The Tall Pines Studio

Jackie and Paul were wonderful hosts. They brought us the amazing breakfast platter every morning, answered all our questions about the area, and topped up the wood and firelighter when they were running low. The yurt is gorgeous, with Arabic colours and designs inside, and it gets really cozy when the fire is burning and the lamps are lit. The bed was comfortable, and the only noise overnight was the neighbours’ cows waking us at sunrise. It’s a perfect base for exploring the area and coast, with Helmsdale a 15-20 minute walk away. We left the car at the yurt and walked down the hill for dinner each night. The shower worked well, and the basic washing-up facilities did the job. The toilet is a compost pan about 5m from the yurt, which makes sense given the drainage issues, but my wife especially didn’t like using it, and the walk in the rain in the middle of the night wasn’t appealing. The wood burner could be temperamental too. Once going, it was fine, but sometimes it was a struggle to get it started, and waking up to a cold yurt and having to fight with the fire wasn’t a relaxing start to the day. We loved the yurt, though we didn’t enjoy every facility as much as we expected after leaving our camping days behind. It’ll be a wonderful stay for anyone who’s happy with something other than a traditional place to stay on the A9.