August 2005

Tiree is a lovely island and well worth a visit. There are only a few hotels and guest houses to choose from and I would recommend the Scarinish Hotel as an ideal base.

Scarinish Hotel and the old harbour

I travelled to Tiree in August 2005 for a late summer break. The hotel is in walking distance of the ferry. We were able to travel from Oban to Tiree as ferry foot passengers and walk to the hotel some 20 minutes away.

Scarinish Hotel and the old harbour

When we arrived at the Scarinish Hotel we were greeted by the owners who were very friendly and welcoming. Our en-suite room was very well appointed, clean and comfortable. We had a room at the front overlooking the white sandy harbour and looking out to sea towards Mull and the Scottish mainland. Our dog was welcome and paid its £5 a night board that included a food mat and water bowl.

The hotel had been recently taken over and it was obvious that the owners were in the process of upgrading. Clearly, there was still some work to be done on the exterior and some rooms but the owners had prioritised, upgrading the bedrooms and restaurant areas first.

The restaurant was very pleasant overlooking the harbour. We dined at the hotel for the two nights we stayed on Tiree. The menu had lots of choice and the food was excellent and reasonably priced. Breakfast was included and this was traditional Scottish cooked or cold breakfast.

Typical Tiree landscape looking toward Coll

Tiree itself was one of the nicest Scottish islands we have visited. The highlight was the countless white sandy beaches on which we walked during our stay. We walked the whole perimeter of the Island in two days, all 35 miles or so! We saw no other walkers for the duration of our two walks, only the occasional person walking their dog. This was definitely an away- from-it Scottish island resort.

If you are fit, then I would save money and leave your car in Oban. You can hire bikes but the island is very flat so walking is easy. It is a windy island and is a haven for kite and sail surfers.

We would definitely recommend the Scarinish Hotel and would choose to stay there again.

Cassie enjoyed the deserted beaches

Tired Tiree kitesurfer heads for home