Hints for Finding B&Bs

Eilean Donan Castle

In our fourteen years of traveling to Scotland, Ireland, England, and Wales we've stayed in hundreds of bed and breakfasts and guest houses.  We do stay in hotels occasionally.  We always stay at the Edinburgh Airport Hilton on our last day of a Scotland trip because it’s so convenient to town (via bus 100) and to the airport for our 6:00 AM flight home. We also stay at the Anchor Hotel in Tarbert, but it’s friendly enough to be a B&B.  We now have our favorite go-to B&Bs in several areas.  The questions I want to answer in this post are: How do I find new B&Bs, and what do I look for in selecting a B&B?

B&B in Carnarfon, Wales

Duirinish Guest House, Portree, Isle of Skye

First, though, I need to let you know the difference between a B&B and a Guest House.  Fairly consistently throughout the UK and Ireland a Guest House is simply a larger B&B.  B&Bs generally have few than six rooms and Guest Houses from six to ten rooms.  That distinction isn’t written in stone (or law, that I know of)--we’ve stayed in Guest Houses with only two rooms and B&Bs with as many as seven.  One website from the St Andrews Tourist Board suggests that a Guest House has at least four bedrooms and is more of a commercial operation than a B&B which is more family run. A Lonely Planet Guide Book site solicited opinion about the difference and got responses from “no difference” to “calling your place a Guest House allows you to charge more.”  From our prospective and the perspective of this post, they’re just different names for the same animal.

Now, how do I find a new B&B or guest House?  A first place to look for accommodations is to use a guide book for the area.  In my golf guide books on Scotland, Ireland, and Wales I list B&Bs where we’ve stayed in the various areas with brief descriptions of the accommodations and contact information (Golf in Scotland: The Hidden Gems, Golf in Scotland II: Scotland and Wales, and Ireland’s Small Greens which is to be updated this winter--all available from us or Amazon).  Guides that I’ve used are the Rick Steve’s series and the Lonely Planet series.  Others may be good, but I can recommend those two from experience.  

Greyhound Inn was a great hotel stay; there were no B&Bs in the village.

Beyond the guide books, the best source is the internet.  Search for accommodation or B&Bs in the specific area you are traveling to.  An internet search will yield a variety of results, from commercial sites (booking.com, scotland-bedandbreakfasts.com, bedandbreakfasts.com/scotland) to general tourist information sites (visitscotland.com, visitballater.com, visitdornoch.com).  The commercial sites usually charge the B&Bs a fee for each booking and the regional tourist sites charge the B&B a yearly fee to be on their site.  I will use the regional tourism sites especially in areas where I travel to only a little (England and Wales), but for most of my internet search I use TripAdvisor.com.  

If B&Bs have dinners available it can be a great time.  Dinner with family and guests at Merlindale.

As a senior contributor to Trip Advisor I understand how to get the most use out of the site.  On Trip Advisor you get a list of most of the accommodations in an area, descriptions of the B&Bs, links to websites, comparative ranks and ratings, and reviews by people who have stayed.  First, don’t pay too much attention to the ranks of the B&Bs.  There’s probably little difference between being number one in an area and being six or seven and there are ways to manipulate ranks, for instance, buying advertising garners higher ranks.  

At Greenan B&B in Alloway we had a luxury suite.  Look for things that can make your stay special.

Second, ratings (one to five stars) are not always fairly given.  Ratings are subjective to the reviewer.  The best way to use Trip Advisor is to read a number of reviews for each establishment you are interested in--read carefully.  

This brings me to my second question: What do I look for when selecting a B&B?

I look for several things starting with the “general personality” of the B&B.   Look at photos of the house, and try to look for photos of the area.  For example, in Perth in central Scotland there is a row of B&Bs where each individual building would look very nice.  But if you go to Google Earth and look at the building within its surroundings you’d find the buildings don’t look so inviting when you see B&Bs in a row and across the street is a commercial mall with fast food joints.  

Ferintosh Guest House in Dumfries.

Robertson and Emma at Ferintosh GH are super friendly hosts.

Look for comments about the friendliness and helpfulness of the B&B hosts--stories in the reviews can be very telling.  B&B websites that give specific details--such as menus, things to do in the area, other traveler links to check out--can be helpful in giving a feel for the B&B.  Pay attention to website information or reviews that describe the amenities and descriptions of the rooms.  All these will create a picture for you or give a personality to the B&B. 

Next, use location as one of your criteria for selecting a B&B.  Do you want to be in town or within easy walking distance of town?  Parking may be more of a problem and the location may be noisier.  Or do you want to be out of town where it is apt to be quieter?  

The Log House in Ambleside (Lake District, England) is a well respected restaurant that rents room.  Breakfast was wonderful and we didn't have far to walk to dinner.

Be careful, though, a “ten minute walk to town” for a Scot may take you twenty or more.  At Strathy Point B&B in northern Scotland you are really isolated--twenty to thirty minutes to drive to the nearest food--though the B&B hosts will provide dinners upon arrangement.  But isolation is also the beauty of the location.  Special features will make a difference in the quality of your stay in a B&B so look carefully for things like good parking--though we continue to go back to a B&B in Aberystwyth that has only on-street parking because of its perfect location just above town.  The view is another special to look for.  

Lilybank B&B, Lamlash, Isle of Arran

Our bedroom at Lilybank looked out to the bay and the Holy Isle.

Lilybank’s (Lamlash, Isle of Arran) bedrooms look out to the bay and the Holy Isle and The Wing in North Berwick has a lounge with a wonderful view of Bass Rock.  Also pay attention to those B&Bs which cater to you special needs, for example main floor rooms for those with mobility problems.  

The main entry at The Warren in Machrihanishg.

The Warren in Machrihanish has a special drying room for golfer’s who end up with wet gear and Grammar Lodge in Campbeltown is nicely set up for cyclists and golfers. 

Good off-street parking can be an overlooked plus.  Merlindale B&B in Crieff.

Check out menus provided in websites for the B&Bs--they can tell you plenty about the quality of your stay.  

Breakfast in the lovely Merlindale dining room is a chance to visit with other guests.

The Blueseas Hotel (only seven rooms) in Penzance is a place to stay just for the breakfast (the best we’ve had), though everything else is good as well.  

This is half the sideboard breakfast area at the Blueseas in Penzance, Cornwall.

In the final analysis, though, it will be the people, your hosts who make a B&B great.  Read reviews for comments about the hosts, their friendliness and helpfulness.  Milestone House in Dingle, Ireland, would be an interesting stay anytime, but Barbara and Michael make it a great stay.  Barbara has organized dinners and concert tickets for us and Michael sends us to the local golf course with a fresh loaf of his famous soda bread.  At Dunromin B&B in Kilkenny, Ireland, Tom and Val organize morning Irish sing-alongs for the guests.  

When you’ve done your research, taken your trip, and found the perfect B&B or Guest House, spread the word.  In Scotland we have one of those perfect places.  

Built in the 1860s, Merlindale B&B in Crieff is a lovely remodeled Victorian home.

Our bedroom at Merlindale.

Merlindale B&B in Crieff (central Scotland) has it all.  The rooms are huge and lovely.  The breakfasts are huge and delicious.  And the host, John and Jacky Clifford, are wonderful, gracious, and helpful.  We recommend Merlindale to everyone we know.  Another perfect stay is at The Boathouse in Laughne, Wales, where Anne is a marvelous host/cook who runs one of the loveliest B&Bs we’ve ever stayed in.  

We have stayed in hundreds of B&B in Scotland, Ireland, England, and Wales and only seldom have we been disappointed with our choices.  Every once in a while we find a place that we wouldn’t go back to, but by doing our research diligently more often than not we book into great stays.  Hope you have the same good fortune.  

The Scottish Highlands

TRIP SUMMARY AND MORE...

Trip Summary

Here are some notes in summary of our fall 5-week trip to Scotland:

First, our rental car, from Arnold Clark, was a Hyundai i30 CDRi (diesel), automatic, 5-door.  I have no idea what all those numbers and letters mean, but the car was a very nice drive

--comfortable, plenty of power, large enough for all our gear (suitcases and golf clubs), and economical (about 42-43 mpg).  We put a little over 2700 miles on the car and paid £1.30 a litre or £5.20 a gallon, the equivalent of $8.25 a gallon.

Second, a summary of our golf shows we played 19 rounds ( six 9-hole, thirteen 18-hole) on a total of 14 different courses six of which were new to us.  That means we played 287 holes of golf 

(a significant portion of them badly) and walked over 80 miles on courses this trip.  

Next, we ate well wherever we went in Scotland, as we do on most trips.  We eat often with our Scottish family in Crieff and we do our own cooking much of the week we spent in timeshare at Scandinavian Village

Scandinavian Village and Our Three Room Apartment

in Aviemore in Cairngorm National Park (the Highlands). When we ate out it was mostly for lunches or tea and sweets in tearooms, coffee shops, and cafes.  We visited 20 different of that ilk.  We did eat or drink in six pubs, including the Clachan Inn (the oldest licensed pub in Scotland).  Our biggest treat was dinner in eleven different restaurants--five great, five good, and one rubbish (a Scottish phrase which fits the Uig Restaurant on Skye). 

We also visited more than 45 of various kinds of tourist attractions: castles, 

Ardvreck Castle

gardens, harbours, ancient sites, churches or religious sites, distilleries, 

Two bottles We Didn't Buy--Check the Prices

Converted that would be $500 and $1900!!!

and natural attractions like waterfalls and beaches.  Ten of the sites were new to us, while others were like old friends.

What were the Bests of the trip?  My traveling partner, Anne, 

is the absolute BEST of any trip--except she beats me too many times on the golf courses.  Bests other than She Who Has My heart:

Best New (to us) Golf:  West Kilbride GC in Ayrshire on the west coast 

and Muir of Ord GC 

near Inverness in the Highlands.

Best Restaurant: Rowan Tree in Aviemore (Highlands), Anderson’s 

We both had the lamb shank at Anderson's.

in Boat of Garten (Highlands), and Harbour View in Portree (Isle of Skye).

Best Pub: Stein Inn (the oldest pub on the Isle of Skye) and Cross Keys Inn 

Cross Keys Inn was quiet for a while, but didn't stay that way long.

in Kippin near Stirling (central Scotland).

Most Interesting Food: see below.

Best New Attraction: Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye and Dunvegan Castle 

(Clan MacLeod) and Gardens on the Isle of Skye. 

All in all, it was such a good trip that we are already planning our return in the spring.

Most Interesting Food

We are one with the Bacon Roll!  We stopped in at the Horn (a cafe between Perth and Dundee on A90) for the first time on our way to Arbroath GC.  

They make the World’s Best Bacon Rolls and have the trophy to prove it.  The Bacon Roll is a bun stuffed with 8-10 pieces of crispy bacon--a cross between our “streaky” bacon and the normal Scottish or Irish breakfast bacon.  

Need I say more!?!

It’s a huge sandwich!  Not very greasy, but still not the most healthful of meals.  But so delicious that it will be hard to pass without stopping.  Damn the Diet, Horn Bacon Roll Ahead!  

A Little Help from My Friends

I’d like you to help me select photos.  Check out the three photos below and tell me which you like best (for whatever reason). 

Meadow, Carr-Bridge

On the Glenlivet Estate

Double Rainbow, Isle of Skye

You can comment directly on the blog page--click comments at the bottom and create a Google ID and then write your comments.  Or you can simply email your comments directly to me.  Thanks for the help.

SCOTLAND DISCOVERIES (Part Two) and More

Beech Trees

Besides the Wildlife Park and the Muir of Ord Golf Course we also “discovered” Fort George.  

Fort George Entrance

We’d seen the fort often from Fortrose & Rosemarkie GC which is directly across the Moray Firth from the fort and we’d driven by the signpost to the fort probably a dozen times over the years, but we’d never visited the site.

Fort George is a working army base.

Cannons to the right of me….

The fort, located just outside Nairn and only 11 miles northeast of Inverness, was completed in 1769 and was built as the ultimate defense against further Jacobite (Catholic followers of the Stuarts) uprisings after the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie at Culloden in 1745.  The name Fort George comes from Gaelic An Gearasten meaning “the Garrison.”  The fort has been continuously used as a garrison since being built.  

The Armory

In fact, it is the only ancient property of Historic Scotland (a trust) still functioning as intended, a working army barracks.  The fort is currently home to the Queen’s Highlanders and I wandered amongst the barracks and armory buildings and looked for dolphins in the firth from the fort’s viewpoints.  Through binoculars and telephoto camera lenses we could watch golfers at Fortrose across the water.  

The Chanonry Point Lighthouse with the Inverness Bridge in background from Fort George.

At the fort we met three senior gentlemen who had been stationed together at Fort George sixty-three years earlier (1951). 

This was their first visit since their army years.  One commented at the entrance, “It still looks the same.”  

As the men started their tour, two pipers piped the orders in front of the HQ offices.

Again, we wish we’d stopped before as our friend Marcia had suggested.

A MODERN DAY MOLLY MALONE

Nairn Harbour

As we wandered from the boats harboured at Nairn toward the tearoom recommended by the Harbour Master, we noticed a van with its back doors open displaying an array of fresh seafood.  It was the local fish monger making his rounds.  

Modern Molly's Wheelbarrow

People came to the van, selected their fish, and went home with dinner ready for the pot.

We chatted with the traveling merchant.  He used to be an army piper (he would have been one piping the orders of the day at Fort George), 

but now brings fresh fish to the locals two or three times a week.  We had a look at his products and selected an Arbroath Smokie (haddock smoked at Arbroath on Scotland’s east coast) and some brown crab claws for our dinner--direct from a modern day Molly Malone.

ONE OF THE BEST 9-HOLE COURSES WE’VE EVER PLAYED

It’s the most northerly golf course on mainland Britain and it is one of the best small courses we’ve ever played.  

Anne walking up to the first tee at Durness GC.

Durness GC rivals St Medan in the south of Scotland along the Solway Firth, St Fillans in the Highland hills of central Scotland, and Cruit Island in County Donegal, Ireland on the Irish Sea for interesting golf shots and quality oif the layout.  

Starting up the second hole with Balnakeil Bay behind.

On a good day it surpasses all of the them for beautiful and spectacular views.

Built in 1988 on the raised ancient dunes on the southwest side of Balnakeil Bay on the Pentalnd Firth (the meeting of the North Atlantic and the North Sea), Durness GC is not only a testing track but is testing to get to as well.  

Hit down to the green at the third.

From Ullapool on Scotland’s northwest coast Durness is more than 70 miles of mostly single-track road.  From Inverness at the edge of the Moray Firth (in the center of the north) Durness is more than 80 miles with at least half of it single-track road.  It is probably the most isolated course on the mainland.  

Looking back at the fairway of the sixth which goes around the loch.

I tee off at the eighth.

That isolation is part of the charm of Durness GC.  Several other qualities help make the course great.  The challenges are many: blind shots (drives and approaches), almost constant wind, heavy marram (dune grass) rough, strategic bunkers, a loch to play around or over, and the ocean is in play on the last two holes.  For such an out-of-the-way track the course is kept in excellent condition. 

Anne teeing off at the eighth.

The variety of the holes is another attraction--they play uphill, downhill, around hills, and around and over loch and sea. the views from the course are without rival.  When you’re not viewing the nearby mountains (not necessarily tall but still dramatic) you are viewing the sea, Balnakeil Bay and Beach backed by an expanse of bracken, fern, and marram covered dunes. a final charm of Durness GC is its friendly members and players.

On the final hole you hit over the crashing waves and avoid three bunkers to find the green.

Durness is not easy to get to nor easy to play, but it is a course I would love to play every day.