About Glen Dye - Glen Dye Cabins & Cottages

This was a no-brainer; our first son was six months old and we wanted to live our life in the countryside, surrounded by dogs, chickens and horses. So, we packed our bags, sold our house and off we went.

A photography of founders Charlie and Caroline in Blundstones with Clachnaben in the Background

Glen Dye is a magical place, it pulls you in and wraps you in a warm, gentle, inspiring embrace. That’s easy to write, but it’s true. It has been in my family for seven generations, since the 1840s. And now my family were offering us the chance to occupy the estate.

‘We knew that the main house was in pretty rotten condition; it had no heating and no functioning electricity. But it is a beautiful house in an incredible location and we had sold our home in London and so were armed with the cash, optimism and energy to renovate it’

But perhaps we should have been paying better attention when we agreed to take on the wider estate. Or perhaps someone should have pointed out a few simple things to us; you know, that the place was on its knees, deep in debt and profoundly neglected. Actually, I’m not sure that would have changed our minds, such was the lure of this special place, but, well, you know…

A darkened pathway between large thick trees and hedges leading up to one of the cottages in Glen Dye

An image showing the strong green colour of the trees around the North Lodge Cabin, where you can see the smoke rising off of a lit fire pit.

An image from the North Lodge Cabin collection. View of the river inbetween trees

An image from the North Lodge Cabin collection. A cabin in the distance overlooking a river and surrounded by trees.

So, in between other jobs that allowed us to pay our way and with help from a massively supportive bank (yes, there is such a thing) and a fine team of people, we slowly started to renovate the place. It was often very hard. It took around 25 years. But we loved Glen Dye with a passion bordering on insanity (it does that to people, this place) and that drove us forward. And now we’re there; houses fixed, farms working, buildings renovated, people positive and happy.

What we found was this: an insolvent business, over 20 houses all of which were derelict or pretty much uninhabitable, several farms in need of love, a number of tumbledown farm buildings and a small, disillusioned team.

Photo taken of the interior of the North Lodge Cabin, Showcasing its bright colours and cosy finishings. In this image, you can see two dogs sitting on top of a blue Sofa.

We always wanted to create a holiday business, to welcome people to this unusually wonderful place. And we knew that we wanted to do things really well, to be world class; original, unusual, beautiful, comfortable.

So, over the course of 20 years we schemed and dreamed and planned. In 2018 we were ready, and Glen Dye Cabins & Cottages launched. We’re growing, getting better, concentrating; there’s a lot to do. But our dream is becoming a reality.