The cottage itself is completely self-contained, 150 metres from the main croft house, with its own parking and garden area. 

Restored to a high standard, where possible using recycled building materials and taking advantage of modern architectural design, Merman Cottage provides comfortable, insulated and snug living areas full of character. It can comfortably accommodate up to four people, with additional sleeping space provided through the use of a sofabed under certain circumstances. 

The ground floor comprises a wood panelled living / dining room with a pot bellied stove, colour television and superb views over Loch Greshornish, plus a fully-equipped kitchen including an electric hob, combination microwave, fridge and all of the necessary cooking utensils. 

Upstairs there are 2 bedrooms each with 2 single beds, plus a WC with a washbasin. The ground floor bathroom has a shower, WC, wash basin and disabled rails. Additional heating is provided by a log burning potbellied stove. A wooden spiral staircase links the two floors - please ring or e-mail to discuss details relating to disabled access.

All other electricity is included in the rental tariff. 

Merman Cottage is supplied with a colour TV, CD, cassette player, radio and a set of games for the odd rainy day. There is also a wide selection of brochures covering things to do and places to visit on the island, plus a 'walks file' with plastic coated 'lift-out' sheets including maps and walk descriptions.

For both the serious and the aspiring amateur birdwatcher, birds that may been seen in the area include:

1 Red throated diver 2 Black throated diver 3 Great Northern diver 4 Slavonian Grebe  5 Black necked Grebe 6 Little Grebe 7 Great Creasted Grebe 8 Fulmar 9 Manx Shearwater 10 Sooty Shearwater 11 Great Shearwater 12 Corys Shearwater 13 Storm Petrel 14 Leaches Petrel 15 Gannet 16 Cormorant 17 Shag 18 Grey Heron 19 Mute swan 20 Whooper swan 21 Bewick swan 22 White fronted goose 23 Pink footed goose 24 Bean goose 25 Greylag goose 26 Barnacle goose 27 Brent goose 28 Shelduck 29 Mallard 30 Gadwall 31 Pintail 32 Shoveller 33 Wigeon 34 Teal 35 Garganey 36 Pochard 37 Scaup 38 Tufted duck 39 Tufted duck 40 Eider duck 41 Common Scoter 42 Velvet Scoter 43 Long tailer duck 44 Goldeneye 45 Smew 46 Goosander 47 Red Breasted Merganser 48 White tailed eagle 49 Osprey 50 Golden eagle 51 Red kite 52 Hen Harrier 53 Common Buzzard 54 Sparrowhawk 55 Goshawk 56 Kestral 57 Peregrine Falcon 58 Merlin 59 Red grouse 60 Ptarmigan 61 Quail 62 Corncrake 63 Pheasant 64 Water Rail 65 Spotted crake 66 Moorhean 67 Coot 68 Oystercatcher 69 Ringed plover 70 Grey plover 71 Dotterel 72 Golden plover 73 Lapwing 74 Knot 75 Sanderling 76 Purple sanpiper 77 Dunlin 78 Curlew sandpiper 79 Temminks stint 80 Little stint 81 Wood sandpiper 82 Green sandpiper 83 Common sandpiper 84 Redshank 85 Spotted redshank 86 Greenshank 87 Black tailed godwit 88 Bar tailed godwit 89 Curlew 90 Whimbrel 91 Woodcock 92 Snipe 93 Jack snipe 94 Grey Phalarope 95 Rednecked Phalarope 96 Ruff 97 Great skua 98 Artic skua 99 Pomarine skua 100 Long tailed skua 101 Blackheaded gull 102 Common gull 103 Herring gull 104 Yellow Legged gull 105 Lesser black backed 106 Greaterblack backed 107 Kittiwake 108 Glaucous gull 109 Iceland gull 110 Sandwich tern 111 Common tern 112 Artic tern 113 Black tern 114 Little Auk 115 Puffin 115 Puffin 116 Black guillimot 117 Guillimot 118 Razorbill 119 Rock dove 120 Collard dove 121 Wood pigeon 122 Turtle dove 123 Cuckoo 124 Tawney Owl 125 Long eared owl 126 Short eared owl 127 Swift 128 Kingfisher 129 Wryneck 130 Skylark 131 Sand martin 132 House martin 133 Swallow (barn) 134 Meadow pipit 135 Rock pipit 136 Tree pipit 137 Pied wagtail 138 Grey wagtail 139 Wren 140 Dipper 141 Waxwing 142 Dunnock 143 Robin 144 Redstart 145 Black Redstart 146 Wheatear 147 Whinchat 148 Stonechat 149 Songthrush 150 Redwing 151 Fieldfare 152 Blackbird 153 Ring ouzel 154 Garden warbler 155 Blackcap 156 Lesser Whitethroat 157 Whitethroat 158 Sedge Warbler 159 Grasshopper warbler 160 Reed warbler 161 Willow warbler 162 Wood  warbler 163 Chiff chaff 164 Goldcrest 165 SpottedFlycatcher 166 Piedflycatcher 167 Red flycatcher 168 Great tit 169 Blue tit 170 Coal tit 171 Long tailed tit 172 Tree creeper 173 Red backed shrike 174 Great grey shrike 175 Jackdaw 176 Rook 177 Hooded crow/carrion 178 Raven 179 Starling 180 House sparrow 181 Chaffinch 182 Brambling 183 Linnet 184 Twite 185 Redpoll 186 Meally redpoll 187 Goldfinch 188 Greenfinch 189 Bullfinch 190 Common crossbill 191 Reed bunting 192 Snow bunting 193 Yellow hammer 194 Corn bunting 195 Red necked grebe 196 Bittern 197 Marsh harrier 198 Hobby 199 Little ringed plover 200 Little tern 201 Barn owl 202 Green woodpecker 203 Greatspotted woodpecker 204 Woodlark 205 Shorelark 206 Yellow wagtail 207 Firecreast 208 Bearded Reedling (tit) 209 Nuthatch 210 Magpie 211 Jay 212 Tree sparrow 213 Hawfinch
(Click HERE to download your own Birdspotters' Checklist)

All lets in the Merman Cottage include electricity, bed linen but not towels. There is a complementary basket on logs on arrival with a small charge for extra "loads". Water supply is from the mains. Thorough cleaning is carried out between every letting and beds are made up ready for use. A heavy duty washing machine and dryer is available for guests use - there is currently a small charge for usage.

Pets and one well-behaved dog are welcome in Merman Cottage with prior agreement. They must be kept under strict control with nearby grazing sheep and are not allowed to use the furniture. The 'Merman Cottage' is, regrettably, a no-smoking property.

Member of the Association of Scotland's Self-Caterer's

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Contact: Edinbane Self Catering, Nuig House, Upper Edinbane, Isle of Skye, Scotland IV51 9PR
Tel: +44-(0)1470-582221 Fax: +44-(0)1470-582323 or email enquiries@edinbane-self-catering.co.uk.