Scarista House
There are few more remote hotels in the Guide than this Georgian former manse, in a ‘spectacular’ setting between a white-sand beach and heather-clad mountains. More
Good Hotel Guide Review
There are few more remote hotels in the Guide than this Georgian former manse, in a ‘spectacular’ setting between a white-sand beach and heather-clad mountains. Run by Patricia Martin and her husband, Tim, it is a welcoming place, where new arrivals are greeted with a pot of leaf tea, home-baked cake and scones. Lounges have a cosy, ‘lived-in’ feel, with ‘squashy sofas’ and a real fire. Three of the bedrooms are in an annexe. Lily has a super-king-size bed, a bookshelf bedhead stocked with Penguin classics, and an anteroom in which to sit and watch the sunset. The decor may be a mite dated, but there is praise for a ‘wonderful, spotless bathroom’ with a bath to wallow in and a powerful overhead shower. Dinner is composed of organic, wild and home-produced ingredients. A typical menu: Uist crab tart; navarin of Lewis lamb; fresh figs, brown-bread ice cream and langues de chat. At breakfast there is Ayrshire bacon, Stornoway sausages, Inverawe kipper, Salar smoked salmon, eggs from the house hens when they are laying. Then a visit to one of the island’s tweed weavers is a must.
Hotel details
Address
Scarista
Isle of Harris
Western Isles
HS3 3HX
Scotland
Telephone
01859 550238
Bedrooms
6. 3 in annexe.
Open
9–30 Nov 2020, Mar–mid-Oct.
Facilities
drawing room, library, 2 dining rooms, Wi-Fi not available in some bedrooms, wedding facilities, 1-acre garden, unsuitable for disabled.
Background music
none.
Children
all ages welcomed.
Dogs
allowed in bedrooms and 1 public room.
Credit cards
Amex, MC, Visa.
Prices
per room B&B single £165–£180, double £233–£250. Set dinner £49.50–£57. Advance 1-night bookings refused.
Other reviews
Good Hotel Guide articles about
Scarista House
- Sunday Post: 10 of the most beautiful hotels in Scotland
- USA Today: 20 of the most beautiful hotels in Scotland
- Visit Britain: 10 utterly romantic hotels to stay in the UK
- Independent.co.uk: Britain’s Best Hotel Rooms with a View
- Huffington Post: Ten of the Best Scottish Hotels
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