Dunalastair

What Dunalastair does

Dunalastair is a privately held, family-owned estate and holiday cottage operator based in Kinloch Rannoch, Highland Perthshire, Scotland. The estate has been in continuous ownership of the Bunten / de Sales La Terrière family since 1891 and has been letting holiday cottages since 1971. Its primary commercial activity is the rental of nine distinct self-catering cottages ranging from a 2-person boutique conversion (The Old Laundry) to an 8-person 19th-century tower house (East Lodge), all set on an estate located in a National Scenic Area between the Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Parks. Ancillary revenue streams include pet supplements (£18 per dog per week), non-resident boat rentals (£30/day on Dunalastair Loch), local fishing season tickets, booking transfer fees, and miscellaneous charges.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model with all bookings handled through the estate's own website (dunalastair.com), powered by the Supercontrol reservation system, with Mailchimp for email marketing and Booking Protect for optional cancellation cover. There is no app and no OTA distribution; guests book directly with a deposit of 25-50% and balance due 42 days before arrival. The estate's wider operations span 948 hectares of existing woodland plus 160 hectares newly planted in the last decade, a 350kW hydroelectric station feeding the National Grid, a 150-cow pedigree Luing herd, and 1,500 blackface ewes across Dunalastair and Crossmount farms, providing diversified revenue and cost stability beneath the hospitality surface. The estate has been featured on BBC Holiday, Open Country, and The Mart, and serves as the filming location for the iconic Outlander standing-stones scene, giving it organic international brand visibility.

Name

Dunalastair

Legal name

Dunalastair Estate Holiday Cottages

Website

https://dunalastair.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dunalastair is a family-owned Highland Perthshire estate operating nine self-catering holiday cottages in Scotland since 1971, serving leisure travelers through direct online bookings and bundled with on-estate fishing, wildlife, and renewable energy amenities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Self-Catering Holiday Cottage Accommodation

NAICS

Other Traveler Accommodation (72119), Accommodation (721), All Other Traveler Accommodation (721199), Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Hotels & Motels (7011)

akta.pro primary industry

Cabins & Cottages (THAMADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beachfront & Lakefront Homes (THAMAAAF), Large Group & Event-Friendly Homes (THAMAAAM), Mountain & Wilderness Lodges (THAAAHAE), Farmstay Rooms (Working Farms/Ranches) (THAMABAG), Cabin & Cottage Campgrounds (THAGAOAD)

Keywords

• Self-catering cottages
• Holiday cottage rentals
• Highland accommodation
• Pet-friendly cottages
• Scottish fishing holidays

Headquarters

HQ city

Kinloch Rannoch

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Holiday Cottage Rentals: Primary revenue from short-term holiday cottage rentals. Cottages vary from 1-3 bedrooms, sleeping 2-8 guests. Pricing varies by season and cottage size. Heating, electricity, and logs are included in the rent. Booking requires deposit (25-50% depending on timing) with balance due 42 days before arrival.
2. Pet Fees: Additional revenue from pet supplements at £18 per dog/pet per week. Maximum 2 dogs per property.
3. Boat and Fishing Rentals: Non-residents can rent boats from Jim Shankland for fishing on Dunalastair Loch at £30 per day. Local residents can purchase season tickets for fishing on the north bank of River Tummel for £30.
4. Additional Fees and Charges: Revenue from booking transfer fees (£30), extra cleaning charges (£35 for unsatisfactory conditions or pet damage), and EV charging violations (£35 per night if charging without permission).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Dunalastair Estate rents nine self-catering holiday cottages in Highland Perthshire, Scotland, sleeping 2–8 guests in 1–3 bedroom configurations ranging from romantic boutique retreats (The Old Laundry with a four-poster bed and freestanding bath) to family-sized farmhouses and a 19th-century tower house (East Lodge). Cottages include complimentary trout fishing permits, free use of rowing boats on Dunalastair Loch, pet-friendly options with enclosed gardens, WiFi, wood-burning stoves, and access to wildlife watching, tennis, walking, cycling, and on-estate dining.

Product overview

Dunalastair Estate offers a portfolio of 9 individual self-catering holiday cottages in Highland Perthshire, Scotland, ranging from intimate 1-bedroom romantic retreats (The Old Laundry) to larger properties sleeping up to 8 guests (East Lodge). The portfolio includes romantic cottages with four-poster beds, dog-friendly properties, and waterside locations with boat access. Core amenities across all cottages include WiFi (except Bridge Cottage), heating/electricity included, logs provided, and access to outdoor activities including trout fishing, wildlife watching, and tennis. The estate's holiday cottages were originally estate staff housing converted for holiday lettings since 1971.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Old Laundry

Quantifiable outcome

• Free trout fishing permits included with cottage rental during fishing season (March 15 to October 6)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• SupercontrolcoreTechnology or IntegrationSupercontrol provides the booking management system for Dunalastair Estate Holiday Cottages. When customers make bookings through the Supercontrol system, their personal information including payment information is processed by Supercontrol and booking information is passed to the estate. The estate never has access to customer payment information directly.
• MailchimpcoreTechnology or IntegrationMailchimp handles email newsletter distribution for Dunalastair Estate. For customers who have opted in to receive newsletters, their personal information is shared with Mailchimp for this purpose. The newsletters keep guests informed about special offers, new cottage features, and estate news.
• Outlander (TV Series)flagshipOthersDunalastair Estate hosts one of the iconic locations for the Outlander TV series, where Claire steps into the ring of standing stones. The site is a bronze age 'homestead' archaeological site. While the filming stones are only present during production, this location partnership provides significant publicity and attracts fans of the show to the estate.
• The Mart (BBC Programme)coreOthersDunalastair Farm Manager Finlay McIntyre stars in the BBC programme 'The Mart,' which follows activities at Thainstone Mart. Episodes feature him returning to the Mart to sell estate lambs, showcasing the farming operations and stunning Highland Perthshire scenery.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Crabtree & Crabtree: Independent agency specializing in quality Scottish country houses, cottages, and estates. Highly comparable to Dunalastair as both curate premium self-catering properties in Scotland with similar romantic, family, and small-group positioning.
• Unique Homestays: UK agency specializing in unique and luxury self-catering stays including castles, cottages, and manor houses. Direct comparable to Dunalastair's boutique and heritage positioning, particularly for the romantic and high-end segments of the portfolio.
• The Landmark Trust: UK charity that restores and lets historic buildings as holiday accommodations. Comparable to Dunalastair's heritage-driven portfolio approach, including its converted Victorian laundry and 19th-century gate lodges, with similar storytelling-led differentiation.
• Rural Retreats: UK agency focused on luxury self-catering holiday properties in rural and coastal locations. Comparable to Dunalastair's premium cottage positioning, particularly the Old Laundry and East Lodge, with overlapping target customer of affluent couples and families.
• Coolstays: UK booking platform curating unique and characterful holiday properties including cabins, treehouses, and boutique cottages. Comparable because it competes for the same experiential, non-hotel traveler that Dunalastair targets with its converted Victorian laundry and tower house.

Broad incumbents

• Cottages.com: Major UK cottage aggregator offering self-catering properties nationwide. Directly comparable as a competing booking channel for the same UK cottage-rental customer, though Dunalastair's curated single-estate positioning contrasts with their broad marketplace model.
• Travel Chapter: Multi-brand UK holiday accommodation company operating several cottage agencies. Comparable as an aggregator-style competitor with broader inventory and marketing scale than Dunalastair's single-estate operation.
• Sykes Holiday Cottages: The largest UK holiday cottage agency with thousands of properties across the UK and Ireland. Comparable because it serves the same demand for UK self-catering cottage holidays, though at vastly greater scale and via an aggregator model versus Dunalastair's direct-only estate approach.
• Airbnb: Global short-term rental platform encompassing UK cottages and unique stays. Represents the dominant distribution channel Dunalastair has chosen not to use, making it a critical indirect competitor for traveler mindshare and a potential partner for distribution expansion.

Emerging players

• Forest Holidays: UK operator of cabin and lodge accommodations in forested settings across Scotland, England, and Wales. Comparable as a competitor in the nature-immersive, family-friendly cabin segment, positioning against Dunalastair as a more standardized national brand.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dunalastair

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dunalastair