Eilean Shona House and Cottages
Acharacle PH36 4LR Scotland
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#1 of 1 cottage in Acharacle
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8 unique self-catering cottages on a remote Scottish island in the Inner Hebrides. Plus Eilean Shona House, an exclusive rental for up to 18 guests fully catered.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
Location
Acharacle PH36 4LR Scotland
160Reviews3Q+A27Room tips
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Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
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I stayed in Red Cottage. The cottage was really peaceful, the bed was very comfortable and the view of Loch Moidart from the front windows was lovely, and changed with the weather. The staff were lovely and very responsive to my emails in advance of the trip. The cottage itself, due to its location in the middle of a forested area, was dark, especially the living room and kitchen. It is also a bit basic in terms of comfort, especially given the price. The living room felt quite worn. Some of the glasses and dishes in the kitchen were grimy, presumably as they'd been washed by previous guests. In the evenings I could hear something scuttling (from the attic space I think) and I found a mousetrap under the sink. I should stress that every other guest I met on Eilean Shona seemed to love the island and most were either repeat visitors or already planning their next visit! There are a number (I think 5) of marked walking / hiking trails. I'm reasonably fit and found most of them quite tough. The signposting is poor in places and there are steep drops with no protective barriers. The information pack provided in advance of the visit mentioned that ticks were prevalent on Eilean Shona and they really are. Because of the level of vegetation, it's really not possible to avoid them so precautions should be taken. The island shop is only open for two half-hour slots per week - I feel this should be made clear prior to guests' arrival. The information pack provided in advance glosses over this fact so I was under the impression that I could top up my groceries whenever I wanted. To sum up, based on my personal experience, I would not recommend Eilean Shona. I did not find it relaxing or fun.…
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Sublime. My Husband I had a week here - a break from the modern world and this place is just wonderful. The scenery, the mystery, the magic. You just can’t explain how lucky you feel to experience this beautiful island. We did it all - a sunset climb to the summit, all the walks, beach, mystical forest, saw deer and other wild life. The staff here were just amazing and couldn’t do enough for us. Two young couples who work sooooo hard to make it the best holiday ever. We will be back - thank you Eilean Shona - you won our hearts 💖
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Date of stay: April 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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+1
First time on Eilean Shona with our 3 boys aged 9, 5 and 5. Stayed at Tioram which was excellent location close to village hall for boys to play in and with great fire pit area we used every night and easy access to Loch for swimming/paddleboarding. Had 2 super days using the kayaks/canoes to go to spectacular shoe bay and coral/barramore bay. Also had brilliant morning with forager Leon collecting food and drink to cook over the fire we built. Boggy but spectacular walk to summit and easier walk to schoolhouse. Crabbing and pier jumping lots of fun. Constant noise from our party prevented successful wildlife spotting but did get pine martens visiting final evening and saw seals on way to shoe bay. Hosts Sarah and Jonty were superb and very kind and helpful, as were the team rescuing our boats when wind/tide prevented us getting back to dock one day! Already planning our return visit!…
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Eilean Shona, General Manager at Eilean Shona House and Cottages
Responded 19 Aug 2022
Thank you for your lovely review of Eilean Shona, it's great to hear when guests enjoy all that the island has to offer. We loved having Jack, Luke and Thomas...fantastic boys. Taking advantage of the kayaks and canoes is what it's all about and a day on white sands of Shoe Bay is a must. The relatively short walk/scramble to the summit rewards you with the most spectacular views of islands and the mountains inland. Thanks again for coming and we do hope to see you again. The Eilean Shona Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
We left Eilean Shona yesterday after our tenth visit. It is truly a magical place! We saw deer, sea eagles, herons and the wonderful pine martens ( take a couple of dozen eggs with you and they will come to the cottage every night for their treats). Many little birds came to our bird feeders, we saw Great tits, Coal tits, Blue tits, Chaffinch and a couple we couldn’t identify, it’s well worth taking some sunflower hearts and fat balls. The walks are all worth taking, we had a lazy year this year but would recommend trying them all if you’re fit. The total peace and quiet is priceless but pub night at the village hall on a Tuesday is a brilliant idea and a good laugh 😁 The cottage is cosy with the most amazing view all of your own! Watch the tide come in and out with a campfire and a wee dram 😁 The staff are all brilliant, friendly and helpful but if you want total seclusion you are left alone. To sum up, we will never leave this island without intending to return 💙…
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Eilean Shona, General Manager at Eilean Shona House and Cottages
Responded 19 Aug 2022
It was so good to see you both back on Eilean Shona...we loved seeing the videos of the pine Martens on your window sill and description of watching the incoming and outgoing tide every day in the bay off Sawmill Cottage sums up the effect the island has. We'll be sorry to miss you next time you're here but know that Shona will deliver again on your eleventh visit. Many thanks for the review Jonty & Sarah
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
Stayed in red cottage which was great location , fully equipped cottage with the most amazing views . Silence was golden , deer in front pasture most days , pine marten at night . Peace and quiet with a wood next door . This place was amazingly beautiful. Couldn’t recommend it enough ,saw the other cottages and they looked fab too .
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Be organized with meals and pre order what you can as it was fab it already being there on...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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+1
What an amazing place! We spent a fabulous week in Sheppard's Cottage. The cottage was a 40 minute walk from the harbour/drop-off point, which we didn't mind as we love walking. The views on the way to the cottage and the view from the cottage out to sea were incredible. The cottage was beautiful, it was quaint and cosy, it had an old-fashioned style but with some touches of modern, and pops of colour here and there. We had to light the coal fire to heat the water and the rooms, and the lighting and cooking was by gas. The cottage was quite remote (but there was another cottage just over the brow of the hill) there was no phone signal and no electric (TV) or Wifi, and at first we thought we wouldn't cope without having a connection, but after a day or two it was absolute great! Our days were spent walking and nature seeking all over the island with our dog, and our evenings were spent either outside lighting a fire and watching the gorgeous sunsets, or inside playing cards and talking to each other, instead of staring at a TV or a mobile phone. If you are desperate for contact with the outside world you can climb to the top of the mountain or walk back to the harbour/village hall for a phone signal. The island is quite rugged in places so some of the walks (over the mountain & up to the summit) were quite strenuous (especially if you are not very fit, which obviously I am not). Every day I came back from our walks absolutely exhausted, but it was a happy exhausted from all the exercise and breathing in the lovely fresh sea/Scottish air (my city car-fumed filled lungs didn't know what had hit them). At then end of the day our dog would plonk down on the grass (or on his bed) snoring and we would have a warm bath, then light the fire have a drink (the Island sells a delicious 'Sapling' Vodka - which was so yummy - apparently a tree is planted by the brewing company every time a bottle is sold). Sarah, Jonty and the Team were polite, helpful and welcoming. They delivered all our bags and boxes to the cottage for us and they brought them all back on our return. Tuesday night was pub night (hour and half) in the village hall which was lovely to get to meet some of the other islanders and locals. There is a village shop which is stocked with essentials if you do run out of anything, and the Island Team are now starting to grown their own fruit & veg on the island, which is great as the fruit & veg we brought with us didn't last very long. If you are feeling really fit there is a run you can do to the island summit (The Bothy Summit Challenge). The leader-board is on the wall in the village hall. The fastest time so far is held by a lad called Jack, who did it in 12 minutes and 16 seconds. Walking to the summit was more than enough of a challenge for me, but it is definitely worth going up to the top for the wonderful views. At the end of our holiday we were sad to leave as we had such a great time (the weather was very kind to us, we had full sun/light breeze all week). We will definitely be going back soon. I just hope that it stays the same peaceful, relaxing digital detox island that it currently is.…
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Date of stay: April 2022
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Room Tip: All cottages are beautiful. Stay close to the main house/area if you don't want to be too...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Eilean Shona, General Manager at Eilean Shona House and Cottages
Responded 19 May 2022
I really am so happy to read this review...thank you for taking the time to talk through your experience at Shepherds Cottage...it really is a complete escape from the hustle and bustle and the views from the two chairs by the fire-pit whilst enjoying a glass are beyond beautiful. Being an island and without cars this is a dog heaven...Paddy (our black Lab) doesn't know what hits him when we do our occasional trip to Fort William and we produce the lead...something he never has to have on the island. Please come back and visit us again...since you enjoy the solitude so much perhaps South Shore is worth a go?...but then again Red Cottage, Sawmill...and just wait for the Sail Loft conversion....aaaagh the choices...!!! The Eilean Shona Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
We have been home now a few days and I have to say that this was a holiday that I cannot stop thinking about. I am so grateful to my wife for finding it and suggesting that we went. The air was so clean and fresh that I really miss stepping out of the cottage in the morning with some exploring ahead and taking a deep breath of what was probably very pine enriched ozone. Now into our 70's I suspect that we will not be returning to the island, as a couple, because my wife found the walking just a little too hard for her (probably not helped by her tripping over patio furniture on the way out to the compost bins in our garden the night before we left!) and even the simple trackway around the eastern end of the island is quite boulder strewn though the Staff using quad bikes delivering your luggage from the jetty cope with it. Personally, I have routes (mostly the important ones are very well waymarked with colour coding) still to explore but whereas other people on the island were seemingly bounding along and reaching the summit in minutes or exploring Shoe Bay on the narrow boggy paths for a swim if the weather brightened just a touch, I needed to pause more than once or twice to examine the view or take a picture... I found the twisting paths with awkward height changes OK - with care and walking poles - but it is interesting that for an island size of only 1,500 acres some quite strenuous effort is required in places. Having trekked in Alaska and Canada, I dressed accordingly and the weather was warm if a little wet at times. Plan your food and drink for the week carefully. I took along extra kitchen/camping equipment just in case though most items were available in the kitchen drawers.…
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Date of stay: October 2021
Value
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Room Tip: If not using Red Cottage, check whether there is electricity if you need it. Red Cottage is quite...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Eilean Shona, General Manager at Eilean Shona House and Cottages
Responded 30 Mar 2022
Dear Paul thank you so much for your review of Eilean Shona....I'm so happy that you both managed to experience the island and all it has to offer even if some of the paths were a little challenging. With the magnificent views, the sea eagles soaring above, the otters and seals playing along the shoreline and the incredibly fresh air it really is a tonic for both the mind and body. We do hope you visit us again soon.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
This is where you leave your phone, laptop and tablet at home, the only distractions being the wildlife, the views, the walks and the clean fresh air. The cottages are really cosy and well equipped and you have your own fire pit so bring plenty of marshmallows! After spending a week here we come home feeling relaxed and chilled and ready to re-enter the human race.
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Date of stay: April 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Eilean Shona, General Manager at Eilean Shona House and Cottages
Responded 30 Mar 2022
Thanks so much for your review of Eilean Shona...it obviously hit the right spot! Since your visit the cottages have been again upgraded and the interiors now sport fantastic new and vibrant colours. We have a new team helping us this summer and the island is looking spectacular with all the spring brings us. I do hope you will visit again.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The Island of Eilean Shona is truly magical, so very peaceful, and very beautiful in its entire surroundings and natural flora and fauna. Had the best holiday and will return again. Thank you ES Team! x
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Eilean Shona, General Manager at Eilean Shona House and Cottages
Responded 30 Mar 2022
Thank you too! It is always a pleasure hosting guests on the island especially those who truly drink in all that Eilean Shona has to offer. Even living on the island full time through winter and summer the sights and sounds (and silence) are quite unique. We do hope we see you again very soon.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We fell in love with Eilean Shona on our first trip there 11 years ago. It is stunningly beautiful with an abundance of wildlife with deer, pine martens, red squirrels, otters, seals and sea eagles all calling it home. It's wonderful to get away from the busy pace of day to day life to go to somewhere where you are completely back to nature. The whole experience is magical, from getting picked up by boat to the pretty cottages and beautiful island with its mix of woodlands, beaches and hills. We had a kayak this time which provided an opportunity to experience the island in a new way and get to some beaches we hadn't visited before. You can hire kayaks as well now if you don't have your own. Great to see some improvements since our last trip with way-marked paths on the main routes around the island and a revamped village hall complete with pub night, which is a great opportunity to meet other guests and the staff. The village shop is also very handy and well stocked for essentials. Sarah and Jonty are fabulous hosts and made us feel so welcome and couldn't do enough to help us throughout our stay. If you want to get away from it all in the most beautiful of locations, this is the place to come to.…
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Eilean Shona, General Manager at Eilean Shona House and Cottages
Responded 30 Mar 2022
Your review is fantastic and thank you...the team prides itself in providing n unforgettable experience and to read your words makes all the effort worthwhile. Since your visit we have had further work done to the cottages which now sport fantastic rich colours. We are in the process of renovating two further cottages that will be available soon so keep an eye on the website! I do hope you will be returning soon...the sun is shining and the loch beckons!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
LOCATION
United KingdomScotlandArgyll and ButeAcharacle
NUMBER OF ROOMS
8
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Frequently Asked Questions about Eilean Shona House and Cottages
Is parking available at Eilean Shona House and Cottages?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
Are pets allowed at Eilean Shona House and Cottages?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.