The South Bungalow is a private three-bedroom bungalow at The Dunnottar, a 19th-century Scottish heritage bungalow on Kodaikanal Lake. It is one of two bungalows on the one-acre property, with its own bedrooms, living and dining spaces, patio, and access to the grounds. 

When you book the South Bungalow, the bungalow is yours privately. The one-acre grounds are part of the stay: the main lawn, garden terraces, hammocks, bicycles, bonfire spaces, and the wood-fired pizza oven. Mornings can begin outdoors. Afternoons move between the patio, the lawn, and the lake. Evenings often gather around firelight, or around pizzas coming out of the oven.

If the North Bungalow is also occupied, the outdoor grounds are shared. If you book the Whole Bungalow, the entire property is yours.

As featured in Condé Nast Traveller India, Architectural Digest India, Vogue India, and Design Pataki.

Life In the South Bungalow

The South Bungalow has three ensuite bedrooms, each carrying its own history. The Rose Library takes its name from the shelves along one wall — books that have been here longer than we have. The Boiler Room was once used to heat the Chamberlain bath water; photographs of the original boilers remain on the wall. The Old Study keeps the writing desk and the light from the windows that made it one.

The loft-style living and dining room is the heart of the South Bungalow — an open space that brings everyone together, with views of the lake, the eucalyptus, and the pine. It is large enough for a family lunch and quiet enough for an evening with books.

The South Patio is where mornings often begin: forest views, tea in hand, no particular plan. Below the bungalow, the South Garden Terrace opens into one of the most lived-in parts of the property. Vines have climbed the structure over many seasons. A long wooden table seats the group. A hammock is strung between two posts. The wood-fired pizza oven is set into the stone wall at the back. In the evenings, this is where the South Bungalow gathers.

Dining

Breakfast is included for every guest. Lunch, dinner, snacks, tiffin, grill, and wood-fired pizzas are available on request from the bungalow kitchen and charged separately. The kitchen is open from 8am to 9pm.


Bungalow at a Glance

- The Rose Library — sleeps 3, ensuite bathroom

- The Boiler Room — sleeps 2, original boiler history on the wall, ensuite bathroom

- The Old Study — sleeps 3, writing desk, ensuite bathroom

- South Living and Dining Room — open loft-style room with high ceilings and forest views

- South Study — work desk, books, board games

- South Patio — outdoor seating with garden views

- South Garden Terrace — vine-covered outdoor patio with a long wooden table, hammock, and wood-fired pizza oven set into the stone wall

Since 1947

The house has been in our family since 1947, when it was purchased by Puliyadi Kuppuswami Iyer from Lord Chamberlain, a Scotsman who left for the United Kingdom with two suitcases. Almost everything else stayed — the furniture, the paintings, the bookcases, the brass.

For four generations, the Puliyadi family has returned here to spend time slowly: walking through the grounds, eating together, sitting by the fire, and gathering under the trees. The one-acre grounds are part of the house’s rhythm — space to walk, read, picnic, play, or do very little at all. Mornings often begin outdoors, with breakfast in the garden. Afternoons move between the verandah, the lawn, and the lake. Evenings gather around the wood-fired pizza oven or the bonfire.

The Dunnottar has always been a house shaped by family, the lake, the trees, and time spent together. Opening it to guests is our way of letting that tradition continue.