S itting above Corran Sands, at the gateway to the Paps of Jura in the crofting settlement of Knockrome, we have built Bothan Jura Retreat as a space to unwind, reconnect and explore the wild landscapes of the Isle of Jura. It’s a romantic story of stumbling upon a 200-year-old stone cotter’s cottage lost to a bog on the remote island and having a dream to create something special! With a collapsing rusted, corrugated roof and grass and trees growing within it, the cottage had zero amenities and was not habitable. The land around it was wet, boggy and overgrown with brambles but we bought an acre of it and set about draining the water away. Over the next 6 years we renovated the cottage, built a home for our- selves, designed and built two huts for guests and a communal shed space for retreats. The Universe threw in a pan- demic with lockdowns, homeschooling
each bothan to browse and read, we’ve added games and information about local walks and history. We are on hand to help with getting the most out of Jura whilst you are here, or we can leave you alone to rest, explore and re-set. This year we are developing a work- shop/ studio space for meditation, yoga, a game of pool or table tennis, or just a place to meet other folk and chew the fat as a passing squall blows out across the bay and the sun beck- ons you outside again. www.bothanju- raretreat.co.uk
and a monumental hike in the price of materials! We built, we made mistakes, we learnt, we made more mistakes, we laughed and cried but kept on at it! Mrs Leonard’s Cottage, The Black Hut and The Rusty Hut can be rented out individually for holiday guests as well as the retreat as a whole for groups wishing to come for some respite and healing. All bothans sleep two people each and are dog friendly. Each comes with a Swedish wood fired hot tub and the cottage has a private sauna as well. There are pizza ovens, fire pits, a telescope for guests to use as we have
unrivalled dark skies for stargazing. Visitors can look out over the turquoise seas at Corran Sands to the south, and to the west the sun goes down over The Paps of Jura. There’s cold water therapy on tap, with a 3 degree Celsius, chilled ice whisky barrel on site, with the Hebridean waters at the bottom of the garden. Perfectly placed at the gateway to the Paps and the wilder west coast of Jura, Bothan Jura Retreat is a haven for walkers. Guests can adventure all day and spa all night if they wish. We’ve curated a library of books in
49
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator