Scotland Hotels

Other Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Varyag Memorial, Lendalfoot.: More Wild and Wet free Camping.

by nickandchris

This is a great spot to overnight if you are in this area, although being just off the A77 it does suffer from road noise.

The memorial is in honour of a Russian ship that grounded and consequently was wrecked on the sands nearby, on it's journey to be scrapped. It is an impressive monument and very nicely sited in a pleasant picnic area with off road parking. There are magnificent views across the coast to the volcanic isle of Ailsa Craig and there are a couple of seal colonies resident on the rocky isles close inshore.

We spent a peaceful enough night here in late September and enjoyed walking the beach and collecting driftwood.

Popular with dog walkers.

For overnighting, the best qualities are hardstanding and a bin but more impressive are the coastal views and access to the beach.

For information on the monument, please look at the link below.

STONEFIELD CASTLE - KINTYRE PENINSULA: FADED GLORY

by DAO

Stonefield Castle is actually a large house and a good example of Scottish Baronial architecture. Also known as Barmore House, it was originally owned by the MacAlasdair family. The head of the family served as the Constable of Tarbert Castle. Duty to neglect of duty and for allowing Tarbert Castle to fall into ruin – he lost both properties. Stonefield was acquired by Charles Campbell. He employed architects William Henry Playfair and William Notman to extend and remodel the house to its current form in 1837. Many of the original features still remain on the ground floor. The hotel was once even recommended by Condé Nast and a faded sign still testifies to this past achievement. Faded starts to be a theme when you see the sign and step inside. The reception area is a small dark corner before you enter the first grand room. When it was first built, it must have been simply stunning. There are several beautiful rooms, a great ‘hunting lodge’ type of bar and a huge dinning room. The dinning room is bland, but it gives you a wide panorama view of Loch Fyne which is a stone’s throw away.

My room was up a decaying staircase and past a few pieces of antique furniture. My room was ok. It has an ok bed, tea/coffee making facilities, a TV and closet. It also had a small stereo system. It was tastefully decorated and looked over a rear door and the start of a garden on the side facing away from the loch. The bathroom was a long, narrow affair that was at least modern and the towels were good. The only bad thing is that the shower had sort of a half length shower wall and this meant that there was always water across the floor making it slippery. I had to keep towels on the floor the whole time.

Staying at the hotel had some good points. Inside you have a lot of staff that are European students and who were polite enough. I enjoyed a few cold beers and some whisky sampling as I browsed though the house. There is a library room, complete with hundreds of book to have a read of. There were plenty of rooms to sit in and enjoy a good read and the ambiance. The hotel is very quiet and peaceful.

Outside in the grounds is the real plus of the property. The gradual paved drive between the front door and the main road is ½ a mile long. So running a mile is easy to figure out. There are walking paths across the grounds and around Loch Fyne. I really enjoyed my runs and walks over the several days I stayed at Stonefield.

The only downsides are that the hotel is a little worn and the breakfast times. You don’t pay a fortune to stay here in the standard rooms and the setting of the hotel increases the value of your stay to compensate. Breakfast times, however, are not geared for business travellers like me. They used to serve breakfast at 7am, which is ok. They have changed this and even covered over the earlier times on the door card you can leave for breakfast in your room. They do not start until 8am. Given that a full Scottish Breakfast is included, it’s a bit strange to have moved the times back and still try and attract business customers.

Overall, this is a very interesting hotel and grounds. I used it as a base to both work and explore the Kintyre Peninsula. It is quiet, affords people who like the outdoors a great experience and it is peaceful. You have 60 acres or woodlands on the estate alone to explore. I had a good night’s sleep every night after a nice walk and run.

I never ate dinner here, but you can pay a supplement and get a dinner package. I have to say the menu and the food looked nice. The dinning room scenery is incredible.

• 32 bedrooms with TV, tea/coffee facilities, en-suite and a good closet
• Good restaurant with panoramic views of Loch Fyne
• 60 acres of woodlands and trials
• Historic bar with over 50 single malt whiskies
• Full Scottish Breakfast included, dinner packages can be added
• Gardens with many plants collected in the Himalayas by Sir Joseph Hooker
• Tarbert Golf Club (9 holes) is nearby
• Business conference facilities for 2-60 delegates

Colonsay B&B: One of Scotland's Secret Gems

by King_Golo

When I first stumbled across information about Applecross Peninsula and the line "one of the remotest places in Scotland", I knew I had to go there. So in preparation for our trip I did some research and found Colonsay B&B. Located in the 10-house village Arrina on the north shore of the Applecross Peninsula, the B&B is a warm and welcoming place with very friendly and helpful hosts. Kalie showed us our tiny, but cosy room and the sun lounge, both overlooking the bay and the hills surrounding the village. In the morning, we were served a superb breakfast with freshly baked home-made bread and cake (for my birthday!) as well as a selection of hams and cheeses - probably the best breakfast we had during our holiday. I would definitely recommend staying here.

The views from the rooms and the sun lounge are magnificent, as is the rest of the peninsula. Arrina makes for a good base to explore Applecross, so the Colonsay B&B should be your first choice.

HOTEL HEBRIDES: LIGHT

by DAO

I want 3 things from a hotel that I pay good money for. That is a good bed, good curtains to keep the room dark and thick walls. I did get a reasonable bed. This is almost in the Arctic Circle. I was here in June. That means 1 hour of ‘twilight’ and the rest of the 23 hours is daylight. I couldn’t sleep. The curtains didn’t cover the window! And the fact I could hear every noise in the hotel didn’t help. Hotel Hebrides is the second best hotel in a village with 2 hotels. They renovated an old building by putting in thin, cheap and quick to install walls. There is no insulation of any sort in the walls. The rest is superficially nice.

My room was very tiny and I kept knocking over everything including myself. I did have a few nice bits, but it was all cheap construction. My bathroom was tiny and everything was plastic. I would imagine that a few years form now this hotel will not look like when I stayed there.

The hotel does have an excellent restaurant that I could not afford to eat in a second night. Amazing really. I get $20 a night for a meal and some of the main meals alone were that or more. They have a great bar. Actually that’s the best part and the best place to be at night in the village. Lively with a great bar maid. And they have a reasonable bar food menu I could afford.

So stay at the other place and eat here once.

That’s my opinion.

* Excellent toiletries made in Scotland
* The Pierhouse Restaurant - the best on the Isle of Harris
* The Mote Lounge Bar - best in the village (there is another one)
* Free Wi-Fi broadband access
* In room tea/coffee making facilities
* An iron and ironing board - 1 for the whole hotel
* Mini bar

RHICONICH HOTEL: IF YOU ONLY HAD 1 CHOICE

by DAO

OK. You only get 1 choice anyway! The Rhiconich hotel is the only hotel in Rhiconich. And the only bar and the only restaurant and the only business - for many miles. I stayed here because I was traveling for work in the Highlands of Scotland every day for work. This was on a map between 2 places I had to work. So I had 1 choice and I took it.

The Rhiconich is run my European students and they are ok. Overall my room was basic and my walls paper thin. In fact I spoke to my neighbours and asked them to be quiet so I could sleep. The bed - I had 2 to choose from - were poor. So in terms of money for value of the room and bed - below average. And all the doors have automatic closers that go BANG!

OK, the rest is good.

I had a wonderful view form my window. Gorgeous. The whole of the settlement (smaller than a village) of Rhiconich is a small loch (lake) and some very green pastures. The rest of the hotel was great. The restaurant was very good. It is upstairs with the rooms and I enjoyed every mouthful. They have reasonable wine list and a good selection of food.

Downstairs you have the massive lounge. It has games, books, DVD's, a TV and a few people to talk to. The furniture is a crime against fashion, but who cares? There is a lot to do.

And then there is the bar. A small and poorly decorated bar. A bar with no atmosphere.

Who cares!?

The small bar is full of almost every single malt whiskey produced in Scotland!!! There are over 100 bottles of the best Scotland has to offer! Wow!

I had a few different glasses of these fine and varied examples of Scotland's Whiskey heritage. Well done!

So if you have to be here - just ask the neighbors to be quiet and enjoy.

* Quiet - I mean the whole area around the hotel
* A fantastic bar and selection of whiskies
* Drying room for your wet clothes - you need it of you go walking
* A good restaurant
* Tea/Coffee making facilities in your room
* Clean
* Good walking trails nearby
* The hotel can arrange outdoor activities for you

Neidpath B&B: A good B&B in Stirling

by King_Golo

Neidpath B&B is located 10 minutes by foot away from the centre of Stirling and makes a good base for your stay in the area. Relatively small, but very comfy rooms, friendly and helpful owners and an invigorating breakfast make you feel at home immediately. Andrew and Kay can help you finding answers to all your Scotland-related questions, and he is also a good weatherman. According to him, if you can see the Ochil Hills from the breakfast room it won't rain that day. It was definitely true for the 5 days we stayed there!

A B&B with a weatherman at hand - what more can you want in Scotland?

Gràsmhor B&B: A Lovely B&B on the Isle of Skye

by King_Golo

Tim and Grace, the owners of Gràsmhor B&B, have chosen a wonderful location for their home: a few miles out of Portree, the island's capital, surrounded by open moorland and the incredibly wide sky of, well, Skye. Gràsmhor is a bit middle-of-nowhere-like, but it is a great place to stay while on Skye.

The breakfast is generous and very tasty, the rooms are clean and very spacious (we never had a bigger room in a B&B). There is a lounge that you can use on a rainy day, equipped with a few DVDs and books, and both Tim and Grace will be happy to give you tips on what to do on the island. In fact, Tim is a real expert on the must-see spots of Skye. He is a professional landscape photographer and not only has decorated the whole place with superb photographs of his, but also offers tuition for guests, ranging from 1-hour sessions to longer projects in the field. Unfortunately, I hadn't known this before I came, otherwise I would have taken a few hours. Believe me: you won't stop taking pictures once you are on Skye!

spacious rooms, friendly hosts, great breakfast, a professional photographer at hand

Gill's View, Fort William: A Warm and Welcoming B&B

by King_Golo

Gill's View in Fort William encompasses all that I like about B&Bs: a comfy bed, a great breakfast and, most of all, friendly owners that actually make you feel at home. Michelle and Steve will certainly do that for you.
Located in a quiet side-street 10 minutes by foot from the High Street, Gill's View is a good base for your stay in Fort William and thus the central Highlands. After Michelle's delicious Full Scottish or Continental Breakfast, you are well prepared for a day of exploring the Highlands. Steve has compiled a list of a few easier walks, but the breakfast will also give you enough strength for an ascent of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Great Britain, which is located a few kilometres outside of Fort William.
Both of the owners are very friendly and helpful. When one of us found a tick on their leg, they gave us tweezers to remove it - and afterwards came by with a "wee dram" of whisky, some chocolate and a Scottish movie on DVD so that we would overcome the "shock"!

Very friendly atmosphere, very friendly owners, a great breakfast

The Old Bankhouse, Melrose: Sleeping in a Bank

by King_Golo

The Old Bankhouse in Melrose is a rather bizarre B&B. As its name clearly states, it used to be the town's bankhouse. The former room of the bank director is now the room where breakfast is served. The staircase to the first floor still smells a bit like an old bank would smell (I can't describe it, but it struck me immediately as a peculiar, but not unpleasant smell). But apart from that, nothing resembles a bank anymore. Instead, the whole house is packed to the brim with Victorian bric-a-brac such as porcelain horses, old-fashioned paintings and seemingly valuable vases. Additionally, there are lots of other posters and pictures - you can hardly see the wall in the staircase to the second floor! We even discovered a painting half-hidden behind the standing mirror and the TV desk in our room... It feels as though you were in a museum.

Our room was very spacious and had a nice bay window where there was enough space for two fake baroque chairs to sit on. The beds were more modern, but a bit inconvenient. The breakfast was great, and I must say that I never ate in a location like this. The owner, Dave, sort of fitted into this huge house. He was a bit bizarre as well, for instance he never uncrossed his arms when he spoke to us. He wasn't unfriendly, but not exactly what one would call a gregarious chap.

All in all, we were glad to have stayed here, mostly because of the unique atmosphere. The other B&Bs during our Scotland tour, however, were definitely more friendly and welcoming.

Isn't staying in a bank unique enough?

BANK GUESTHOUSE: IN THE BANK

by DAO

This is a great place to stay in Wick – you can Bank on it! In fact, it used to be part of a Bank. A very grand one judging by the grand staircase that greets you just inside the entrance. The Bank Guest house is owned and managed by William and Angela who are really very nice. William is a Fireman and is usually there in the evenings. Hannah works form home and looks after daughter Holly. William made me feel very welcome when I first arrived. He helped my take my bags up the stairs and then he showed me the best part of staying with his family. There is a bottle of port and glasses in every room. Get in there! I liked this feature so much that I had to replace the bottle twice during my stay of several days. (You can just see the port in one of the photos).

My room was really nice. I had the largest bedroom and slept on the larger bed. Pure comfort. Combines with my efficient bathroom, furniture, desk, wardrobe and great TV – I had a great experience. And all the port I drank made it even better.

William & Hannah produce a fantastic cooked breakfast each morning. I had a lovely dish of Scottish salmon and eggs one morning. The breakfast room can also be used for your takeaway meals in the evening or just socialising with the hi-fi and any drinks you bring in. this is actually a very smart move on their part. Food smells stay in the dinning room so your room smells fresh. And the plump bedding and towels keep smelling fresh.

The location is perfect. Wick is a small place and you can easily walk within 5 minutes to the flowing:

• Restaurants, pubs and stores selling alcohol
• Full grocery store and newsagents
• A gym with a pool (small fee payable)
• A Whiskey Distillery (with tours!)
• Every other shop in town
• The world’s shortest street and the harbour
• Train station & hospital (you have to drive to the airport)

The guesthouse is right on the main road, but high up. Only once when I slept in slightly did I faintly hear a few cars. There is not a lot of traffic in Wick. At night it is absolutely silent.

Bank Guest House has 3 Stars from the Scottish Tourist Board and many recommendations like this one. It only has 4 bedrooms – so book early to avoid disappointment.

• Perfect location in Wick
• Free car parking
• Great service
• Rooms have TV (plenty of channels), hair dryer, tea/coffee, Radio/Alarm clock
• Free Wi-Fi
• Bathrooms are en-suite, have nice toiletries and are modern and bright
• Excellent breakfast

Scotland Hotels

1993 Hotels

Other Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Varyag Memorial, Lendalfoot.: More Wild and Wet free Camping.

STONEFIELD CASTLE - KINTYRE PENINSULA: FADED GLORY

Colonsay B&B: One of Scotland's Secret Gems

HOTEL HEBRIDES: LIGHT

RHICONICH HOTEL: IF YOU ONLY HAD 1 CHOICE

Neidpath B&B: A good B&B in Stirling

Gràsmhor B&B: A Lovely B&B on the Isle of Skye

Gill's View, Fort William: A Warm and Welcoming B&B

The Old Bankhouse, Melrose: Sleeping in a Bank

BANK GUESTHOUSE: IN THE BANK

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