Artist retreat

Studio on the Shore – art studio for holiday let

Situated right on the seashore in my village Innellan on the Cowal Peninsula in Argyll (West of Scotland), this cosy apartment is a self-catering retreat space for artists from all other world to use. 

Take some time out to create and let Scotland’s scenery inspire your work. Come and paint, draw, write, compose, sculpt or whatever your thing is! Oh, and just across the street there’s a fab spot for open water swimming :).

Studio on the Shore now has its own Instagram profile, where I’ll be posting news and special offers – click here to follow

What to expect

The Studio on the Shore consists of a working artist studio/living space with sea views, a bedroom for 1-2 guests (one double bed) with sea views, a fully equipped and a shower room with underfloor heating – all newly  renovated to a high standard and tastefully furnished. There’s a little outside seating area with table and chairs in the backyard.

Studio on the Shore is also dog-friendly and one well-behaved dog is very welcome (food bowl, water bowl, dog blanket and poo bags will be provided).

You’ll find some basic art equipment such as a folding easel, table easel, painting board for A3 paper, cutting mat, water container, palette, masking tape. Your suggestions of what else could be provided are most welcome.

The apartment has superfast wifi and a washer dryer. Bed linen and towels are provided, so are hand soap and body wash. There is no TV but the wifi is good for streaming on your own devices.

If you travel from abroad you may want to order art and craft supplies from a good UK supplier beforehand. I’ll make sure your materials are at the apartment when you arrive.

You may also want to pre-arrange a workshop with one of the makers in Innellan when you plan your trip. I’ll be happy to put you in touch with local artists offering painting, pottery, textile art, poetry or silversmithing. If you’re a yogi you can join a local yoga class on a drop-in basis.

I had a very relaxing and enriching stay at the studio. The property was unique, clean and user friendly. There were nice teas, coffee and snack basket. The apartment has beautiful amenities and artful details. I was able to easily use the space to paint with watercolors and attended an art workshop a few doors down with a local artist. The sea view and beach are very inspiring. There are exceptional hiking trails and nature nearby. The studio was a perfect accommodation for my interests and Ute was a fantastic host.  {Virginia, Florida, May 2023}

The location & how to get there

The village of Innellan is close to Dunoon on the Cowal Peninsula in Argyll. It is a tranquil seaside village and ideal for taking some time out to create. Local walks take you along the shore or up the nearby hills. Innellan has one community-owned shop (the Lido), where you can get all the basics as well as some regional produce. There is also a nice restaurant and a pub with live folk music on Thursday nights.

The West Coast with its rugged coastlines and natural beauty is popular with artists. There is a lot of creativity happening and you can learn more about artists local to Cowal here:  https://cowalopenstudios.co.uk.

Inspiring Innellan
Innellan has an active group of volunteers who meet every week to make our village even more beautiful – by planting things, maintaining green spaces, looking after local wildlife and so on. To support the amazing work they do, £5 of every booking goes to Inspiring Innellan.

Travel info

The easiest way to access it from the mainland is to take the ferry from Gourock to Dunoon. The passenger ferry terminal at Gourock is right next to the train station. There is also a car ferry between Gourock and Dunoon.

Once you arrive in Dunoon you can use the local bus or taxi services to get around. There is a bus stop across from the Studio on the Shore and you’ll receive more detailed travel information by email before your stay.

Rail travel within the UK: https://www.thetrainline.com
Passenger ferry from and to the mainland: Caledonian MacBrayne (connects with rail network)
Car (and passenger) ferry from and to the mainland: Western Ferries

Prices & how to book

Staying at Studio on the Shore costs £75 (British Pounds) per night for one person and £85 for two people. The minimum stay is 5 nights. I encourage longer stays and there is a 10% discount if you stay 10-13 days, and a 15% discount for 2 weeks or longer. If you bring your dog there is a £20 additional cleaning fee per stay. A non-refundable 25% deposit is due at the time of booking, the rest 2 weeks before arrival.

Please use the availability calendar to check if your preferred dates available, then send your booking request using the form below (min. 5 nights). I will get back to you as soon as I can with the deposit invoice and further information.

As a form of guest book I ask every guest to leave a little drawing, painting or poem on one of the watercolour postcards you’ll find in the studio.

See you soon!

Ute x

Please use the calendar to check availability only and then send your booking request using the above form.

I had a WONDERFUL time at the Studio on the Shore where everything I wanted or needed was supplied to me. This experience of being in a beautiful location as well as being comfortable and surrounded by thoughtful elements in the Studio made for a magical time.

On rainy or lazy days I could set up my art materials and work at the table looking out to the sea and capture views for my paintings – then head to the local Pub or Restaurant for good food and friendly staff. On beautiful days I traveled to places recommended by Ute such as Pucks Glen (Must see!) and the Lorne restaurant in Dunoon (Wonderful!).

I would definitely recommend the Studio and hope to go back myself.
{Barbara, Illinois, July 2023}

In compliance with the new Scottish short term let regulations, the license application for Studio on the Shore has been submitted - ref.230912-000494. Once the local authority has worked its way through the huge backlog of applications and sends a license number, this information will be displayed here (could take a while though!). Other information that needs to be displayed here: maximum occupancy of the apartment is 2 and the energy rating is C.