Summer Isles Hotel

I stayed at the Summer Isles Hotel for three nights from 4th to 6th April this year. From the warm efficient and attentive functioning of the front of house staff, you would not have guessed that this was their first full week of operation of the season. Evening meals in the restaurant, which I took twice, were of superb quality and the wine list extensive and decent value. The food on the third evening, eating in the bar, was obviously more basic but most agreeable, especially when consumed against a backdrop of locals popping in and out and the “characters” at the bar. Decent pint as well. I was gratified to discover on all three days that the quality of food in the restaurant extended to the breakfast. My room, Tanera Beg, was well appointed with high quality bed linen, comfortable bed and equipped to deal with the vagaries of weather at this latitude with more than adequate heating. Within the large bathroom, the shower was of sufficient power to give one a headache if you stood in it for too long! The public rooms are very inviting with their crackling log fires, and, despite the large windows, one is very much insulated from the elements and can enjoy the stunning views in comfort. Overall, I found all elements of the stay excellent, and I’d say the overall experience was greater than the sum of the parts.

Exceptional. We were staying in a cottage in Reiff and ate twice here. Once in the bar and the second time in the restaurant. Ricky welcomed us and is an asset to this business. As is Chef Paul. The decor, ambience, service and attention to detail here are fabulous. The food is incredible. Scallops on a par with Michelin star restaurants, freshly landed langoustine were beautifully cooked and served and the Cranachan is simply off the scale. Shame we live 6 hours away. If we didn’t we would be regulars. You simply have to experience this.

A restaurant/hotel with historic pedigree. The holder of a Michelin star until 2011, but good news, this hospitable oasis is back! I know nothing of the old days but today is what matters. This place is a gem! The staff are all great from our young waiter, to the 2 managers, Mike in the bar, and Paul Bussey the chef. Warm and welcoming, great rooms, decent cask ale, and a great wine list. But above all, the food was without fault. More than that it was as good as any Michelin I have dined at in the last few years ( and that is a lot!) Fish cookery brilliant with ingenious sauces, delicacy and balance throughout Hand dived scallops, Baccallhau Bon Bons, delicate local oysters, a perfect souffle, Turbot with a wild garlic jus, cranachan dessert. This was heaven. The best by far in our week long tour of the Highlands and Islands. Paul Bussey has pedigree (check it out) and he has brought his magic to this small corner of heaven. This is new dining as it should be. The micro portions and poncing about dispensed with. Good honest locally sourced ingredients beautifully cooked with honesty and panache. Integrity with taste and a breath of fresh air in this epicurean jungle we call fine dining. Long may chefs like Paul succeed. The Summer Isles has an all encompassing ethic with its local bar, its dog friendly accommodation, and great cooking and add the idyllic location I hate to praise a place that may become attractive to others, in case it spoils it for any return visit I could hope for, by becoming too popular, but it would be churlish of me not to thank all the staff and friends we made on our perfect visit. Just wonderful!

What can we say about our stay at The Summer Isles other than exceptional. We stayed in the family suite which is the Scandinavian style lodge and it was fantastic. So spacious with a log fire ready to light, fully equipped for your stay. The welcome drinks and treats were great and the views were beautiful. Managed to watch the sunset from just outside. We arrived early to the hotel where staff were happy to offer suggestions of walks to fill our day. We opted for the local circular walk which was a stones throw away from the hotel. We were very lucky with the weather and managed to sit at the top of the walk to play a game of cards and enjoy some Easter treats. When we returned to the hotel we were ready for lunch and what a lunch it was. It was Easter Sunday so not sure if the menu was different for this but we had the beef roast and it was the best roast we have ever eaten out and we have tried a fair few. We indulged in their extensive wine list whilst soaking in all the views. We had a lighter dinner in the evening and a Scottish breakfast in the morning. All the food was absolutely stunning. The staff were lovely and very attentive. It was an expensive stay but we did have the most lovely time.

Great location, stunning views, deluxe suite - was beautiful, but you obviously pay the premium for it, restaurant experience ruined our stay. Australian waiter was very hospitable unfortunately thats where the good part of the stay finished. Hotel and food was expensive but was treating my partner as a surprise, and I guess because of location and time of year, you will be paying a premium. The restaurant was dog friendly, which as dog owners we didn't mind. However, one of the woman of the two, was clearly local and known, and very rude, and was allowed to let her 2 large dogs roam the restaurant and she didn't care about the dogs harassing other people trying to eat their dinner. We were trying to eat our steaks, and one dog kept putting its nose right up to our plates. We mentioned it to the staff and nothing was done about it, when trying to eat our desserts it kept happening again until we asked the lady to call her dog away seen as the staff did nothing about it. The steaks, we requested medium, but they were lucky to be as much as rare, and very chewy and inedible. We left most of both our steaks, and the staff could clearly see there was an issue. They came back and asked us about the steaks and she seemed very unsurprised by our response to the steaks, as though she knew they weren't going to be great. If we ordered something else, the food experience may have been different. In the morning it took nearly an hour from when we sat down to actually getting breakfast. The service was acceptable but the disappointing bit is that there is only one speed which they operate at which is first gear, or maybe we were just unlucky and experienced that for the whole trip. We did get a small discount knocked off the food bill due to the steaks when we were checking out which was good. The whole evening meal experience probably ruined the whole stay for us, I don't understand how any restaurant can allow dogs to roam a restaurant and go up to people's plates while they are trying to enjoy their dinner. Dog friendly I understand and appreciate, but please ensure did are under control, especially in a restaurant. My partner has a mild dog hair allergy (yes, even though we have dogs!) and she could've had a bad reaction for all we know!

Last year we stayed two nights at the Summer Isles Hotel and liked it so much we decided to stay for longer this year. Good decision!:) I don't think I have ever felt so rested and refreshed after a holiday, and this is due to the peaceful and relaxing atmosphere of this hotel and to the beautiful surroundings of the Coigach area. The hotel was so comfortable and there were so many sights, hikes, rock-climbs, boat trips and other activities for the outdoor type that we could easily have stayed a week longer. It's a long drive to and from Achiltibuie from the main road but worth every twist, turn and passing place. Our room was spacious and freshly decorated and we loved its separate entrance, picture window and large bathroom (with a very good shower and lots of hot bath water, not always guaranteed in rural Scottish hotels!). The main part of the hotel was gorgeous - the lounge was the kind of place you could spend hours sunk on a sofa with a book, glancing up towards the changing seascape. We found the food to be fantastic – we tried practically everything on the breakfast and dinner menus and were amazed at the what the talented chefs in the kitchen were producing. This food was as good as we had eaten anywhere, and worth travelling for alone. A special mention must go to the staff who never let their business get in the way of a friendly chat and we really appreciated their helpfulness and cheerfulness throughout our stay. It was also really lovely to hear from one young waitress about her upbringing and life in Achiltibuie; her pride in her community and her commitment to it was really inspiring for us to hear as visitors.

This really is such a special place. I was so sad to only spend 1 night here. Amazing views of the water, and if you want to hike down a bit of gravel and through a sheep pasture, there’s a fun rock beach to explore and watch the seals and birds. The couple managing the hotel were so kind and welcoming. We stayed in one of the rooms with a view of the water and you could see it from the bed. The bathroom was very clean and large with a shower and bath. Ours also had a sitting area separate from the bed area. Our dinner was excellently prepared- I had the chicken supreme and my husband had the ribeye.

If you want to go to the north west coast of Scotland, this hotel would make a perfect base. It has stunning views of the Summer Isles and the quality of accommodation, food and drink is superb. Situated at the end of a long single track road (dead-end), once you arrive, you can't help but immediately unwind. Obviously you can be as active or inactive as you wish. If you choose the former, there is plenty to keep the outdoor enthusiast occupied. If you choose the latter, the hotel has a calm relaxed atmosphere, a spacious lounge with well stocked bar and the food offering is second to none. We stayed in the Irvine room which is at the front of the hotel and has a great view with a large bathroom with a roll-top bath to enjoy. All the staff we met were great, from Paul the manager to the newest recruit and deserve a special mention as they really do go out of their way to make guests feel welcome. This place gets booked quickly every year and is only open April to October so forward planning needed!

When we arrived at this lovely little hotel after driving along the single track road for 15 miles it was blowing a gale and lashing rain (hi Scottish summer) and first impressions were extremely deceiving… we were a bit underwhelmed initially but that changed quickly. This hotel was charming, comfortable & just perfect for our 3 night stay as a family (with a 1 year old). It might not be the fanciest of places for the price you pay as granted, it is not cheap, however the prices are justified by the exceptional service and outstanding food. Our parents stayed in the main building and their room was beautiful, where as we stayed in one of the cabin rooms outside which was a little small but did the job and was cosy. The service at this hotel is 10/10. Every single staff member made such an effort and nothing was ever an issue. They really made you feel like they were going out their way to make everyone happy and with a smile on their faces. Klara (front of house) was especially good and deserves a special mention. The food… wow! We ate here twice for dinner and both times we all raved about the quality of the food. Small menu that changes daily dependant on what is caught/available… always a good sign straight off the bat. The seafood is excellent especially the langoustines. Again a little pricy but wasn’t grudged as you get what you pay for and it was worth every penny. Breakfast was always lovely and never an issue to change up options and add extras here and there. Finally I would like to thank the staff for making us so welcome and never uncomfortable with having a toddler running around! We would return if visiting the area again, beautiful hotel in a beautiful location.