Sligachan Hotel, Sligachan, Carbost, ISLE OF SKYE, IV47 8SW [Map]
01478 650204http://www.theboathouse-shrewsbury.co.uk/ 
09-00 MO-SA; 09-23 SU
Accommodation, Car Park, Evening Meals, Real Fire, Beer Garden, Lunchtime Meals, Campsite At / Near Pub

Me outside the Sligachan Hotel's Seumas' Bar in December 1999

If you're a mountaineer and you've been to Scotland you've almost certainly been to or at least heard of the Sligachan Hotel on the A87 (the old A850) at the junction with the A863. Pop the postcode of the pub in the box on the left and when you see the map zoom out to 1:200000 and you'll see why. To the southeast lie the impressive Cuillins, a very challenging walk even on a good day. To the northeast lies the sea loch Loch Sligachan.

The main hotel dates back to the 19th Century and offers over 20 rooms including a couple of family rooms with cheap breaks during the winter. What a perfect place to escape to. They are a family run hotel and run a crèche during the summer months. Camping is also available just over the road though wouldn't fancy it out of season.

A few years ago they opened up a new bar in a purpose-built almost barn like building with a games area at one end and the main bar, drinking and eating area at the other.

They offer an excellent range of beers including perfectly served beers from the Isle of Skye Brewery. We could tell this as we spotted Angus, the brewery's managing director, enjoying a pint in the corner of the bar. If you've time, the brewery is well worth a visit. You can find it at the end of the A87 in Uig near the ferry terminal building by the pier. They've a shop and if you're lucky like us (we were buying 36 pints of Red Cuillin to drink on the Millennium eve - a 200 mile round trip to the brewery, but it was well worth it!) you might get a tour of the brewery - thanks Eric! The Sligachan offer a much wider range of ales during the summer months but we were more than satisfied by the four Skye brewery beers available, really quite exceptional quality beers. They've a good range of single malt whiskys too.

You won't be disappointed by the quality of the food either. Good, filling meals are served at lunchtimes and during the evening until 9pm. They often have entertainment at the pub during the summer months.

Always one for the unusual photos, this one's of a very
large volume of Red Cuillin at the Skye Brewery.
Probably around a lifetime's supply of the beer!