A Lasting Legacy: The Story of Unique Cottages and Jill Bristow

As we begin another year at Unique Cottages, it feels like the right moment to reflect on and recognise the woman whose diligence, determination, and devotion to Scotland helped shape not only Unique Cottages but the wider self-catering sector in Scotland as well.

When we think about self-catering today, we picture cosy cottages, modern comforts and an effortless booking experience. But when Jill Bristow founded what would become Unique Cottages, there was a lot of work to be done. Throughout her career, Jill faced many challenges: gender prejudice, little support from tourist boards and a rather cutting piece of criticism in an AA magazine. Her hard work speaks for itself as she was later invited to a meal in London by the AA magazine's editor as an apology. Jill subsequently noted that “self-catering in those days was an adventure.”

Despite growing up in Sussex, Jill’s career in tourism has long Scottish roots. For 16 years, starting in her early twenties, she was a guide for a European coach tours company based in Glasgow. Jill saw post-WWII ruin and experienced a Europe untouched by mass tourism. Those years taught her what guests truly wanted from a holiday, gained knowledge only learnt through firsthand experience and came to realise Scotland was the place she wanted to do it all from.

The Beginning

Jill herself renovated and rented an isolated cottage in the Cheviot Hills before later moving to Lilliesleaf, and it all began from there. She offered her entrepreneurial talents to many nearby estates, eventually acquiring a disused stone cottage near Hermitage Castle on the Buccleuch Estate, which she cleaned, decorated, furnished from scratch and then let as a holiday cottage. Obtaining a property on the estate was key in the growth of its business, and Jill’s relationship with the Duke (John) of Buccleuch is one she expressed great admiration for, and was clearly one of mutual respect, as he once wrote to her in regards to her hard work: “It seems quite clear that Hercules had a fairly easy time of it.”

Starting out was no easy feat. There was little heating, no modern appliances and certainly no quick online ordering of anything you’d forgotten. Running an agency before mains water, deliveries, mobile phones and public telephones was unbelievably challenging, especially when trying to get in touch with owners, guests and workmen, especially when they lived in extremely rural parts of Scotland. As such, this required extra efforts from Jill, who drove over 40,000 miles a year in her little red mini, which doubled as a van often packed to the roof with blankets, lamps and at one point an oven. She was known to arrive at a cottage with her cat and dog, which she named Ross and Cromarty, after the beautiful Highland County.

Jill worked from her own cottage, which held an office for four downstairs, working with just a small team and only one housekeeper managing all the properties. Jill concluded: “I worked so many hours I was ashamed to tell anyone”. On one occasion, Jill accommodated a Glasgow orphanage with a cottage for the week. She reflected on how the children had never seen the countryside before, and they inevitably fell in love with it. Moments like these were positive reminders of the good her hard work was doing and how beneficial an escape to the Scottish countryside could be. Jill’s perseverance does not go unnoticed, and the care she put into maintaining comfortable cottages in beautiful locations is reflected in how we operate at Unique Cottages today.

Personal Knowledge of Every Cottage

Jill visited every cottage she took on, furnishing, designing and running them herself. She wouldn’t represent a cottage unless she had visited it, checked it thoroughly and was confident that guests would be well looked after. This personal, hands-on approach continues at Unique Cottages today. Every property is visited, every owner has a named contact who knows their property, and our team is provided with all the information needed to ensure guests enjoy a comfortable stay. Whether you’re amongst the rolling hills of the borders or scaling mountains in the Highlands, we know Scotland - and our cottages - down to the very last detail.

Strong Relationships with Owners

Jill worked closely with estates, farmers, shepherds and families and built relationships that lasted decades. From attending barn dances with the locals to being gifted her kitten Ross, after the owner remembered she loved Siamese cats, it’s safe to say Jill was a trusted, friendly face people were happy to be working with. The same long-standing partnership approach is still at the heart of how we work with owners across Scotland, with extensive knowledge of each property, our commitment to owners and their vision for their properties remains just as important now as ever.

High Standards

For Jill, standards weren’t optional. Cleanliness, warmth and comfort were always a priority long before “quality assurance” became part of the industry. Jill personally inspected and prepared every cottage she took on. She was often visiting owners, advising them on improvements and keeping cottages in good shape at a time when tradespeople and facilities were limited. Those expectations continue today, guests can be sure of well-prepared, cared-for cottages with amazing attention to detail.

Looking After Rural Communities

Before anyone talked about “regenerative tourism”, Jill was doing it. She renovated empty, decaying cottages, supporting local tradespeople and helping sustain rural Scotland. Scottish expertise remains at the core of Unique Cottages' philosophy today. Our focus on properties exclusively in Scotland gives us a great advantage and in-depth insight into how tourism supports rural areas. Unique Cottages encourages guests to buy and adventure locally, with emphasis on leaving each location as you find it, without a trace. Like Jill, we truly care about supporting Scotland’s rural communities.

By early 1984, after years of travelling around Scotland and restoring cottages, Jill eventually established the company now known as Unique Cottages. Jill’s passion for self-catering stretched beyond her ambitions at Unique Cottages as she, along with five others, also founded The Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC) in 1978. Jill played a major part in skyrocketing Scotland’s tourism sector, and her passion for supporting tourism in Scotland is mirrored in the goals of the company today.

Looking Forward

Jill created a way for guests to fall in love with Scotland, nestled in a quiet cottage surrounded by unforgettable landscapes. Today, Unique Cottages prides itself on upholding this, promising beautiful holiday cottages in stunning locations so guests can enjoy the majestic scenery found all over Scotland.

Many things have changed in Scottish tourism since Jill first squeezed an oven into the back of her little Mini. What has developed from a handful of properties and limited staff has continued to grow as a business which is trusted by guests and owners for the very same reasons Jill set out all those decades ago. Despite many industry changes, the core principles Jill built Unique Cottages on, personal service, high standards, strong relationships and a genuine care for Scottish locations, remain the same.