Mrs Leonard's Cottage with hot tub and sauna

Mrs Leonard's Cottage is part of Bothan Jura Retreat; a collection of three boutique properties each with a wood-fired hot tub. Exclusive to Mrs Leonard's is an ice barrel & an electric sauna. Located in Knockrome, a Crofting Township 5km from Craighouse, BJR has magnficent sea & mountain views and is within a short distance of the gateway to climbing The Paps of Jura. A base for two, from which to explore the Island, sample whisky, 'dook' in the sea, or kick back and cut out the noise. The space The Cottage Our renovated former crofter's cottage, affectionately named Mrs. Leonard's locally, had been left to the elements for over 35 years. It took 4 years to develop the site, and the cottage and our house build were the first things to be completed. The vision for Bothan Jura Retreat was to build simple but luxurious self catering accommodation, with an open retreat space in the big shed for yoga, meditation, crafts and workshops. The cottage is small, only 7m x 4m internally and was originally a traditional 'butt n ben' with just two rooms. To maximise space, we have opened it up; with a kitchen and sitting room at one end, and bedroom and enclosed shower & toilet at the other. All on one floor. Above, there is a mezzanine floor, which is accessed by a library ladder, with a double mattress. This makes Mrs. Leonard's ideal for two single people sharing. You do need to be slightly more adventurous to go up and down the ladder, but it's a good viewing platform for the night sky! The sitting room has a sofa, a table and chairs for two, an arm chair and a wood burner. The main heating comes from the wood burning stove.  The kitchen has tableware for 2 people, a full size cooker, two-plate induction hob, fridge with freezer compartment, a toaster, microwave and kettle. The bathroom has an electric shower, toilet and sink. The cottage is on a septic tank so please be mindful of what you put down the toilet. The porch has a comfortable large bench seat with storage, shelves full of books and a place for your mugs of coffee. Outdoor Spa Area The original cottage toilet was located outside in the lean-to and we have converted this into a small sauna. From the sauna you can jump from stepping stone to stepping stone to the outdoor copper shower and Swedish Hikki wood fired hot tub. The tub can fit up to 2 adults and takes about 2 hours to heat up, slightly longer in the winter. Please note the hot tub is not on all the time. We supply logs for your first tub, after this more logs are available and can be purchased at £10 a basket. Walk, climb, run, swim, cycle, then relax & unwind at Bothan Jura Retreat, Mrs Leonard’s Cottage is your perfect basecamp on Jura. ___________________ Travelling to Jura A note about travel to help you plan your trip: Jura is an island off an island (Islay). It is a two ferry journey with a car. I have illustrated some maps in the photo gallery to show the routes to get here. Ferry 1: Calmac - Kennacraig to Port Askaig or Port Ellen (2hrs) Ferry 2: Jura Ferry - Port Askaig to Feolin (10 mins) In winter, and if bringing a car, you must first travel to the Isle of Islay from Kennacraig to either, Port Askaig (for ease, this is the port you need to leave from to get to Feolin on Jura) or Port Ellen, which is only 40 minute drive. You should secure your Calmac ferry ticket ideally before you book accommodation (you can always change your ferry ticket for no cost, or get a refund) that way you know you can get to us. You can go into one port on Islay and out of another by selecting the 'multi island' type ticket. The Jura ferry from Port Askaig to Feolin is approximately 10 minutes and you do not need to book unless its the super early 6.15am, or late 9.30pm ferry. The timetable is easily found online "Feolin Ferry to Jura" In summer, you can come by foot using the Jura Passenger Ferry from Tayvallich to Craighouse. You can arrange bike hire, or take a taxi, or get the Jura service bus, the timetable is on the Argyll & Bute website, in order to get to Bothan Jura Retreat. Or indeed stretch your legs for about 40 - 50 minutes. Please do research "how to get to Jura" before you book your accommodation. Unfortunately we can not provide links here, sorry. Please check out the photo gallery for an image of up-to-date availability across all our accommodation side by side, or go to their individual listings here if you wish to come as a larger group; Mrs Leonard's Cottage: airbnb.co.uk/h/mrsleonards The Black Hut: airbnb.co.uk/h/theblackhut The Rusty Hut: airbnb.co.uk/h/therustyhut The Shepherd's Hut: airbnb.co.uk/h/jurashepherdhut or our Islay properties: Portbahn: airbnb.co.uk/h/portbahn Shorefield: airbnb.co.uk/h/shorefield-islay Guest access Guests have access to the whole cottage, private use of the hot tub and sauna. Other things to note A basket of logs is supplied at the beginning of your stay enough for a hot tub and a fire in the wood burning stove. Further logs can be purchased from us at £10 a basket. Pets are very welcome! We charge a Pet Fee of £15 per pet. However we have recently discovered that this fee is not always charged at the point of booking. If you are not charged a Pet Fee, please could you message us and we will send details of how to pay. Alternatively, you may receive an email from us requesting payment. Thanks heaps!