Here at Melfort Village, not only can our self catering cottage guests enjoy the best in self catering holidays, they can also pamper themselves too! 

Our newly opened Beauty and Well-being room is designed to offer a relaxing atmosphere to guests while enjoying the therapeutic benefits of massage, soul cleansing Reiki, or a skin-enhancing facial.  Whatever treatment you choose, you can return from your self catering holiday feeling rested and relaxed.

How many times when you are self catering in Scotland, can you say that you have had a complete chill-out?  So many of our guests have said that they feel totally at peace when they are here. (even parents in the school holidays!!)  For busy Mums (and Dads) who want to treat themselves to a pamper session, we can arrange a babysitter who will look after the children whilst you have a Hot Stone Massage or an Indian Head Massage.  Don’t delay, book your treat today!

View from Pier Houses, Melfort Village

Midsummer already and what a perfect day!!  It was a joy to see our guests sitting outside their holiday cottages basking in the sunshine and relaxing.  It was quite a breezy day, so any midges were kept at bay and they even kept away when the breeze around the cottages calmed down in the evening.

I was speaking this morning to one of our regular time share owners who owns one of our self catering cottages situated right on the shores of Loch Melfort.  He and his wife were sitting outside their cottage until almost 10 o’clock yesterday evening and enjoying what was quite a balmy evening.   The sun still hadn’t set at 10 o’clock and was still shining on the hills on the other side of the loch.

One of the benefits of self catering in Scotland at this time of year is that the days are so much longer, so you get a lot more holiday for your money!  We still have cottages to rent and short breaks are still available, so there is still time to book accommodation at Melfort Village for this summer. 

Hope to see you here!

Farsain in the Corryvreckan Whirlpool

It’s difficult to believe that Farsain Cruises have been operating cruises out of Craobh Haven for 20 years!  It seems like only yesterday that Duncan Phillips first started offering boat trips to the Corryvreckan Whirlpool.  The time-share owners and holiday rental guests in our self catering cottages have been enjoying trips with Duncan aboard the Farsain for as long as we can remember. 

For many people staying in our holiday cottages at Melfort Village, a trip with Duncan is the highlight of their Scottish self-catering holiday.  They often see a diverse range of wildlife, ranging from seals, wild goats, deer, otters to sea eagles and dolphins.  As you can imagine, with 20 years’ experience, Duncan is very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna you will see on your boat trip and has many interesting tales to tell about the many trips he has made with television crews and sea rescues he has taken part in.

On the 12th June this year, Duncan invited many friends and customers past and present to join him at a ceilidh at the Lord of the Isles in Craobh Haven to celebrate his 20 years of boat trips on the West Coast of Scotland.  Melfort Village was very well represented by staff and owners of our holiday cottages alike. 

In his speech of thanks, Duncan gave a special mention to the staff and guests of Melfort Village, thanking us for supporting him in his early days by publicising and booking the cruises in our Reception.   Guests from our self-catering cottages have made up a huge proportion of his business over the years.  He was particularly honoured that timeshare owners, Mr and Mrs MacVicker were able to attend the celebrations, as they had first voyaged onboard Farsain when she was only three weeks old!   He was also proud to display a book of photographic memories compiled by Mr and Mrs Bardgett, also holiday cottage owners at Melfort.

Melfort Village Ladies Beauty Evening
Thursday 30th June, 7pm for 7.30pm start
Melfort Village, Kilmelford, by Oban, Argyll, Scotland.

A new beauty and well being room has opened at Melfort Village, a hamlet of luxury self catering holiday cottages in Kilmelford, by Oban. The new service joins the string of facilities already available at the village, including a swimming pool, tennis court, sauna and gym.

To celebrate, Melfort Village are holding a Ladies’ Beauty Evening on Thursday 30th June, from 7pm. The event will also be raising money for the Cherish Fund, a local charity whose aim is to buy a vehicle which can be customised to transport terminally ill patients in comfort and dignity to wherever they need to go. The charity is run by John and Jean Bowman who also run the Shower of Herring Restaurant at Melfort Village.

The evening event will include a range of complimentary health and beauty treatments, advice and demonstrations from Melfort Village’s beauty room experts. Beauticians Nicola Siddall and Trish Steele will be on hand to give advice and offer selected complimentary beauty treatments including mini manicures and mini facials. Nicola will also be introducing Environ® skincare, an internationally acclaimed range of beauty products exclusive to Oban. Gabby Rogers, a local masseuse (also treating at Oban’s Complimentary Health Centre), will be on hand to give advice and demonstrations of therapeutic, remedial and sports massages.

Ladies can also enjoy wine and canapés, full use of the swimming pool and sauna, browse the Melfort Village gift shop for beautiful jewellery and handbags and enter the charity raffle to win a fantastic Barrhead Leather “Lola” handbag, specially selected from the range of products available in the shop.

The event is free but donations for the Cherish Fund are welcome. To book your space or for more information please contact Melfort Village reception on admin@melfortvillage.co.uk, telephone 01852 200257 or visit www.melfortvillage.co.uk.

Beauty and well being services are available to guests and visitors and include therapeutic massage, a wide range of beauty treatments including facials, waxing, eyelash tinting, eyebrow shaping, manicure & pedicure, Indian head massage, spinal touch therapy, medical herbalism, and reiki. Treatments must be booked in advance.  There are thirty two holiday cottages at Melfort Village. Set amongst stunning scenery within Scotland’s famous west coast, the cottages offer luxurious accommodation together with excellent on-site facilities.

Visitors to our self catering cottages at Melfort Village are enjoying yet another week of superb weather and it has been fantastic to see them sitting outside their holiday cottage every day soaking up the sunshine or the children playing on the grass or in the play ground situated in the centre of the Village.  The sunshine adds another dimension to everyone’s mood and there are smiles all round!!

So many people think that self catering in Scotland will mean a miserable wet holiday stuck inside their accommodation looking out at the rain.  May and June often offer the best weather for booking a holiday on the West Coast of Scotland as we almost always enjoy long days of sunshine and very light evenings. 

In fact, at this time of year, it hardly gets dark at all and a stroll along Loch Melfort from your holiday cottage can be very pleasant indeed .  I took a walk along the shore road to the cottages last night and saw a fantastic display of birdlife as the gulls and terns returned back to their roosting spots on the rigging of the boats in the loch.  The terns were diving for fish or eels at the head of the loch, the gulls were wheeling about effortlessly in the sky right across the loch and towards the cottages at Melfort.  A heron was standing, almost unseen, on the shore whilst two separate families of mallards were paddling around looking very busy much to the amusement (I thought) of  two Mute Swans gliding silently by.

So, lots to see and much to enjoy when taking a holiday or short break at Melfort Village!

We are very pleased to say, that despite a slow start, May and June have been busy months for our self-catering cottages near Oban, with holiday cottage booking rates up on previous years.   The weather has been fabulous for the past few weeks and with Spring in Scotland seeming to arrive later after the cold winter, the gardens have been looking especially colourful for longer.

 We are delighted with our new on-line accommodation booking system powered by SuperControl, an on-line holiday cottage booking system specially tailored for self catering in Scotland.  Visitors to our self catering web page can search for holiday availability at any time of the day or night and can also access loads of visitor information about what else they can do whilst enjoying their Scottish holiday.

 Holiday cottage bookings are coming in thick and fast for the summer season and we are all looking forward to welcoming lots of new guests and introducing them to the delights of Melfort Village which include our indoor swimming pool, family play room and play ground, spa treatments and the wonderful eating experience at the Shower of Herring Restaurant.

From 21st to 31st May, Oban will be celebrating its beautiful marine environment at the first ever Festival of the Sea! More than 50 events will run at a range of venues across the Oban area between Kilmartin in the south, Tobermory in the west, Appin in the north and Taynuilt in the east.

Events include a parade and opening event, art exhibitions, open days, lunchtime and evening lectures, discovery walks, kayaking sessions, photography, Gaelic and cooking workshops, a public debate, boat trips, a closing ceilidh and much more.

The event is organised by the globally recognised Scottish Association for Marine Science, whose laboratories are based at Dunstaffnage by Oban. The ten day festival will explore how the sea has influenced our history and heritage and how it is still inspiring artistic works today.

Look out for the Kilmartin Gala Day on Saturday 29th May! Treasure hunts for children and a fun day out for all the family.

For more information, and to look at the full programme of fantastic events, visit www.marinesciencefestival.com.

Oban, on the west coast of Scotland, is rightly regarded as the ‘Seafood Capital of Scotland’. The town has a long association with the sea and the area is world renowned as a major producer of oysters and mussels. The number of award winning restaurants in this small coastal resort may surprise visitors but with such a wealth of local produce it makes perfect sense.

A new Oban Passport will be launched at this year’s first ever Festival of the Sea – a celebration of ‘Argyll’s dazzling marine environment’ from 21st to 31st May. The seafood focused passport is a booklet offered free to visitors and includes information on Oban’s booming aquaculture industry and the town’s fishing heritage. There is also a 10 page guide dedicated to local restaurants specialising in fresh local seafood and shellfish. Each offers a very different dining experience from old style country house charm to contemporary coastal chic.  AND – these participating restaurants are just 15 minutes and 30 minutes away from Melfort Village.

Passport holders can take advantage of special offers and participate in prize draws to win fabulous breaks in Oban. Those collecting five passport stamps or more from participating restaurants become eligible to enter the fantastic competitions. The more stamps the better the prize with a range of short weekend breaks and week long family holidays up for grabs. Head to Oban after the summer and receive double stamps from participating restaurants. So there’s now even more reasons to eat out in Oban!

For more information, visit the new website, www.obanpassport.org.uk, which details participating restaurants, their style and specialities and how to apply for a passport.

There are plenty of other reasons to visit Oban besides superb seafood. This charming coastal culinary hotspot boasts stunning scenery, numerous outdoor activities, glorious gardens and much more. With the Oban Passport set to become the ‘must have’ item this year the town is gearing up for a busy season. The final draw for all the prize holidays will take place on Hogmanay so there is plenty of time to plan a trip.