Buy your own village on the Isle of Skye

The collection of cottages sit in the Inner Hebrides

The collection of cottages are in the Inner Hebrides (Strutt and Power)

Struggling to find the perfect holiday home without nosy neighbours? The Isle of Skye has a solution: buying an entire village.

Mary’s Cottages, four thatched stone holiday cottages in Elgol on the Isle of Skye could be yours if you have around £1.25million.

They are up for sale as a “lifestyle business” along with the owner's modern five-bedroom house. Not that "modern" in this case means unattractive - it has a pitched, tiled roof that blends in with its surroundings in the Inner Hebrides.

The cottages, meanwhile, are traditional Scottish blackhouses. Over the last 20 years, two have been restored from ruins and two are newly built to match the originals. All four have classically decorated interiors with vaulted ceilings, underfloor heating, Caithness slate floors and oil stoves.

Two of the cottages have been restored from ruins. (Strutt & Parker) (Strutt & Parker)

Each cottage has traditional built-in kingsize beds, as well as a mezzanine area with single beds tucked up in the eves.

Elgol is a 45-minute drive from Portree, Skye’s capital, and a mere six hours from Edinburgh. At the small harbour - a short walk away from the cottages - you can see fisherman hauling in their langoustine catches, and watch for dolphins, otters, eagles and basking sharks which all frequent the bay. Boat trips run from the jetty and take you to Loch Coruisk, a fresh water loch 20 minutes away in the heart of the horseshoe shaped Cuillin Mountains, which sit opposite Elgol. The location is "ideal for holidaymakers", according to The Scotsman.

If hiking across the Cullin in potentially dubious weather doesn’t appeal, taking in the views from any your five new properties across the sweeping countryside makes for an equally fulfilling pastime. After all, with agents Strutt and Parker after starting offers of £1.25m, you'll have spent enough.