The Lodge

You arrive at a traditional stone building, low and compact, with just two steps to cross before you're inside The Lodge. Everything is on the ground floor: a living room with woodburner, a recently fitted kitchen with full appliances including dishwasher, two bedrooms (one with a king bed, one single), and a shower room. The essentials—heating, electricity, bed linen, towels and wi-fi—are included, along with logs for the burner and a supply for the garden firepit. One dog stays free.

This gate lodge sits on the Duffus House estate near Elgin, surrounded by woodland and fields where you can walk the network of paths across the grounds. Behind the property is an enclosed garden with barbecue and firepit, bike storage and parking for two cars. The Moray coast is two miles away, known for beaches, fishing harbour and a string of golf courses including championship layouts at Forres, Nairn Dunbar and Castle Stuart. No smoking inside.