Beautiful Cottage by the Bay, Isle of Islay

2 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 5

Popular amenities

Pet friendly

Fireplace

Free WiFi

Kitchen

Barbecue grill

Outdoor Space

Check out the area

Portnahaven, Isle of Islay, Scotland

Bruichladdich Distillery14 min drive
Bowmore Distillery26 min drive
Lagavulin Distillery45 min drive
Islay (ILY)71 min drive

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 5)

Family bedroom

1 Twin Bunk Bed

Master bedroom

1 Queen Bed

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Kitchen

Outdoor play area

Garden

Dining Area

About this property

Beautifully renovated two bedroom cottage overlooking the sheltered Bay at Portnahaven, a small fishing village on the Isle of Islay. The lounge and master bedroom have stunning views of the sea and beach where you can watch the seals swimming and sunbathing on the rocks, the small fishing boats and stunning sunsets.

It is the ideal base for exploring the Isle of Islay by car, cycle or the local bus that stops at the top of the street! In the village itself there is a small store, a craft shop for souvenirs and the local pub serving drinks and food just a short stroll around the bay.

With a log burner for cosy nights in with a local whisky in hand, the cottage has a large L shaped sofa and soft cosy blankets to make you feel at home after a day of adventure.

The master bedroom has a king size bed and stunning views of bay and sea. The second bedroom has bunk beds with a small double and single on top, overlooking the garden to the rear of the property. It is perfect for a couple or family to enjoy.

A brand new kitchen with all amenities you may require with coffee maker, microwave etc.

A brand new bathroom with large walk in shower, modern sink, WC and large towel rail to warm the thick soft white towels for you.

There is private parking to the rear of the property, where there are steep steps with a handrail for assistance down the tiered garden to the house. You can drive to the front of the house, for those who would prefer to avoid the steps and there are 2 steps at the front of the house.

The tiered garden has great views of the sea with a BBQ to enjoy.

Whether you want to sample the variety of whisky distilleries on the island, cycle around the island, explore the history and culture or soak up the sand and sea on the beautiful beaches, Islay has so much to offer and the cottage gives a cosy home from home to relax and unwind.

Property manager

Achnaha

Premier Host

Languages

English

Amenities

Kitchen

Washer

Dryer

Pet friendly

Free WiFi

Outdoor Space

Ocean view

Kitchen

Washer

Dryer

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM

Minimum age to rent: 21

Check out before 11:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0-17

Garden is tiered & children should be supervised.

Events

No events allowed

Pets

Pets allowed: dogs and cats (limit 1 total)

Pets are not allowed on furniture £50 pet fee

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Damage and incidentals

You will be responsible for any damage to the rental property caused by you or your party during your stay.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy

Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges

Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed

Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited

Host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property

Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property

Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit

Property Registration Number 230916-000023

About the neighborhood

Islay Island

Located in Islay Island, this vacation home is in a rural area and on the beach. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Port bhaigh and Port Bhith Sgeir, while Museum of Islay Life and Outback Art Gallery are cultural highlights. Be sure to check out the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.

Portnahaven, Isle of Islay, Scotland

What's nearby

Bruichladdich Distillery - 14 min drive
Bowmore Distillery - 26 min drive
Laphroaig Distillery - 44 min drive
Lagavulin Distillery - 45 min drive
Ardbeg Distillery - 46 min drive

Getting around

Islay (ILY) - 67 min drive

Restaurants

An Tigh Seinnse - 4 min walk
Portnahaven Pottery - 8 min walk
The Rhinns Cafe - 10 min drive
Burnside Lodge B&B and Coffee Shop - 7 min walk
Port Mor Bistro - 8 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Beautiful Cottage by the Bay, Isle of Islay pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows cats and dogs (limit 1 total).

What time is check-in at Beautiful Cottage by the Bay, Isle of Islay?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Beautiful Cottage by the Bay, Isle of Islay?

Check-out is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Beautiful Cottage by the Bay, Isle of Islay located?

Located in Islay Island, this beachfront vacation home is next to a golf course and within 1 mi (2 km) of Port bhaigh and Port Bhith Sgeir. Currie Sands and Lossit are also within 3 mi (5 km).

9.4

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labeled.

Learn more

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Property conditions & facilities

10/10

Check-in

9.8/10

Communication

9.0/10

Location

9.4/10

Listing accuracy

8/10 Good

David O.

Oct 13, 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy

Islay trip

Lovely location but it is very remote. House was great, clean, tidy, nice decor, great location but sofa was a bit hard - lol.

Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023

6/10 Okay

CAITLIN M.

Aug 30, 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy

Disliked: Location

Visit to see relatives on the island.

Property is lovely inside, very well decorated and immaculately clean. Shower was phenomenal. Kitchen was well kitted out with everything we needed as we did cook. The living/relaxing area was okay, it had everything we needed and myself and the two other adults had a place to sit on the small couch or at dining table, it just wasn't comfortable after a full day of exploring - The couch was hard and the dining chairs/bench, you could only sit on these for a limited amount of time before having to move. There were packs of cards in the media unit and a TV with a NowTV box which was good. My sister in law slept on the lower bunk of the room which is directed at children, she mentioned the bed was quite uncomfortable and felt as though it was propped up and lumpy. Myself and my husband slept in the king bed and this was excellent, it was extremely comfortable. We made use of the iron which was handy. The view from the living room window is brilliant. The back garden area has extremely steep stairs. Whilst the owner is making guests aware, I think signage on the outside of the gate would be helpful and could potentially avoid a nasty complaint. Decking area was nice but, unsafe! The ''fencing'' is rope which children/dogs could go through to a 8-10ft drop. We noticed damp humidifier tubs placed around the property and have all returned with a nasty cough and I am asthmatic - hoping dampness hasn't caused this! I do understand it is an older cottage and can be susceptible to damp.

Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

alan l.

Jun 26, 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Islay whiskey

Portnahaven is at the end of the island. Very quaint, quiet, away from the crowds. There is bus service but we rented a car for our time. The property is right above the bay. Seals play, fishing vessels, great walks. There was one small bar that had a few dishes for dinner. We would drive into the main area of the island, tour a distillery, grab groceries and make dinner at the property. During June, the nights are very short. This place would be great for a couple with or without a couple kids.

Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2023

8/10 Good

Richard N.

Jun 16, 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication

Disliked: Listing accuracy

Great host, nice cottage, but needs to change listing about “clothes dryer”

The good: 1) the host was super responsive about questions or issues (with the exception of one issue, see below). 2) the town was postcard perfect 3) the cottage was as described and pictured (which one exception). 4) rain-head shower and water pressure were awesome The problem I have is that the cottage does not have an effective, usable, mechanical clothes dryer. It is advertised as having one. The owner needs to either change the listing or fix this. It technically has an “combo” washing machine and clothes dryer. However, the drying function appears to be broken. We found no noticeable difference when we had the unit wash and dry clothes and when we had it just wash them. The clothes were equally wet at the end. We have nearly 10 years worth of experience using combo washer/dryers. We understand all the quirks and issues with them. This was not that. This unit does not dry properly. The owner admitted this in a message to us AFTER we had checked in. We were in Scotland for nearly a month. We planned our stay to do all of our laundry at this cottage. It was a pain and took literally five times the time it should have to do our laundry. This cut down on our exploring time. The owner really needs to update the listing and call out this defect, or fix it. Another problem? There technically is an outdoor laundry clothes line area. However, it is so overgrown with weeds and brush, that we couldn’t get the clothes there. We tried but kept slipping on the tall, overgrown weeds. Plus, the clothes got dirty from the weeds. We sent a message to the owner explaining this problem, and we got no reply. That’s a shame, because she was super responsive every other time. Finally, because the outdoor clothes line is as not effectively accessible, we had to dry the clothes on the heated towel rack in the bathroom. The problem is it’s so small that we could only wash and dry a few clothes at a time. This wasted a lot of time we could have been exploring the island. If VRBO would let me I would rate this a 3.5. I picked 4 because the owner seemed nice. They just need to address the clothes dryer issue and the fact you can’t effectively use the clothes line.

Stayed 9 nights in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

DiAnn P.

Jun 2, 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Portnahaven home

Lovely accommodations with a fully equipped kitchen. Beautiful views from the front windows and lovely coastal walks. We took the local buses to enjoy the whiskey and distillery tastings (to be sure we didn’t have any issues with driving and alcohol). Luckily we purchased food on Bowmore because the bus run times are limited. If you have a car you are able to drive to Bowmore or Fort Ellen for dinner. Suggest rolling your luggage down to the front entrance. The lane is narrow in front and there is no turn around. The local pub is not open at this time. If you walk to Port Wemyss along the coastal path there is a lovely coffee, pastry, and pie take away window/shop. We thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of Portnahaven and the VRBO home.

Stayed 4 nights in May 2022

About the host

Hosted by Achnaha

Born in Australia, lived in Scotland since I was 10 and have always loved the sea, no matter what the weather - my happy place is by the sea. Career has been in hospitality, tourism and events and now loving renovating properties to be special holiday homes.

Why they chose this property

My first holiday to Islay was 7 years ago and our family fell in love with the island. Since then I have been searching for the perfect holiday home for families to enjoy. Portnahaven is a romantic, quiet village and the house has stunning views of the beach and sea and has a warm home from home feel. You can spend the day sitting at the dining table watching the seals swim and sunbath!

What makes this property unique

Stunning views
Modern and comfortable interiors
New kitchen with all mod cons
Large walk in shower
Calm safe beach for children to play
Pub and shop short walking distance
Beautiful village
Perfect base for exploring the Isle of Islay