About Turadh
Turadh is a Scottish Gaelic word, pronounced 'too-rag'. It describes a break in the clouds, that precious moment between rain showers when the sun makes it through. It’s also the experience we want to create for our guests: a pause between sometimes relentless challenges, when you have a chance to catch your breath and see things in a different light.
Though abundant in wild beauty and human kindness, Scotland faces immense challenges. Too many people are struggling with poverty, poor health, and chronic stress. Communities are often stretched thin. The infrastructure in many towns and cities is inadequate. And our precious landscapes and seascapes are suffering from the impacts of climate change, overgrazing and overfishing.
Good people are working across the country to try and make things better - supporting the vulnerable, improving young people's life chances, and regenerating the natural world. This work is important and rewarding, but also often exhausting, under-recognised and poorly paid.
We created Turadh as a place where those doing most to support Scotland can come to reconnect with its beauty and remember why they care so much.
Our Beliefs
Three core beliefs underpin all our work
Everyone Needs Rest
The challenges Scotland faces are enormous, and the to-do lists feel endless. Too often, those who care the most rest the least. We believe that anyone committed to deep change needs time to pause and recharge. Rest isn't a luxury. It's how recognise our humanity in a culture that often wants to work us into the ground.
Everyone Needs Wildness
Although Scotland has some of the most spectacular scenery in the UK, too many of those who live here can’t afford access its wild places. We believe that everyone has a right to the benefits of time in nature, and that restoring our connection to the natural world is fundamental to protecting it.
Everyone Needs Kindness
More and more people across Scotland are struggling with addiction, anxiety, depression and despair. Although these complex issues often requiring specialist solutions, we believe that moments of beauty and acts of kindness can illuminate paths of hope and possibility.
Our Story
Turadh was founded by partners Sarah MacLaren and Sophie Chance in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic. Sarah's family originate from nearby Glen Affric, and her background is in land justice and restoration. Sophie has spent years leading social ventures and seen far too many brilliant changemakers burn out. With the cost of living rising and so much of Scotland’s holiday accommodation becoming unaffordable to working Scots, we wanted to create place where those most committed to the common good could come to refill own their tanks.
From the moment we opened our doors in 2023, it was clear we'd tapped into an urgent need. Our two homes in Glenelg filled up immediately, with guests expressing their relief and gratitude for this opportunity. In 2024, we added a third home in Shieldaig. Since then, we have continued to build partnerships with charity and community organisations all across Scotland, and are proud to say our homes are full more than 95% of the year.
Affordable Holidays and Sustainable Communities
Across the Highlands, thousands of properties sit unused for most of the year, leaving some communities as much as 70 per cent empty during quiet seasons. It's a strange kind of paradox: beautiful homes sit unused for months at a time, while those who most need access to rest and beauty can't afford to stay.
Turadh is committed to demonstrating what a fairer model of Highland hospitality can look like. As a result of our mutual aid model, and the partnerships we have forged with organisations across Scotland, our homes boast over 95% occupancy.
For us, it’s a no brainer to do things this way. Deserving guests get somewhere restorative to stay at an affordable rate, we provide a steady flow of income into the communities we are part of get consistent income, and we are able to offer secure, year-round employment to the team who look after our homes.
We hope our model will encourage second home owners across Scotland to consider alternative uses for empty weeks. Feel free to get in touch with us if you are curious to learn more.
Nead Bernera, Glenelg
A cosy nest on the edge of Bernera Beach.
Sleeps 1 - 2. Look Inside.
Taigh Whin, Glenelg
A spacious home with stunning views across to Skye.
Sleeps up to 4. Look Inside.
Feada Coille, Shieldaig
A woodland retreat deep in the Scottish rainforest.
Sleeps up to 4. Look Inside