Wester Auchraw Croft Holistic B&B

08/11/2025

08/11/2025

Saturday Bliss at Wester Auchraw Croft

This morning my daughter and I wandered down to Loch Venachar for a very hot sauna and a cool, soul-awakening dip — the perfect way to greet the weekend!

Here at Wester Auchraw Croft, this is how Saturdays are meant to be spent…
A slow breakfast, mountain air, barefoot moments in the grass, and time to simply be.

Then off to the loch for a sauna session, wild swim, and laughter echoing across the water, before returning to the Croft to unwind by the fire or watch the sunset melt over the hills.

It’s not just a stay… it’s an experience where nature, stillness, and connection meet.

Special Offer
Book a two-night stay this month and receive a complimentary wild sauna & loch dip experience £270 our gift to you for choosing to slow down and savour the magic of Scotland’s wild heart.

Wester Auchraw Croft — where time slows, hearts open, and the land restores you.

04/11/2025

The Stones of Glen Lyon

(for the Spirit of the West)

Druids &medcibe women walked into the longest Glen Lyon,
bare feet on the skin of the earth,
Ireland still humming in our bones,
Scotland calling us home.

We followed the whisper of wind through gorse and heather,
the hush of moss on the stones
and there they stood, the Stone Family,
older than story, older than prayer.

Across the river we waded,
ankle deep, soft laughter and song,
but when we returned she had risen—
wild woman river, swollen with strength.
I carried the dog in my arms,
and the water kissed my knees like initiation.

Later, by firelight and bread,
a loaf was broken
ni***es of the Mother rising in the crust,
one blackened with mystery.
It was handed to me.
“The Old Hag of the West,” they said,
“Cailleach of the West Wind,
she who births the new year through winter’s womb.”

And so I was granted the honour
to carry her mantle for a year,
to bless the seasons, to walk with her name,
to remember the ones who held the stones
and the stones who still hold us.

Thirteen gathered that night in the Croft,
Stews simmering, laughter circling,
songs of kindness wrapping the air
and outside, in the quiet glen,
the stones listened.
They always listen.

22/10/2025

A Rair Pit Stop on the Route 500

Tucked away on Scotland’s legendary Route 500 lies Wester Auchraw Croft — a place where rare cars meet a rare kind of Croft. It’s not your average stop-off, but a soulful pause where vintage engines and wild hearts come together.

Drivers roll in for a breather, greeted by open skies, a warming fire, and the scent of home-baked bread drifting from the Croft. Here, the road slows down. Machines cool while spirits rise. Whether you’re cruising in a classic or a camper, this is the place to share a story, sip something local, and feel part of the Highlands’ living heartbeat.

Because on the Route 500, some stops are just for fuel — but this one feeds the soul.

18/08/2025

“Wester Auchraw Croft has stood since the days of Culloden, holding the memory of Scotland’s past in its stones. Like many longhouses in Lochearnhead, it was close to collapsing into the earth. I restored it before it was lost forever—bringing life, warmth, and story back to its walls.”


https://www.facebook.com/share/15tGY6vmxK/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Formerly abandoned traditional Scottish village. For centuries, Highlanders and their livestock lived in these one-room abodes. The houses, which featured packed earth floors, drystone walls, and thatched roofs, offered refuge from the wild North Atlantic weather.

A fire in the central hearth kept the space warm, and a divider separated the human inhabitants from their farm animals, which remained huddled at one end of the building.

Between 1945 and 1965, the other crofts and blackhouses on the Isle of Lewis received running water and electricity.

People lived in these houses until the 1970s, when the village’s remaining elderly residents moved into more modern homes that didn’t require as much upkeep. It seemed as though the village would then be lost to time, destined to crumble and decay until it was no more than a ruin.

But in 1989, Urras nan Gearrannan, the local trust, set to work restoring and preserving these historic buildings. Now, the renovated blackhouses are available as holiday accommodation.

Families can rent individual cottages, or budget travelers can hunker down in the hostel. Each building is named after the family that once lived there, and bits of the village serve as a museum that honors this bygone way of island life. You may even catch a glimpse of someone weaving Harris Tweed!

17/08/2025

Our newly refurbished yurt is ready to welcome you ✨ Cozy evenings by the log-burning stove, the comfort of an electric blanket, and mornings that begin with a delicious homemade breakfast. Step into the medicine garden and feel restored — this is hospitality at its best, with care, love, and goodness at the heart of every detail.

Book your stay now and experience the magic of Wester Auchraw Croft’s unique bed & breakfast. Call 07525126482 or book direct.

17/08/2025

Lochearnhead in her golden morning glory.

29/07/2025

After the morning responsibilities were met I set off on a bike ride from the Croft, I stumbled upon a golden scatter of chanterelles. With no bag to carry them, I wrapped them tenderly in ladder ferns, their green fronds folding like a secret around the treasure. I’m now back in the warmth of my kitchen, I’m stirring them into a risotto with sage picked fresh from the herb garden — earth’s offerings folded into each spoonful, a quiet feast from the land.

Chanterelle & Sage Risotto Recipe

Ingredients
• 1 cup arborio rice
• A generous handful of fresh chanterelles, cleaned and chopped
• 1 small onion or shallot, finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 fresh sage leaves, finely sliced
• 1 litre vegetable stock, kept warm
• Splash of white wine (optional)
• K**b of butter or drizzle of olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Parmesan (optional, or nutritional yeast for a vegan version)

Method
1. In a pan, heat butter or oil and sauté the onion gently until soft.
2. Add garlic and sage, cook for 1 minute.
3. Stir in the rice, letting it toast for a minute. Add the wine, if using.
4. Slowly ladle in warm stock, one scoop at a time, stirring gently and letting the rice absorb it before adding more.
5. Halfway through, stir in the chanterelles. Let them melt into the risotto as it cooks.
6. Continue adding stock and stirring until the rice is creamy and tender.
7. Season to taste, stir in a final k**b of butter or cheese, and serve warm.

13/07/2025

Drink and swim only from the streams that remember the stars. Babaji

12/07/2025

A Holistic Stay at Wester Auchraw Croft

The garden yurt at Wester Auchraw Croft has just been refurbished. A unique structure simple, beautifully refurbished space nestled beside the oldest house in the village. The Croft dates back to the time of the Battle of Collodion, its stone walls carrying the quiet weight of Highland history.

Set among herbs and green stillness, the yurt offers a peaceful night’s rest for those passing through or seeking a more reflective stay. Mornings may begin with a wild swim in the loch, followed by a wholesome breakfast served in the Croft kitchen.

Yoga and meditative guidance are available to guests, drawing from classical traditions and offered in a gentle, unstructured way just ask.

This is a home of honest hospitality, natural beauty, and thoughtful presence. A place to rest well.

Warmest welcome awaits.