We were in the area and stopped off for lunch. The service is impeccable and so friendly which is…read more the main reason for the score. We have a 6 week old baby and it's so nice when staff are understanding of the difficulties faced at times with a newborn. The staff seated us next the fire so that we were warm and away from drafts. The food is wholesome but doesn't really rock the tastebuds. My starter of breaded Brie was done well and Hubby's lentil soup was piping hot (a must for soup!). Both were palatable and enjoyable. I opted for lasagne which was served with salad and chips. It almost reminded me of a school lunch in that it was comforting. Hubby's burger was well seasoned and quite tasty! Dessert was homemade profiteroles in chocolate sauce. It was tasty but didn't rock the tastebuds. It's a little out the way from Glasgow as it's just outside of Kilwinning. However there's a good sized car park and the staff are simply lovely. Great value for money in that we both had 3 courses and a few non alcoholic drinks for the grand total of £25. All in all we were happy with the meal and the staff made it even better.

Excellent food at a very reasonable price. Good service and pick the conservatory when dinning as…read moreit over looks the river, peaceful and relaxing outlook.

Great food in an authentic village pub. Craft beer by Five Kingdoms. It's a community pub and hub…read morewith folk music nights, coffee, beer garden, right near the sea.

The King Arms Hotel was very comfortable, clean, and hospitable!…read more On our journey 2014, we had left Belfast Ireland very late in the day on a Stena Line car ferry to cross the Irish Sea heading to Scotland. By the time we had arrived at Cairnryan Port Scotland it was very dark, but we decided to start driving the 200 mile trek from Cairnryan Port on the A77 roadway to Lochness Lake located approx (200) miles away. Being so very tired, and struggling to drive any further, we began looking for places to rest on the long dark roads around Ballantrae, this is when we stumbled upon the King Arms Hotel. The King Arms staff booked us in late without any trouble, were very polite and offered us a late night dinner and drinks. We ended up playing pool in the pub area, having drinks, and speaking to the locals in the pub about the history of the area. In the morning, in the dining room area, they had a very nice breakfast prepared for us to sustain us on our journey, the atmosphere was amazingly family like. It was a very unexpected and pleasant stop on our journey into Scotland! If you walk to the west of the main parking lot, there is a small trail which will lead you through a large grassy soccer field, this trail will take you to the shore of Ballantrae Bay, the trail is approximately 700 feet in length. The view in the morning hours was amazing!!!!! Definitely Recommend!

A very nice place to stay that is warm and cozy. Reminds you of your home and the people are…read moreextremely friendly and helpful! Our family was really welcome and we enjoyed ourselves. Great food Great accommodation Great people Can't wait to return

This was the setting for my sisters 50th birthday meal, and what a great setting it was…read more We arrived a little early to deck out the table and area with a couple of balloons and banner, the staff couldn't have been more helpful allowing us to sort it all out before the guest of honour arrived. This done we waited on the rest of the party in the residents lounge, where there were plenty of comfy seats and tables in the conservatory with a well stocked bar (a plethora of whiskeys on offer as befits a bar not far from the ferry terminal over to Islay and Jura) just off it with craft beers etc. On the arrival of the rest of the party while we sorted out drinks in the lounge the waitress dished out menus and after a suitable time perusing, took the order for the meal, allowing us a little time to catch up before informing us that the starters were ready and allowing us to decant to the table in the other end of the conservatory. Bright and spacious surroundings in the restaurant and comfortable seating make this a pleasant place to be. The food was superb starters consisted of scallops which were seared to perfection on black pudding, pulled pork on a black pudding with a poached egg on top and all cooked perfectly. Mains were Fish and chips with a healthy bit of fish and chunky cut chips, rump frites again a perfectly seared and not insubstantial lump of rump and skinny fries, mac and cheese with the option of spicy sausage through it, creamy and delicious, rib eye steak again juicy, beautifully prepared and with sides of mushrooms and vine tomatoes. Deserts were rather good as well, all in all a fantastic unrushed night and great company in clean, comfortable surroundings.

This is a review for the hotel/accommodation rather than the Douglas as a restaurant/bar (they've…read moregot a separate bistro listing so I'll write that review over there!). We stayed at The Douglas Hotel for three nights in the off-season (March) and overall, I really loved our stay here. We booked the executive double room and it was £347 for three nights including breakfast which I thought was a good price. The hotel is in a great location in Brodick, right opposite the ferry terminal and close to everything in town. Check-in was fine but our room wasn't ready so we left our bags to wander around town before coming back at 3pm. They'd put our bags in our room for us, and we were really impressed with the room - it was spacious, modern and had a great view over Brodick Bay and the terminal. It was so nice lying on the bed and looking out the window! It was a little hard to get the temperature right in the room which was one of my complaints about this place - we either seemed to have it set at too hot or too cold and rarely got it just right. The bathroom was lovely and had a large bath and plenty of products. You also get to keep the little Douglas duck in the bathroom which I think is a really cute touch. It was a little chilly and the main bathroom light was incredibly bright, which meant that if you switched it on at night it was like having a spotlight in your face. The bed was super comfortable and I had a really good sleep each night here. Breakfast was served in the bistro downstairs (7.30am-9.30am Monday-Saturday, 8am-10am on Sunday). You could have a full Scottish, kippers, eggs etc or just the continental. I thought the breakfast was just ok actually - I love a full Scottish breakfast but this one seemed to lack seasoning and the mushrooms weren't cooked quite right for me. Service at breakfast was haphazard at best and the staff often seemed stressed and confused which I found really strange - they just didn't seem very well organised. The continental buffet often ran out of something (juice, salmon, croissants) but no one seemed to check up on it. We'd also ordered the newspaper each day we were staying there, but only got it on the first day. Not the end of the world I know, but worth mentioning. Overall, I did really love this hotel and enjoyed our stay here. I just think the few little complaints I have mean I can't quite give it 5 stars, but I would definitely stay here again when we return to Arran.

The Douglas is one of those hotels that you've always heard about - it advertises regularly in the…read moreweekend Scottish broadsheets, it has occasional online deals, and being one of a handful of decent sized hotels on Arran you'll probably know someone that's been. For shame, I had never been to Arran, so when we decided to spend a long weekend there the brand recognition kicked in. Overall, I was really impressed with my time here, and would struggle to go elsewhere on the island if we decided to go for another hotel stay. In terms of the most important aspects of a hotel stay it does it all well: the rooms (we were in one of the bigger ones on the second floor) are comfortable, spacious, with a really cozy bed and a massive bathroom with a bath and a shower (my one comment would be that the shower maybe needed a wee bit more oomph - it was warm enough, but maybe needed an extra 10% power). There was working free wifi, and the rooms were maintained to a good standard - definitely not brand new, but they were definitely getting some attention. The design is modern without being hardly minimal, and this style continues to the public spaces. In terms of amenities you've got a good sized bar which sells drinks and snacks, as well as a bistro. The atmosphere in both was pretty good, and the food was of a good standard - it's probably one of the best hotel cooked breakfasts I've had in a long while, and you can tell that the food they are using is local, good quality fare. The staff are friendly, helpful, and while things might slow down a smidge at busier times of the day it isn't that much of a big deal. One of the bonuses is that this is literally next door to Brodick harbour, so you can walk or drive off the ferry and be there in around a minute (strangely, you don't get a huge amount of noise from the harbour in your room, it's pretty quiet). The car park isn't huge, but we never had a problem getting a space, and there are dozens of free spaces on the main road anyway. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time here, and I can't think of a bigger endorsement than the fact that I would happily go back given half the chance. The free rubber duck might be swaying this, but I'm not sure there is a "fancy" hotel that's better than this on the island, and I enjoyed myself enough that I don't know that I would bother looking elsewhere.

Had the Sunday Roast dinner and the food was delicious. BF had the venison and I had the salmon…read more Venison was just ok- a little thin and a bit overcooked and sauce was not that ok. The whisky selection is a 5 since it had over 900 on the menu. A nice place to have dinner and in Bowmore

The pub connected to the Bowmore Hotel (Lucci's Bar) is the place to be if you are staying in…read moreBowmore whole on Islay. We went for dinner on the first night and enjoyed scallops in a gorgeous creamy sauce, fresh veg and the best chips on the island. We were in the bar every night, amazing selection of Islay whiskey (seriously, they have them all), all the banter from locals and holidaymakers alike. We got a tour of the hotel and every room has been renovated using Islay timber. It really is something special. In actual fact the whole place was renovated in stages using the timber including the bar, dining room and every door in he place. Some have little features hidden in the knots of the wood. Lots of talking points, including the original murals from back in the day which features the bar locals at the time it was painted. Fantastic.

A wonderful stay! The Glenegedale House is a perfect place to stay while exploring Islay. We…read morestayed in a front room - comfortable and a nice view. The hosts are welcoming and gracious. We have the memorable Seafood Platter for dinner one night - everything was sourced locally. The breakfast oatmeal with local Scotch was amazing.

We traveled across Scotland for over 3 weeks, and this was our favorite stay!…read more Glenegedale House (Emma and Graeme) gave us the most beautiful memories for a lifetime. The wonderful experience started even before we arrived. Their pre-arrival communications assured us our upcoming stay was in the best hands...and upon arriving, we quickly learned that the accommodations, culinary experiences, and Islay insights for all our local day trips would be world class; and, they were!!! Glenegedale House is such a cozy, inviting house, exceptionally well-appointed throughout, including the wonderful bedrooms that inspired us with a real sense of tranquility. Glenegedale is also surrounded by the stunning natural beauty of Islay. Graham and Emma are excellent chefs and each meal was a culinary masterpiece...incorporating fresh-caught seafood, other locally-produced foods, and Islay's amber elixirs into an amazing experience. From Graham's special Islay porridge, to the seafood platter that included scallops someone on Islay dove for that day...Graham and Emma make each guest feel extra special. We will never forget the presentation and the deliciousness of each meal. Their knowledge of Islay and their deep relationships across the island, also added to our visits to historic sites, distilleries, and craft shops. We amended some of our itinerary, based on their insights and we're so glad we did. They've given us a much better appreciation for the island and the people of Islay. This was an extraordinary experience because of our stay at Glenegedale House. We give Glenegadelle House (Emma and Graeme) our highest recommendation and will definitely be back as soon as possible.

Stopped in at Brambles for a spot of lunch and wasn't disappointed. Steak baguette with a mug of…read moresoup was the order of today. Absolutely beautiful. The sourdough bread sublime. Decided to have a scone instead of the usual dessert menu. Best scones on the island by far.

We ate at Brambles (the seafood restaurant) on our final night in Arran, and it was probably the…read moremeal I was most excited for. I love seafood, and I was interested to see what Auchrannie was like. We walked from Brodick - it's a bit of a strange walk and you'll probably feel like you took the wrong turn off as the road is very residential (I expected it to be estate grounds) but then you'll arrive at the resort. Brambles is a very Scottish, cosy restaurant with a fireplace and lots of tartan. I liked the decor although it was a little bit too dark in the restaurant. No bother. We were greeted at the door and asked if we wanted to hang up our own coats on the rack (there's a first, most restaurants will at least take your coat for you) and then shown to our table. We were the first table in the restaurant, and then they seated another table of two right next to us. In a completely empty restaurant. So frustrating! Why do they do that? It it so awkward. Anyway. We were told the specials of the day and looked over the menu. Another waiter was then telling the table next to us the specials and couldn't remember them or read the specials board from where he was standing. I have to say, for a restaurant that obviously wants you to feel like you're eating somewhere expensive and fancy, the service really let it down. They were awkwardly formal and stilted. I had the Scottish brown crab soup to start (tomato and fennel bisque, white crab meat with lemon and cracked pepper croutons) and then grilled fillet of garlic scented sea bass for main (with west coast crab and coriander fritters, buttered spinach with chorizo and chickpea salsa). I really expected a lot from the food - after all, they say they're the finest seafood restaurant on Arran but I was really disappointed. The soup was pretty bland - no distinct taste of crab and just an "ok" soup overall. I was hoping for better from the main but again, I really wasn't very impressed with the food - the fritters were nearly burnt and the sea bass was fine but really lacked flavour. The nicest part of the meal was the side of mustard mash. We decided not to get dessert as Graeme wasn't really impressed with his food either. We just got the bill and headed home. It was pretty expensive too - I think around £80 including a bottle of wine. For them boasting about being such a great seafood restaurant I have to say I was disappointed and really didn't think the food was impressive. I much preferred the Drift Inn in Lamlash.

Superb hotel overlooking Campbeltown Loch. The rooms were well furnished and comfortable. The…read morebreakfast was excellent. The dinner cooked by head chef Joanne was excellent. The only thing the hotel lacks is a bar. They provide only canned and bottled beers. Apart from this one of the best small hotel experiences in a long time.

This is a lovely place to go for a meal. We arrived slightly early for our meal and were escorted…read moreinto a lovely warm sitting room where we were offered a drink. There was a lovely atmosphere and we were encouraged to take our time choosing from the menu. We relaxed by the fire overlooking Campbeltown loch. We ordered and when our starters were ready we were shown through to the dining room. The dining room was cosy and there were other diners but you didn't feel as though you were being overheard by anyone. The menu was extensive and I would highly recommend the monkfish. At the end of the evening we had a lovely stroll along the side of the loch back home.

Stayed here one night since we could get into the place we were planning to stay when we added…read moreanother night. Room was a bit tiny and cluttered. With one window it got a bit stuffy and warm. The folks were very nice and the breakfast was delicious. That would be a 4 but overall a 3.

Of all our stays in Scotland, this one is near the top of my list…read more We booked a Gold Room for two nights and my goodness, it was a delightful accommodation. The room was spacious, the bed comfortable, and sweet touches all around to give a sense of home. The coffee machine was excellent and there was a atray of goodies on the desk, sweetners, cookies, teas, cups, milk packets and probably more that I can't think of. We felt quite spoiled. Our view was lovely as well. And our bathroom had wonderful space, and a nice shower with good pressure. We visited the bar several times, and always got very good service and good pours. The restaurant was very good as well. We had dinner twice and breakfast twice. All of our meals were delightful. One of my favorite dishes was the mushroom toast, I had it both nights with no regrets. If you are in Islay, this hotel has everything you need for a great visit!