The Barn is a self catering holiday cottage full of character and charm belonging to Ronald and Sheila Cameron.

The House is reached by taking the Mallaig road (A830) until it crosses the Caledonian Canal at Banavie. Turn right immediately and follow the B8004 for half a mile. The house is white and is set back a little from the road, on the right, behind some trees. A name board at the road end says “Whinknowe”. The building is semi-detached. The owners live in the main house at the eastern end. The converted barn, attached to the western end of the house is available for self catering holiday rental. This has been graded three stars by Visit Scotland, the Scottish Tourist Board.

OS ref for house is NN119777. On OS maps it appears as two buildings on either side of a track to the canal bank.

Whinknowe from the Caledonian Canal : The Barn is the left hand end.

The Barn conversion was done in the 1930's and has been thoroughly modernised recently. All windows are double glazed and the house has under-floor, wall and roof insulation.

Accommodation consists of a double bedroom and a twin bedroom containing two bunk beds, upstairs. While downstairs there is a comfortable sitting-dining room, a toilet and shower-room and a compact kitchen with ceramic top/ double oven cooker, fridge and microwave. A washing machine and tumble drier are sited near to the kitchen. The house is typical of 1½ storey North of Scotland croft and farm houses with coomb ceilings upstairs. Heating is by electricity, for which there is no extra charge. Gardens and barbeque are there for you to use. Visitors should not smoke in the house.

It has never been sold and is owned by the descendants of its builders. Ronald Cameron is a fluent Gaelic speaker and well versed in the culture and history of his native Lochaber. The house is surrounded by nine acres of croft land, roughly half of which is native woodland, predominantly birch and oak. There is a resident population of roe deer which often come close to the house, especially early in the morning and at dusk. Red deer pass through now and again and numerous species of birdlife may be seen.

Pets
Pets are welcome but please discuss this with us in advance. We have a collie dog and a horse of our own and will welcome your animals. There are sheep in the township and dog owners need to make sure their pets don't worry them but there are plenty of places where dogs can be walked off the lead.

Banavie, Lochaber
Banavie has long been recognised as an excellent base for a Lochaber holiday. Perhaps because the best views of Ben Nevis are to be had from here it was the original base for climbing the Ben before the construction of the pony path and the establishment of the observatory on the summit in 1883. We still think our view of the big hill is as good as they come.

Neptune's Staircase
The village is perhaps most famous for “ Neptune 's Staircase”, the biggest set of locks on the Caledonian Canal. There always seems to be something happening here, tall ships passing through the locks, pleasure craft arriving or fishing boats making for the western fishing grounds.

Steam Train
In summer railway enthusiasts favour the canal bridge as a spot to photograph the Jacobite steam train on its daily journey to or from Mallaig. You can join it at Banavie Station, if you like.

History
Lochaber is steeped in history. Just up the road is the much visited Clan Cameron Museum. The West Highland Museum in Fort William has one of the finest collections of Jacobite memorabilia and much more. Just a few miles away at Glenfinnan the National Trust for Scotland operate a visitor centre where the Stuart standard was raised in August 1745.

If this all seems a bit too energetic there is no shortage of scenery to admire. Boat trips on Loch Linnhe are popular or you can drive down to Arisaig or Morar and lie on beaches with view to die for.

Eating Out
A ten minute walk down the canal bank takes you to the Moorings Hotel, patronized by the rich and famous. Mel Gibson used it during he filming of “Braveheart” and they will provide you with a pleasant bar meal or full restaurant facilities. A little farther down the canal bank is the excellent “Lochy Bar” which provides remarkable value tasty meals and also boasts internet access. You can, of course go to these establishments by car or taxi. One mile away in the opposite direction is “An Crann”, a small, intimate restaurant in a rural setting.

Local supermarkets in nearby Caol and Corpach make it easy to buy essentials.

Walking and Climbing
Not only do we offer you a convenient base for climbing Ben Nevis and Lochaber's other Munros but Aonach Mòr is also on hand for winter snowsports or scenic trip on the Nevis Rangegondola to the well appointed mountain restuarant in summer. Lochaber is the outdoor capital of the UK and there is lots to do - canoeing, mountain biking, canyoning and white water rafting. We have a deep familiarity with the outdoor scene here and are on hand to provide info if required.

Traffic is still light on the B8004 but you can avoid it altogether and take a walk along the banks of the Caledonian Canal or the River Lochy. Keep right on to Inverness , if you like, 60 miles away on the Great Glen long distance walk and cycle way. “Whinknowe” is an ideal base for climbing or walking on Lochaber's hills, kayaking its magnificent rivers or skiing Aonach Mòr, a mere ten minutes' drive away. Paragliders use the gondola to access a high take off point in summer.

From our cottages you can enjoy traffic free walks starting at your front door. We have direct access to the towpaths of the scenic Caledonian Canal and the Great Glen Way. A stroll along the banks of the River Lochy will take you to historic Tor Castle and Banquo's Walk, or you can walk down to Banavie and watch all sorts of craft negotiating “ Neptune 's Staircase”, the longest flight of locks on the canal, while steam trains puff past on the West Highland line.