Fàilte gu Samhchair!
Whether you are visiting the lovely Isle of Islay for the first time or returning to Islay for an annual visit, you can be sure of a warm highland welcome at Samhchair. Our bungalow was built in 2007 in the style of a Hebridean long house and nestles into the hillside overlooking the safe, sandy beach of the beautiful Kilnaughton Bay, some two miles outside the pretty village of Port Ellen.
Samhchair - our home-away-from-home
Close to Islay airport and the ferry port of Port Ellen, Samhchair makes the ideal base for touring the island. The world famous Ardbeg, Laphroaig and Lagavulin distilleries are all close at hand, as are the championship Machrie Golf Links, the famous Kildalton high cross and the Oa nature reserve. If you are arriving without a car we will happily arrange a pick-up or car hire for you.
Fishing, walking, pony trekking, golf, cycling and, of course, whisky tasting are all popular pursuits in the beautiful countryside surrounding Port Ellen and, to help you explore, we have a selection of bicycles that you may borrow. We can also arrange distillery tours, tee times or pony trekking on your behalf. However, if you wish to venture further afield, no destination on the island is more than 45 minutes away by car.
At Samhchair our visitors enjoy spectacular panoramic views to Port Ellen, the Mull of Kintyre and Antrim while observing the abundant local wildlife. Golden eagles, buzzards, herons, feral goats, highland cattle, otters, seals and sometimes even dolphins, may all be spotted from our terrace overlooking the sea. For several weeks last summer we had the privilege of watching a female eagle teaching her chicks to hunt and all from our own back door!
Samhchair (pronounced Saa-cur) is Gaelic for ‘tranquility’. We will go out of our way to ensure that your stay on Islay is comfortable, relaxing and, above all, tranquil!