The Log House was built in the 1970's with a view to create an environmentally friendly, economic to run dwelling that would provide comfortable, characterful accommodation for family and friends, shooting parties and other guests.

It was constructed with the help of local builders to a Norwegian design and is actually two cabins joined together to form one spacious nine bedroom house. These two "wings" are known as the "Grown-up's Wing" and the "Children's Wing". The roof really is turfed for insulation but it does need to be periodically cut although care has to be taken for nesting birds in May/June!

The Log House has featured in Vogue, Scotland on Sunday and The Home Show.

Accommodation: The accommodation can be summarised as follows:

"Grown-up's Wing" Main sitting room Dining room Kitchen 2 double bedrooms (1 ensuite) 1 twin bedroom 1 bedroom with bunk bed and single bed 2 bathrooms (1 ensuite) 2 WCs

"Children's Wing" Sitting/TV room Second kitchen Utility room Freezer room 2 double bedrooms 2 twin rooms 1 bedroom with bunk bed and single bed 2 bathrooms 1 WC

Linen: Linen and towels are provided.

Heating: There is an oil fired central heating system which will protect visitors from the worst of the Scottish cold. Each radiator has its own setting control. In addition, both sitting rooms have log fires and there is an ample supply of logs in the wood store to the front of the house.

Hot water: There are two large tanks supplying hot water for the bathrooms and kitchens in each wing.

Television and Video

Telephone: There are two telephones, one in each wing, to which an honesty box applies.

Rubbish collection: East Ayrshire Council has introduced a new recycling and waste collection scheme. Rubbish is collected from the road end every Thursday but needs to be put out on Wednesday night.

For information about local amenities such as shops and pubs, please click here to find out more about Ayrshire and the area around Garpel Estate.

Please use the following directions to find your way to the Log House. If you wish you can download these directions, as well as the maps at the bottom of the page, as an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file for offline reference and printing.

Click here to download the directions and map as an Acrobat file.

From the M74
If coming from the South, turn off the M74 at Junction 12 and head west to Ayr on the A70. Go through the mining villages of Douglas, Glespin and Muirkirk and about one mile out of Muirkirk, turn right to Sorn on the B743. Carry on this road for about two miles passing a farmhouse and steading first on your left and then on your right and cross a modern bridge with the old stone humpback bridge to its leftside. After a sharp bend to the right, go over a second bridge and take the next right where there is a small sign "Garpel" on the fence and follow directions from B743 as below.

If coming from the North, turn off at Junction 8 and head west through Stonehouse and Strathaven on the A71. Just out of Strathaven, the road forks and take the left fork signposted B743 to Muirkirk by a garage. Keep going through the hills and forestry until you reach Muirkirk and there turn right at the T junction, signposted A70 to Cumnock. One mile out of Muirkirk, turn right to rejoin the B743 to Sorn and follow the directions from B743 below.

From Prestwick Airport
Come out of the Airport and follow the signs to Kilmarnock. However, at the second roundabout, take the second exit to Ayr on the A77. Follow this road South until you reach another roundabout at which take the first exit to Mauchline on the B743. Go through Mossblown and then Mauchline, keeping on the B743, and head for Sorn. Go through Sorn and two/three miles out of the village, going up and over the hills, come down into the River Ayr valley, go past a farmhouse on the left and then take the next left sign posted "Garpel". Then follow the directions from b743 below.

From Glasgow Airport
I think it is easiest to head into Glasgow on the M8 and turn off where it is signposted to Kilmarnock on the A(M)77 and keep following these signs. Once on the A(M)77, keep on this for about 20 miles and then turn left where it is signposted A719 to Fenwick and Galston. Go through the villages of Waterside and Moscow (!) until you reach a big roundabout on the outskirts of Galston. Go straight over into the town and turn left on the High Street signposted to Sorn on the B7037. Keep on this road for about 5 miles until you reach a T junction opposite a Gatehouse. Turn left and go down into the village of Sorn. Go through sorn and three miles after sorn turn left off B743 thereafter follow directions from B743 to log cabin as below.

From turning off B743,
Go past the farm, up over the hill and down into the valley the other side until
you reach a bungalow in a small wood on the left (The Gamekeepers House). Turn
left immediately past the bungalow and the Log House is situated behind the bungalow.