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Swallows Roost (Ensuite Rooms) Room only accommodation Guest accommodation comprises of 2 ensuite bedrooms, cosy sitting room and a small breakfast room area. Ideal for twobcouples travelling together or two people travelling together who require a separate bedroom. A complimentary "continental style" breakfast box packed with breakfast essentials is provided for guests on arrival. The accommodation is part of the owner's house and is located on the ground floor of the property. Swallows Roost is situated 3 miles from the village of Port Ellen on a peaceful, heather covered hillside with beautiful views overlooking Carraig Fhada Lighthouse, the Singing Sands beach and Kilnaughton Bay. The Panoramic views extend across the sea to the Mull of Kintyre, Rathlin Island and beyond to the coast of Ireland There is Plenty of outdoor seating where guests can relax and enjoy the view. A stroll downhill leads to the nearby beaches and Carraig Fhada Lighthouse. Swallows Roost is conveniently located to visit many of Islay's attractions, including the nearby distilleries of Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg .Only a short drive to the American Monument which is situated on the breathtaking Oa Peninsula . For keen golfers The Machrie Hotel and Golf Links is approximately 4 miles away.
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My family and I visited swallow’s roost for a week’s holiday and we couldn’t have been made to feel any more welcome by the lovely hosts, Dave and Susan. The house is in a fantastic location with beautiful views from all aspects. The rooms are clean and spacious with plenty of home comforts. The beach, which is a short walk from the house is idyllic and secluded and there was always plenty of wildlife to spot. Dave and Susan couldn’t do enough for us and they made our trip very special indeed. We’ll definitely be back!
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Date of stay: June 2021Trip 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.
My husband, our friend and I stayed in the pod for four nights. We were blown away immediately by how lovely it was. The view of Port Ellen harbour, the lighthouse and across the bay is stunning. The pod was perfect for our stay and the facilities were great for making our own meals. The beds were so comfortable and the pod was generously stocked with milk, yoghurts, jam, Yorkshire Tea (perfect for Yorkshire guests!) and much more, which was lovely. As whisky fans we shared a few drams with David and Susan who were lovely, kind and very welcoming and accommodating hosts. One tip - if you find you’ve stayed a bit too long in the pub and you’re too late for a taxi back, the walk back up the hill is very peaceful - and it will sober you up! Thank you David and Susan for a wonderful stay. Looking forward to seeing you again.…
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Date of stay: July 2019Trip type: Travelled with friends
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.
I visited Swallow's Roost at the beginning of May. The house is located at a marvellous spot on top of a small hill, from where you can view the Port Ellen's harbour and the ferry that every day arrives and departs, but also a beatiful lighthouse in the shore. The host is a extremely nice lady, Mrs Susan, very friendly and astonishgly hospital. The room had a wonderful view to the bay,
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Date of stay: May 2017Trip type: Travelled with friends
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.
The pod was perfect for traveling with family, with two bedrooms and two baths (one ensuite, one not). Susan was kind enough to stock the pod with breakfast things (tea, coffee, croissants, homemade jam, butter, milk, orange juice, yogurt) which was lovely as we arrived in the evening after a long day of travel. She and David greeted us as if we were old friends, and David welcomed us to Islay with a wee dram of Laphroaig. When he heard I was a gin lover, he came back with a bottle of Botanist for me to try, with two bottles of tonic. What a wonderful welcome! The view from the pod is absolutely stunning. The pod is situated next door to the Swallows Roost B&B, about 10 minutes' drive from Port Ellen. Lagavulin, Laphroiag, and Ardbeg are only about a 15 minute drive. The Kidalton Cross is about 20 minutes away. If you enjoy walking, I'd recommend driving to the American Monument. There is a car park there, and the walk up to the monument is just gorgeous. The walk down to the lighthouse from the pod is quite nice as well, although the walk back up is fairly steep so you need to have at least a basic level of fitness. The pod was cozy and comfortable. The ensuite bedroom has a full size bed, and the other has two twins. Both baths have stall showers with good water pressure and plenty of hot water. The only thing I can think to improve was that the windows could use blackout curtains, since the sun comes up so early. Also there could be a bit more shelving and hooks in the bedrooms and baths. But these are minor suggestions - the pod is very comfortable, the location is great if you're visiting the three distilleries, and the hospitality is warm and lovely. We came to Islay for the whisky, and ended up loving the island and its wonderful people. Highly recommend!…
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Date of stay: May 2017
Value
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Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:The self-catering pod is perfect for families
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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.
Stayed at the self catering POD for two nights. Susan was a great host even though self catering, the POD was well stocked with all the essentials including home made cake which was yummy. A dram of Whisky was also waiting for us which was lovely. It sits over the beautiful singing sands and you can see all of Port Ellen from the window. Comfortable for two adults or a family of 4. Two bathrooms and two bedrooms. Easy to locate from ferry, easy 20minute drive to Bowmore, 15 minute drive to Lagavulin and 5 minute drive to port Ellen. Walking is for the fit and adventurous as at the top of a steep hill however I am neither and enjoyed taking the time to wander down to the beaches and you get to meet the neighbors too ,wild goats! Would love to visit again, as didn't do enough sightseeing around this beautiful area. …
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Date of stay: April 2017Trip 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.
Swallows Roost would have to be the best B&B I have stayed in, in one of the best destinations I have been in. Susan, and her offsiders, Ralph and Mary, are great people willing to help us at every turn. They gave us some great tips and ideas. Susan's breakfasts with Ralph's bacon and cheese filled croissants were fantastic. We felt like family during our stay and it was very hard to leave. The views of port Ellen across the Bay are beautiful. Couldn't recommend it highly enough. Excellent!
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Date of stay: May 2016
Rooms
Location
Service
Trip 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.
I'm glad I picked Swallows Roost during my stay on Islay. Beautiful view overlooking Port Ellen and nice house. The host Susan, is very caring and was nice enough to pick me up in Port Ellen since I didn't have a car. I stayed here for 2 days as I visited Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig. I'd highly recommended to anyone looking for a nice place to stay close to Port Ellen.
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Date of stay: April 2016
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Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled solo
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.
Swallow's Roost is just a beautifully presented B&B in a fantastic elevated position 3miles outside Port Ellen overlooking the bay and surrounding coastline. Susan and family made us so welcome and helped us with everything we needed to do to get around, find the right places to go to and where to eat etc. Had a great weekend and would recommend to others.
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Date of stay: September 2015
Value
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Trip 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.
We had the honour to be Susan's guests on our trip to Islay and already on arrival we were stunned by the view. We had two lovely rooms with overlook on the Port Ellen and the sea. The whole house is very clean and compared to other B&Bs we visited in Scotland high above the standard. I haven't slept that deep since ages! The host was highly helpful and introduced us to all necessary information about the island (there's also plenty of books if you prefer to inform yourself). The (continental) breakfast stayed unbeatten on our whole trip! (You won't need lunch... for two days... :) ). Thanks again to Susan for a great time and all your hospitality! I assume we haven't met the last time... We used Swallow's Roost as a hub for the distilleries. Just as a recommondation: - Bruichladdich (approx 40 min from B&B): great dist. and free tasting of the whole sortiment. (was the designated driver.... pff...) - Buinnabhain (approx 1h): the drive way alone that leads to the building is worth a trip... the Whisky anyway! And they have seal puppies swimming around in front of the building (free tasting of the whole sortiment...) - Lagavulin (approx 15 min): Also free tasting of three different Whiskies and a beautiful settled distillery. Great view also from the other side of the little bay and some ruins. - Coal Ila & Ardbeg are rather industrial, not that much fun. Didn't make it to the other distilliries... If I would need a reason to come back... :)…
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Date of stay: August 2015
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
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.
Very close to the Port Ellen ferry is the lovely home at Swallow’s Roost where we were cheerfully greeted as we drove up to the driveway. Although our host Susan was away, her in-laws, Ralph and Mary took wonderful care of us. They were sweet and welcoming from the start. Ralph gave us helpful suggestions as to which distilleries were the best to try first. He was also great company when we returned at night after dinner. He and Mary served up a delicious breakfast. Our stay there was very heartwarming and personal. Our only regret was that we were not able to meet Susan, but this did not dampen our trip at all. We are so glad we got to spend time with Ralph and Mary and will most likely visit them again on our return trip to Islay.
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Date of stay: June 2015
Value
Rooms
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:The view from the room overlooking the harbor is amazing
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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.