Best hotels by the seaside in Scotland

Featured hotels with Special Offers

Shieldaig Lodge - Hogmanay Special Offer

Gairloch

Whale-watching, spectacular sunsets and starry, starry nights are among the wonders at this Victorian former hunting lodge on a wooded estate lapped by Loch Gairloch.

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weddings
child_friendly
walking
garden
fishing
wifi
parking
rooms_with_a_view
conference_meeting
outdoor_pursuits_hunting
conferencemeeting_friendly
country_house
romantic
vegetarian_friendly
for_winelovers
honeymoon
bird_watching
seaside
golf
horse_riding
cycling
wildlife_watching
wheelchair_accessible
boutique
babyfriendly
foodie
historic
dog_friendly

More hotels by the sea in Scotland

Bunchrew House, Inverness

There are glorious views from this traditional country house hotel with formal dining room, set in gardens and woodland on the shore of the Beauly Firth.

The Colintraive Hotel, Colintraive

Walkers, kayakers and wildlife-watchers are in their element at this friendly inn, with views to the Isle of Bute, moorings for the waterborne, bedrooms supplied with fresh coffee, and seasonal produce cooked with flair.

Glenegedale House, Glenegedale

Graeme and Emma Clark’s hospitable guest house on the Isle of Islay basks in uninterrupted views over the Mull of Oa; guests often bask in the comfort – and indulgent treats – the hosts provide.

The Ship Inn, Elie

The catch of the day could be Shetland hake in the restaurant or nifty fielding on the sands at this pub-with-rooms overlooking the Firth of Forth, with its own beach cricket team.

Jura Hotel, Craighouse

The only hotel on this sparsely populated island has warm, simple bedrooms with contemporary furnishings and appetising, no-nonsense menus of gastropub-style favourites.

Kinloch Lodge, Sleat

'In a beautiful position' on the shores of Loch Na Dal, in the lee of a wooded hill, this former hunting lodge offers 'comfortable bedrooms and public rooms and excellent food'.

Galson Farm Guest House,

On the north-west coast of the Isle of Lewis, Elaine Fothergill and Richard Inger invite you to their traditional Hebridean farmhouse to switch off, unwind and relax.

The Bonnie Badger, Gullane

Tom and Michaela Kitchin preside at this gastropub, where Victorian interiors have had a smart-casual Scandi-Scotia makeover, and you can dine on pub classics in the bar, or get the nosebag on for Tom’s Michelin-starred nature-to-plate dishes in the converted stables.

Coruisk House, Isle of Skye

A single-track road leads to this remote and intimate Skye ‘black house’, with simple, chic bedrooms, glorious views and a restaurant serving a four-course set menu of local produce.

Eddrachilles Hotel, Scourie

Amid the awe-inspiring landscape of the North West Highlands Geopark, in gardens bordering Badcall Bay, Fiona and Richard Trevor’s small hotel receives readers' acclaim.

Knockderry House Hotel, Helensburgh

'Scottish baronial at its best', this Victorian fantasia with half-timbering, turrets, candle-snuffer roofs and stepped gables, sits in ‘a lovely large garden’ on the shores of Loch Long.

Lundies House,

A Scandi makeover has transformed this 19th-century manse, overlooking the Kyle of Tongue, into an environmentally aware boutique hotel with the feel of a design and art enthusiast’s home.

Mingary Castle, Kilchoan

‘Staying in the inner courtyard of a 13th-century castle was always going to be unforgettable,’ writes an inspector, on a visit to Colin Nicolson and Jessica Thompson’s restaurant-with-rooms.

Royal Marine Hotel,

One of the world’s most beautiful drives, along the North Coast 500, brings you to a fishing village and this ‘beautiful small hotel, recently renovated’, now part of Highland Coast Hotels.

No 17 on The Promenade, Oban

You can drink cocktails as you watch the ferries from the opulent lounge or the terrace of this Victorian seafront hotel, which reopened in 2022 under new ownership after a six-figure transformation.

Burnside Cottage, Caithness

‘I have not stayed in a better B&B,’ wrote our inspector, of this dog-friendly, eco-friendly guesthouse moments from Orkney ferries terminal.

The Kirkwall Hotel, Kirkwall

A French-influenced building on the harbourside, this family-friendly hotel and local hub was extensively refurbished by new owners the Original Collection in 2018.

The Creggans Inn, Strachur

Front-facing rooms have glorious views over Loch Fyne at this slightly old-fashioned, historic, dog-friendly inn, where produce from the loch and surrounding land appears on menus in the bistro.

Glenapp Castle, Ballantrae

A tree-lined drive leads to this splendid Victorian Scottish baronial pile and luxury hotel in landscaped grounds, where dinner can be a grand occasion or a more informal affair.

Argyll Hotel, Iona

Overlooking the sea towards Mull, in a 'fabulous location near the harbour', this hotel on the Hebridean island of Iona has a deserved reputation for its warm welcome, fresh and creative food, and restorative peace.

Kilberry Inn, Tarbert

A whitewashed crofter’s cottage with a red tin roof, on a scenic, single-track road, is the unlikely setting for this much-loved restaurant-with-rooms.

The Foveran, St Ola

Overlooking Scapa Flow, the Doulls’ restaurant-with-rooms has spruce modern bedrooms and a many-windowed dining room, where Paul Doull’s menus of locally farmed and fished produce vie for attention with the seascape.

Scarista House, Isle of Harris

The long drive is worth it to this edge-of-the-world location, where a Georgian manse, with pretty, traditional rooms and superb food, overlooks a long sandy beach.

Langass Lodge, Locheport

If you don’t see owners Amanda and Niall Leveson Gower around their small hotel, they may be at sister venture Hamersay House, or out diving for scallops and gathering mussels for supper.

Summer Isles, ACHILTIBUIE

‘Miles of single-track road’ lead to this remote hotel with ‘a breathtaking vista of the Summer Isles and the distant mountains of Wester Ross’.

Loch Melfort Hotel, Oban

Choose a lodge rooms with sea-facing balcony or decking, or a more traditional house room, at this Victorian mansion beside Arduaine Garden, with bistro-style cooking and views across Asknish Bay.

The Colonsay, Colonsay

The ferry from Oban brings you to the sole hotel, now under new ownership and management, on a beautiful island of fine sandy beaches, heather-clad hills, wild goats, ancient woodland, peat bogs and tidal flats.

Loch Gorm House, Bruichladdich

Home-baked scones ae among welcoming touches at this smartly furnished B&B overlooking Loch Indaal on the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides.

Sunny Brae, Nairn

Pristine, light and airy bedrooms have views of the suntrap garden or the sea at this affordable modern B&B on the Moray coast, just across the road from the beach.

The Pierhouse, Port Appin

On the shores of Loch Linnhe, with views to Lismore and the mountains of Moven, this former pier-master’s house is a lovely hotel with stylish bedrooms and a varied menu, long on fish, served in the sea-view dining room.

Coll Hotel, Isle of Coll

Beside the ferry landing, with views to Mull and Staffa, this family-run hotel and island social hub has smart, uncluttered bedrooms, and short menus of locally fished and farmed produce.

Applecross Inn, Applecross

All of the seven attractive, simple bedrooms have a sea view at this Highland village inn overlooking the Inner Sound, and there is a popular bar, dining-room, and waterside terrace for alfresco dining.

The Three Chimneys and The House Over-By, Dunvegan

Decorated in cool Scandi-Scots style, this former crofter’s house on the shores of Loch Dunvegan is a celebrated restaurant showcasing local produce, with, across the courtyard, spacious, split-level bedrooms painted in restful shades.

Cuillin Hills Hotel, PORTREE

With possibly the best location in Portree, this former Victorian shooting lodge has spectacular views over the bay and Sound of Raasay to the Cuillin mountains.

Hotels by the sea in Scotland: from romantic coastal retreats to luxury golf hotels

From boats bobbing on the Iona Sound to cavorting seals at Loch Gairloch, tantalising seafood at Loch Crinan to white sand beaches on Colonsay island.

Particularly beguiling are those hotels that take that little bit of extra effort to get to. The Colonsay, on an island, for example, inhabited by 135 people as well as swarms of seals, otters and eagles, you will find a hotel that’s truly like stepping back in time. Live music fills the air in the evenings, while days are spent at innocent pursuits such as rock pooling.

For a more elegant experience, the likes of Kinloch Lodge at Sleat or Burrastow House on the wild West Coast offer extraordinarily beautiful locations, blessed with breathtaking views and a truly romantic hotel atmosphere as well. Equally, The Creggans Inn at Strachur provides a rustic style of romance and the log fires that burn at The Pierhouse at Port Appin envelope you in a warm welcome come rain or shine.

Alternatively, golfers delight in the luxury hotel that is Greywalls at Gullane, flanked by the Muirfield golf course as well as nine others close by. Meanwhile, foodies delight in Scotland's pubs with rooms, such as The Ship Inn at Elie or Applecross Inn. Or for an exceptional family holiday retreat it’s hard to beat the luxuries of Auchrannie House Hotel at Brodick with its sweeping grounds and plentiful activities.

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Hotels by the sea in Scotland

Featured hotels with Special Offers

Hotels by the sea in Scotland

Shieldaig Lodge - Hogmanay Special Offer

Gairloch

More hotels by the sea in Scotland

Hotels by the sea in Scotland

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