Peedie Cott Self-Catering, Orkney

Peedie Cott — "peedie" being the Orkney word for little — is a cosy self-catering cottage near St Margaret's Hope on South Ronaldsay. A hand-cut slate nameplate lit by a wall lantern marks the door, and the welcome is set against old stone walls that root the place firmly in its island surroundings. It's a snug stay for two.

Where you'll sleep

The bathroom shows the kind of character that runs through the cottage — a cheerful seagull-print wallpaper above tongue-and-groove panelling painted soft teal, a vintage-style mirror, a pedestal basin and a separate glass shower enclosure, with a vase of tulips on the sill and a heated towel rail to keep things warm. It's a thoughtful, characterful little room rather than a clinical one.

Step outside

There's a sweet sun-trap of a deck out back, tucked behind a powder-blue painted fence with a mature tree giving dappled shade. A pair of wooden chairs and a little side table make it a fine place for a morning coffee or an evening drink, with pots of flowers adding colour. And when the season is right, this corner of Orkney is one of the best places in the UK to catch the Northern Lights putting on a show overhead.

The setting

The cottage sits close to the dramatic west coast, where the Yesnaby sea stacks and cliffs are a short outing away — towering red sandstone, crashing surf and seabirds wheeling overhead. The village of St Margaret's Hope has a shop, a couple of places to eat and the Pentland Ferries link to the Scottish mainland, while the Italian Chapel and the Churchill Barriers are all within easy reach.

Perfect for

A couple after a characterful, good-value island bolthole — with parking, Wi-Fi, a hot tub, a kitchen and a sunny deck, and aurora-watching right on the doorstep when the skies are clear.