighbours to provide you with a good quality surface, but where this is a problem then you will be warned at the time of booking.
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Yes, we have standard electricity sockets for UK appliances. If you are coming from outside the UK, you will need to bring your own adaptor plug(s).
If you are visiting one of our European properties we have standard European electricity sockets. If you are visiting from the UK, you will need to bring your own adapter plug (s).
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Landmark’s electrical systems have not been designed to provide continuous power from one socket over several hours. If an ordinary socket is used to charge an electric vehicle, there is significant risk of an electrical fire and consequent danger to life. Therefore, we are unable to allow electric vehicle charging from most of our Landmarks at present.
We are working to provide Type 2 Electric Vehicle charge points at our properties where there is private parking. Where this is available, please request this facility when booking the property to ensure the outlet is enabled on your arrival. There is a small charge to cover the cost of electricity provided. Please book this facility in advance.
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No, we do not allow smoking in any Landmark.
Facilities
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A welcome tray with tea and sugar awaits your arrival and you will find a pint of milk in the fridge. We provide a hairdryer, a roll of toilet paper and a bar of Landmark soap per bathroom, but no other toiletries. Hairdryers are provided.
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The majority of properties do not offer WiFi but many now have
mobile coverage. Facilities in some properties rely on WiFi to function and we are currently piloting guest use of WiFi at
a few of our buildings. We are going to extend the pilot across more properties and review customer feedback in 2025.
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Mobile coverage varies. Some Landmarks have an excellent signal, but others have none at all. You can find those with 4G and 5G signal on our
Landmarks with mobile signal page and each building has a link to signal checker in the Essential Information so you can check individual service providers' coverage in the area.
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Logs are provided at many of our Landmarks for an additional cost.
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Yes, our kitchens are well equipped with cookers and fridges. There are freezers and dishwashers (in larger buildings) and, where space allows, microwaves as well as a wide and standard range of utensils. A full equipment list is available at time of booking.
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Sometimes our kitchens and bathrooms have to be imaginatively fitted into the available space in buildings where before there were none, but they are all planned and equipped to a high and modern standard.
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Yes, Landmarks are fully equipped with sheets and towels. All the beds are fully made up for your arrival. Except for the Llwyn Celyn Bunkhouse.
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We do not provide Christmas trees or decorations. However, you are welcome to bring your own. We kindly ask that you remove them at the end of your stay.
Do you have other questions?
Our Booking Office can help with information about each building.
Video
Availability & booking
Select a changeover day to start your booking...
What's a changeover day? and Why can't I select other dates?Explain More
A changeover day is a particular day of the week when holidays start and end at our properties. These tend to be on a Friday or a Monday but can sometimes vary. All stays run from one changeover day until another changeover day.
Arriving on...
Monday 13th February 2014