Strathaird House was at one time the principal house on the Strathaird Estate. The Strathaird peninsula was the historic heartland of Clan Mackinnon. Strathaird House has been in private ownership since 1968. Replacing an earlier Mackinnon house, unusually the present-day house comprises two houses set side-by-side as one. These ‘two houses’ are only joined at ground floor level. The western stone faced end, housing The Library, was built around 1790. The eastern half, with The Lodge as a separate annex at the rear, was built in the Georgian style and completed in 1827. It is said that the owner of the house instructed his architect in 1790 and, once the part with the stone façade had been constructed, decided he didn’t like it and that it was in the wrong place. He then built the typical regency fronted white house, leaving a corridor connecting the two on the ground floor only, and occupied it some while later. Rumour has it that he left his long-suffering wife in the old house and decamped next door in isolated splendour. This may be a local myth but it gives an interesting insight into life over 200 years ago and, some might say, provides an unusual way of keeping a marriage sweet!

The sunken garden to the front of the house was built in the early 19th century and a large number of specimen trees are still standing in the woods from the same period.

The Strathaird Estate surrounding the house was purchased by the John Muir Trust in 1994 from Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull fame. The Trust also own the neighbouring estates of Torrin and Sconser.

James and Adrienne Carmichael with their son Hamish purchased the house in 2017. Being one of only half a dozen or so such houses on Skye and in such a wonderful location they soon decided that it was a terrible waste to keep the joys of the House to themselves. In 2018 they decided to open the two separate wings up to holiday visitors so that they could experience the unique atmosphere and hospitality generated by their Hebridean home.