Grebe Cottage, Ellenabeich

15/08/2026

The Crinan canal is a very picturesque stretch of water linking Crinan to Ardrishaig on Loch Fyne. Only a 1 hour drive from Ellenabeich it makes a great day trip from Grebe Cottage. There are lots of walks in the area including along the canal, through Crinan Woods and up to Castle Dounie. There is a mobile coffee van at Dunardry locks at weekends in season and other food opportunities in Crinan itself. Best to visit in the summer months when there are lots of pleasure craft travelling through the canal. Have a great weekend everyone.

12/07/2026

Kilmartin Museum and the surrounding area is well worth a visit when staying at Grebe Cottage - less than an hour’s drive and full of archeological treasures to discover. Great cafe at the museum. The guidebook to the area - In the Footsteps of Kings - is in the cottage for you to read and plan your day. Walk to the top of Dunadd Hill Fort where you really can put your foot on the stone used to crown ancient kings. It’s a magical area with so much to discover.

📣 Summer Prices Update

From today, we're taking part in the UK Government's Great British Summer Savings scheme.

From 25 June to 1 September, museum ticket prices have been reduced as we pass on the benefits of the VAT reduction scheme directly to our visitors.

Summer Special Tickets are available to purchase in person at the museum, with reduced prices across all museum admission tickets.

Visit our website for full details, then head to Kilmartin Glen and enjoy a great value day out exploring one of Scotland's most remarkable landscapes.

09/05/2026

We were up at Grebe Cottage 2 weeks ago getting it all in full order for the late spring/early summer. New chairs outside, new pillows on the beds, new cushions in the lounge and a deep clean and garden tidy.

Every time we head up the motorway towards Glasgow I always point out signs to places I’d like to visit, so this time we stopped on the way up at New Lanark World Heritage Site and on the way back at Benmore botanic garden. Both were great stops. The setting of the mills at New Lanark by the Clyde Falls is exceptional and the displays in and around the mills tell the history of their building and use. The walk up the Clyde to the falls is well worth it. Benmore botanic garden was in full bloom with rhododendrons and azaleas. The setting there is also spectacular among the hills of the Cowal peninsula. Some photos of both stops are attached. We had some good trips out from Ellenabeich once we were there so will post more on those in the coming weeks. Have a great weekend everyone!

27/03/2026

Happy Friday! What a difference a year makes. Looking back on my photos from last year I found a bluebell out in a sunny spot on 2nd April in Tobermory on Mull. Not this year! The primroses are struggling to flower - a much colder winter and a colder, wetter start to spring. There’s always something to see and do no matter what the weather - and it is the changing seasons and unpredictability of the weather that makes the landscape in Scotland so interesting. It is the start of British Summer Time this weekend. We look forward to welcoming all of our guests to enjoy Grebe Cottage, Ellenabeich and Argyll over the spring and summer whatever the weather has in store. Attached is a photo of that bluebell, flowers in Arduaine garden and some photos from around Ellenabeich and Easdale taken this week last year. Have a good weekend everyone.

01/02/2026

So that's January over! Time to look forward to longer days and better weather. The winter light is amazing and there are a couple of weeks still available to book at the end of February/beginning of March to make the most of it. We also have a couple of weeks free in July to enjoy the long days. Head to www.sykescottages.co.uk to book. I have been putting together a book of photos taken in 2025 whilst visiting Grebe Cottage and I have attached a selection of them taken at various times throughout the year. There are so many places you can visit using Ellenabeich as a base and we have a list of places and walks we want to visit for the first time in 2026 and others that we want to go back to. Enjoy the attached photos, have a great Sunday - and if you are visiting Grebe Cottage in 2026 we are looking forward to welcoming you!

16/01/2026

Winter can be magical in Argyll and the Isles. The sun is low in the sky which makes for some great light, sunrises and sunsets. On cold, crisp days the air is clear and the views superb with snow on the hills. On wetter greyer days you can curl up in front of the fire with a book, jigsaw or some good TV. Oban is very reachable from Grebe Cottage and is a year round destination with lovely independent shops, great views from Pulpit Hill and McCaig’s Tower and some great food (it is the seafood capital of Scotland!). We look forward to welcoming you for a winter break at Grebe Cottage!

01/01/2026

Happy New Year from Grebe Cottage Ellenabeich. Thank you to all our guests in 2025. We are looking forward to welcoming more guests in 2026. Have a happy and healthy New Year. Wishing you all the best for 2026.

29/11/2025

Th Christmas tree is up at Grebe Cottage and the cottage is all spruced up and ready for guests. Head to www sykescottages.co.uk to book! After a few lovely days of sunshine the wind and rain returned - but this weekend is all set to be cold and sunny again - the best winter weather! Have a great weekend - many Christmas fairs, etc. happening this weekend and next. Enjoy!

25/11/2025

Good morning from a bright and sunny Ellenabeich! Whilst it is a quiet time of year there is still lots going on up here. The Oban Winter Festival is in full swing throughout December and this weekend is the last weekend of craft markets in Oban. This weekend is also the Christmas Tree Festival at St Conan’s Kirk in Lochawe. There are also lots of Christmas craft markets in the villages around both this weekend and next weekend. Oban is great for Christmas shopping - lots of independent shops selling unique gifts. For a last minute pre Christmas break head to Sykes Cottages to book where our prices in the run up to Christmas have been discounted. And for anyone who wants to stay for this coming weekend and into next week, I am heading off tomorrow and will be doing the changeover before I go as our housekeeper is away so I am able to give you this Friday free as an extra so that you can get here early and enjoy the weekend festivities. First come first served!! Some photos of Oban from yesterday attached - the weather was amazing!

29/10/2025

Hello everyone. Firstly apologies for a lack of posts over the summer - life has been pretty busy.

We have just been to Grebe Cottage for our first visit in 3 months. We were not blessed with good weather - but plenty of wind and rain! We had one day of sunnier skies which was good as one of the jobs was to tidy the garden and replace some of the rotting wood on the shed - all done before the wind and rain started up again! We have carried out a few jobs inside the house as well so all looking good for our winter visitors.

We have room for bookings from 29th November through to Christmas. This year the Oban Winter Festival is extending from 14th November through to 21st December. There is a lot going on and Oban will be full of winter cheer. There are also a lot of independent shops in Oban - great for Christmas shopping and getting some unique gifts for friends and family. Head to Sykes Cottages to book! And if the weather gets too bad you can cosy up at Grebe Cottage with the log burner on.

One other thing to let you know is that we have received a Sykes Cottages “Perfect 10” award for the last quarter - we had at least six 5 star reviews for the quarter which is the criteria for the award so thank you to all our guests over the summer who gave us some fabulous reviews 😊. All the reviews and our award sticker are on our Sykes Cottages page for the cottage.

Attached are some photos taken yesterday in the brief period of great light just after we had got thoroughly soaked on a walk to the Pool of the Otter - when the sun appears on a stormy autumn day the light is just amazing!