Lochview Cottage

Port Charlotte, Isle of Islay, Argyll

Lochview Cottage is at the west end of the beautiful village of Port Charlotte, with uninterrupted views across Lochindaal to Laggan and the Oa.

It offers twin-bedded accommodation for two people and also has a double sofa-bed in the kitchen/sitting room.

The Cottage has off-the-road parking and is three minutes’ stroll from the centre of the village.

All linen is provided, but please bring your own towels.

Well-behaved pets are welcome. There is a fenced and gated area to the rear of the Cottage, which contains a whirligig clothes-line and a picnic table

The view over to Laggan from the front window of the Cottage

We have a no-smoking policy inside the Cottage.

In the passing...

Something about Islay

For those who are not familiar with the island, Islay is the southernmost of the Inner Hebrides, off the West Coast of Scotland.

Islay is famed for its malt whisky. Most of the Islay malt whiskies are strongly flavoured by the smoke of the peat fires over which the malt is kilned. There are eight working distilleries: Bruichladdich, Kilchoman, Bowmore, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig, together with a maltings at Port Ellen. A ninth, Port Charlotte Distillery was created in 1829, changed its name to Lochindaal Distillery and closed in 1929. It is being rebuilt by the owners of Bruichladdich Distillery. Liz has created an extensive series of batiks of the Islay distilleries (please see the Distilleries Gallery, which also shows a set of all eight distilleries and the maltings in one frame).

Feis Ile, a combination of a music festival and a malt whisky festival, takes place at the end of May, beginning of June each year. Like the Black Bottle Jazz Festival in the middle of September, it brings a lot of fans to Islay.

Islay is world-famous for bird-watching. During the winter, we host the majority of the world populations of Greenland white-fronted and barnacle geese. All year round Islay offers an amazing variety of bird life, including waders and other sea birds, raptors and the rare chough.

There are many historic and prehistoric sites on the Island, including Finlaggan, the seat of the Lords of the Isles, Kildalton Chapel with its famous celtic cross and Kilchiaran Chapel, claimed to be St. Columba's first landfall when he came from Ireland and before he moved on to Iona.

Contact details

you may find useful:

• Bridgend Bowling Club, contact Susan Shaw, 7 Gartness Cottages, Ballygrant, Islay, PA45 7QN, Tel. 01496 840518.
• Caledonian MacBrayne, The Ferry Terminal, Gourock, PA19 1QP, Tel. 08705 650000, Fax 01475 635235, Website.
• Cantilena Festival of classical music, Website.
• Croft Kitchen Restaurant, Port Charlotte, Islay, PA48 7UD, Tel. 01496 850230.
• Cultoon Farm, Portnahaven, Islay, PA47 7SZ, Tel. & Fax 01496 860323.
• Distilleries:
• Ardbeg Distillery, Ardbeg, Islay, PA42 7EA. Tel. 01496 302234, Fax 01496 302040.
• Bowmore Distillery, Bowmore, Islay, PA43 7JS, Tel. 01496 810441, Fax 01496 810757.
• Bruichladdich Distillery, Bruichladdich, Islay, PA49 7UN, Tel. 01496 850221, Fax 01496 850477.
• Bunnahabhain Distillery, Port Askaig, Islay, PA46 7RT, Tel. 01496840646, Fax 01496 840248.
• Caol Ila Distillery, Port Askaig, Islay, PA46 7RJ, Tel. 01496 840207.
• Diageo, Maltings, Port Ellen, Islay, PA42 7AH, Tel. 01496 302315, Fax 01496 302477.
• Jura Distillery, Craighouse, Jura, PA60 7XS, Tel. 01496 820240.
• Kilchoman Distillery, Rockside Farm, Bruichladdich, Islay, PA49 7UT, Tel. 01496 850156.
• Lagavulin Distillery, Port Ellen, Islay, PA42 7DX, Tel. 01496 302400.
• Laphroaig Distillery, Port Ellen, Islay, PA42 7DU, Tel. 01496 302418.
• Dunlossit Estate: river and loch fishing, Estate Office, Cnoclearach Farm, Ballygrant, Islay, PA45 7QL, Tel. 01496 840232, Fax 01496 840694.
• Elizabeth Sykes Batiks, Islay House Square, Bridgend, Islay, PA44 7NZ, Tel. 01496 810147, Fax 01496 810953, Email, Website.
• Finlaggan Visitor Centre, Ballygrant, Islay, PA45 7QT, Tel. 01496 840644.
• Mrs. R. French: pony trekking, Rockside Farm, Bruichladdich, Islay, PA49 7UT, Tel./Fax 01496 850231,
• Gearach Forest Lodge: stalking, shooting, photographic tours, Port Charlotte, Islay, PA48 7UB, Tel./Fax 01496 850120, Website.
• Ionad Chaluim Chille Ile, Gartnatra, Bowmore, Islay, PA43 7LH, Tel., 01496 810818.
• The Ileach: fortnightly local newspaper and telecentre, Main Street, Bowmore, Islay, PA43 7JH, Tel. 01496 810355, Fax 01496 810647, Email.
• Islay Ales Company, Islay House Square, Bridgend, Islay, PA48 7NZ, Tel./Fax 01496 810014, Email.
• Islay Birding, The Old Byre, Port Charlotte, Islay, PA48 7TX, Tel. 01496 810544, Mobile 07824 665099, Email.
• Islaycarhire.com, Bridgend, Islay, PA44 7PQ, Tel. 01496 810544, Mobile 07824 665099, Email, Website.
• Islay Estates Co.: river and loch fishing and stalking, Estate Office, Bridgend, Islay, PA44 7PQ, Tel. 01496 810221, Fax 01496 810673.
• Islay Family History Society, Islay House Square, Bridgend, Islay, PA44 7NZ, Email.
• Islay Half Marathon, contact Kate MacAffer, Meadowside, Birch Drive, Bowmore, Islay, PA43 7JA, Tel. 01496810479. Website.
• Islay Marine Charters: sea fishing and trips, Tel. 01496 302495, Mobile 07776053658.
• Islay Quilters, Islay House Square, Bridgend PA44 7NZ: quilting workshops, contact Rae Woodrow, Cedar House, Birch Drive, Bowmore, Islay, PA43 7JA, Tel. 01496 810313.
• Islay Visual Arts Group, contact Rhona Mackenzie, 1 Main Street, Port Charlotte, Islay, PA48 7TX, Tel. 01496 850273.
• Islay Wildlife Information Centre, Port Charlotte, Islay, PA48 7UD, Tel. 01496 850288.
• Islay Woollen Mill Co. Ltd., Bridgend, Islay, PA44 7PG, Tel. 01496 810563, Fax 01496 810677.
• The Jazz Festival, contact Stuart Todd, Tigh Beag, 5 Crown Street, Portnahaven, Islay, PA47 7SW, Tel. 01496 860216, Website.
• Laggan Estate: river and loch fishing, Estate Office, Island House, Bowmore, Islay, PA43 7JF, Tel./Fax 01496 810235.
• Lochindaal Hotel, Port Charlotte, Islay, PA48 7TX, Tel. 01496 850202.
• Loganair: flights to Islay, Highlands and Islands Airways Ltd., Tel. 01667 462445, Website.
• Machrie Hotel and Golf Course, Port Ellen, Islay, PA42 7AW, Tel. 01496 302310, Fax 01496 302404.
• D. & N. Mackenzie; car hire and repair, Glenegedale, Islay, PA42 7AS, Tel. 01496 302300, Fax 01496 302324.
• Mactaggart Leisure Centre: swimming pool, sauna, gym, School Street, Bowmore, Islay, PA43 7JS, Tel. 01496 810767.
• C. & S. Monks, Spar general store, post office and filling station, Port Charlotte, Islay, PA48 7TX, Tel. 01496 850232.
• Billy Muir, Joiner and Cabinet Maker, Islay House Square, Bridgend, Islay, PA44 7NZ.
• Museum of Islay Life, Port Charlotte, Islay, PA48 7UA, Tel. 01496 850358.
• Port Charlotte Hotel and Restaurant, Port Charlotte, Islay, PA48 7TX, Tel. 01496 850360, Fax 01496 850361, Email.
• Rhinns Medical Centre, Port Charlotte, Islay, PA48 7UD, Tel. 01496 850210, Fax 01496 850511.
• RSPB Visitor Centre, Gruinart, Islay, PA44 7PR, Tel. 01496 850505, Fax 01496 850575.
• Polly Taylor: mountain bike hire, 33 Main Street, Port Charlotte, Islay, PA48 7TX, Tel. 01496 850488.
• Tourist Information Centre, Morrison Court, Bowmore, Islay, PA43 7JJ, Tel. 01496 810254.
• Sue Wood, chocolate confectionery, Islay House Square, Bridgend, Islay, PA44 7NZ.