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About
#1 of 1 small hotel in Durness
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Mackay’s Rooms is one of those rare finds one makes or hears about very occasionally. Located in the rugged and spectacular scenery of Durness, Mackay’s is a truly luxurious individually styled B&B where guests can come to escape from the stresses of daily life. Guests who stay here have an opportunity to experience Scotland’s real untamed natural environment in the comfort of world class accommodation- modern highland chic! A warm welcome from Robbie and Fiona Mackay, their family and friendly staff awaits all visitors to their highland retreat.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Wifi
Special diet menus
Hiking
Non-smoking hotel
Shared lounge / TV area
Room features
Flatscreen TV
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Modern
Languages Spoken
English
Location
38Car recommended
Grade: 38 out of 100
4Restaurantswithin 5 miles
18Attractionswithin 5 miles
589Reviews4Q+A65Room tips
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We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
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.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
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We stayed in this wonderful hotel as a part of NC500. Of the 8 different hotels on our travels this was by far our favourite and the best. Warm welcome from Fiona and a very nice comfortable room which was spotless and welcoming. We later met Robbie who was equally friendly. Unfortunately it was only one night as the area is lovely, but importantly we would then have been able to have more than just one breakfast !!!
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Don’t skip breakfast !!
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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
We got a last minute booking when the weather turned sour on our NC500 camping trip. The staff were amazing, and the breakfast was the best we had throughout our stay in the Highlands, even better than an apparent 5* hotel. Bed was super comfy, and the bathroom was very nice. The hotel was clean and the communal areas felt like home, very cosy. Would recommend this place to anyone.
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Book early, we booked late and believe that was reflected in the price at £165, would stay again.
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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
Stayed for one night on our recent NC500 trip and we are so glad we did, From the friendly greeting from Fiona to the lovely clean and very comfortable room it was excellent. We had heard about the great breakfast and boy were we not disappointed. Our only disappointment was that we were only there for one night. A perfect stay in every way, thanks Fiona and team
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Date of stay: September 2023
Location
Cleanliness
Service
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
We were greeted by Fiona and her gorgeous dog. Our bed was so comfortable and the best of all the sheets had been dried outside and had that wonderful fresh smell. We slept very well. Fiona had told us the breakfast was amazing and it was ….. yoghurt, homemade fruit compote and muesli, yummy cake, then your choice of cooked breakfast and toast with homemade marmalade and jam. Don’t miss out on this gem!
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip 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
+1
Our stay here five years ago was one of the highlights of our NC500 trip. So much so, that we came back to Durness just to stay here. While last time we stayed in the cabin, this trip we stayed in the hotel itself. The room was lovely, and even though it was right on the main road going through town, Durness isn't that busy and we could sleep with the window open The hotel has a lovely parlor area where you can order a drink in the evening. Fiona, the owner, and her right-hand man Paco truly make every guest feel at home and like family. Sadly, Fiona and her husband Robbie had recently had to say goodbye to their golden retriever Garvey, whom we had fallen in love with on the last trip. But they have two-year old Lucca who is equally sweet. One of the other highlights of staying here are the included breakfasts. They have a daily special and a half-dozen regular selections. All are fantastic. When we return to Scotland, we will also return to Durness to stay at Mackay's Rooms. …
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip 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
We booked the Bothan self-catering room for 2 nights. It was hidden away behind the local store and had dedicated parking. The property appears to be a repurposes shipping container but it was quite comfortable and cute, though a bit small. It had a lovely deck with picnic table which was a great place to sit and sip a drink while people-watching. It also had a good view of the ocean and coastline but there is a campground between the Bothan and ocean which distracted from the view (but it's great for people-watching). The bed was comfortable but a bit difficult to get in and out of as the only way to get on it was to crawl from the foot. There were also no bedside tables, but they did provide leather pouches to put things such as glasses or books in. There was no television, but since we didn't watch it anyway it didn't matter to us. The kitchen is very small and does not have a microwave, so we had to factor that into our grocery purchases. Most of the time we didn't have an issue with parking; however, because it sits behind the busy store we did encounter an issue with accessing the property when the store was busy. People would park at the entrance to the drive to the Bothan and block it. …
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Date of stay: May 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: If you're going to arrive on Sunday make sure you have food for the day. Also, book in advance as...
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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
+1
Recently enjoyed a two night stay at the Bothan @ Mackays. It was amazing! Just me and my dog, travelling through the highlands and this was a beautiful place to stop. Fab location, just a few minutes walk from the beach and located on a quiet, private car park. Lots of beautiful beaches and scenic drives nearby. The very well equipped SPAR shop and petrol station are handy to have so close by. Loved the amazing view of the sea - partially obstructed by the campsite but still stunning. We were fortunate to get a spectacular sunset one night! Finished to a very high standard, with lovely luxury touches like Portmeirion crockery, lambswool throw and luxurious bedding. The bed is huge and extremely comfortable! Great shower too. The fresh flowers, fruit and candle were nice additions and much appreciated. All in all, a fabulous stay! Would highly recommend!…
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip 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.
Helpful
I have stayed in 4 of Mackays properties and they have all met my expectations - and some more ! Last year my stay in the Bothan was glorious and quirky. This year my 2 week stay in the Cabin was everything that I needed - first class comfort and loved the location opposite the shop on a wee hill with a great view of the sea beyond. Easy to work smart tv, cooking facilities , very comfortable beds and sheets and a log burner for those days when it’s colder and rainy. Mackays Spar shop is the best you’ll find, north of Waitrose 👍. It has everything from basics to treats to the unexpected . Fiona and Robbie are available and very willing to respond to any requests. And this is one of the reasons we would come back and book with Mackays every year. Durness sells itself in its astounding and beautiful location in the far north west coast .…
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Date of stay: August 2022
Room Tip: I stayed at the Cabin so these questions weren’t applicable .
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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
Stayed at The Bothan for 3 nights at the end of May. This is a converted shipping container providing self catering accommodation for 2 people. The Bothan is very warm & comfortable with a comfortable bed, nice shower, and all necessary amenities for self catering. The nearby Spar has everything you need with friendly staff. It is located right behind the local Spar, and while there is a sea view you are overlooking the local camp site.
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: The Bothan does not have a microwave, which may limit cooking options
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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
We stayed in the Bothan, billed as a cool studio that turned out to be a converted shipping container located across the street from the main hotel in the parking lot of a market owned by the owner of the Bothan. The main hotel was closed. There was no note or any information of where we should check in on this rainy day, but we noticed the name on the market was Mackay's, so we went in. When we got to the storage container, we saw the advertised oversized bed was positioned between two walls so we had to wriggle out the bottom to get out of bed. There were pouches tacked to the wall to serve as bedside tables. The advertised sea view was actually a view of a caravan park with the sea in the background. Lawn separating us from the caravans had people walking across and looking into our place, making for very little privacy. The storage container was tidy in providing a small bathroom with shower and a kitchen, as well as a large table and bench seating on two sides. We’d been under the impression breakfast was included, both because we booked on the website which touted "breakfast is the most important meal, and our aim is to awaken your senses and offer a great start to your day with delicious homemade food, freshly prepared every morning using the very best seasonal, local and organic ingredients. "Additionally, on checkin, when we inquired about breakfast and were for the first time told the hotel was closed, we were told we could come to the market and get coffee and a pastry. Although this wasn’t a hot breakfast, we were sort of ok with that. However, when we went the next morning for our coffee and pastry, we ended up with the misfortune of meeting Robbie Mackay, who accused us of lying about being told we would get coffee and pastry, and was in general rude and abusive in the extreme. Instead of any allowance for the fact that we were his only guests, and we were paying £169 for one night in a storage container, and were telling him our expectations, he was totally inhospitable and somewhat sarcastic in saying we could have the coffee we’d already poured "out of the goodness of his heart." Altogether, an experience we cannot forget too soon.…
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Date of stay: May 2022
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
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 fiona mackay, Owner at Mackay's Rooms
Responded 25 May 2022
We have been waiting for this review and in fact it is not as scathing as expected. It was very obvious to all that upon arrival we were never going to satisfy you or meet your expectations. You booked our gorgeously"weird" self-contained Bothan at Mackay's- all the information upon booking is automatically provided however you actually have to read this to understand what/where it is you have booked. Yes it was raining when you arrived much to your apparent despair. Our team spent much time with you on your numerous requests and gladly so, but a little thanks and consideration is always appreciated. We never want to receive a negative review as we strive daily every single day to get positive reviews from positive happy people however sometimes this is just not possible. Such a shame as travel and new experience is a gift and should not be such a chore. At least we can agree with your final sentence I hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip to our wonderful country - rain an all!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ALSO KNOWN AS
mackays rooms hotel, mackays rooms durness
LOCATION
United KingdomScotlandScottish HighlandsCaithness and SutherlandDurness
NUMBER OF ROOMS
7
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What are some of the property amenities at Mackay's Rooms?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free parking, and hiking.