Ceol Na Mara Guest House - Bed and Breakfast — Hotel in Harris

I don't even know where to begin.... everything, and I mean, everything, was absolutely perfect at Ceol na Mara. You can tell that the hosts, Jane and Dave, are passionate. The house is stunning, the location is perfect (4 minutes away from the Tarbert ferry terminal!) but where they are different is in the attention to details... earplugs in the night table, picnic kit, charging cables and adaptors in the drawer, our room was accessorised with the famous Harris Tweed, there was some whiskey every night in our room plus they have a honesty bar with local alcohol (the amazing Harris gin!), there are Crocs of different sizes in the mud room so if you have to go to your car, you don't have to put on your shoes, and I could go on like this for quite a while!

We arrived on a Sunday on Harris. Everything was closed. But it was no surprise to us as Jane contacted us way in advance to give us different food options. We pre-ordered their cheese platter for our arrival on Sunday evening. All the cheeses were from local farms. It was delightful! But at that moment, we had no idea what was in line for us for the next morning =) There was a menu on the table for the next day's breakfast. The next morning, breakfast was served... all homemade (even the sourdough bread!). Anything you can think of a perfect breakfast, well, it was better than that!

When we arrived, Jane and Dave showed us the house, our room and Jane was very helpful with information about visiting Harris and Lewis. She gave us maps and different options for restaurants, etc and offered to make reservations for us.

Jane and Dave are now to us the reference and I'll tell you, they will be very hard to beat (read here probably impossible to beat!).

Next time we go to Scotland, there is no doubt in our minds that we will go back to Ceol na Mara. This place is...

The hostess and waiter were both very friendly and welcoming. We paid £205 for a twin room for one night, and the BnB largely lived up to expectations. The room was luxurious, although it lacked some amenities commonly found in less expensive BnBs, such as a hair dryer, bathrobe, and slippers. Breakfast was excellent—restaurant quality—and the view from the dining area was stunning.

We were cycling the Hebridean Way and had planned to eat at Laura's food truck. Unfortunately, it was closed without notice, leaving us scrambling for dinner options. I called the BnB to ask if they served dinner, and an older gentleman on the phone responded flatly that they did not, stating, “This is just a BnB.” When I asked if we could use a microwave, he gave the same impatient reply. Unlike other BnBs we’ve stayed at, which often provide dinner or at least a microwave, cutlery, and a place to eat, this response felt unsympathetic, especially given the remote location, limited options, and our long day cycling in the rain. This interaction was disappointing and affected my overall impression of the stay.

Be aware of the cancellation policy, which requires 28 days’ notice and is essentially non-refundable. This is quite strict, especially considering variable weather and transportation challenges in the area.

While the BnB itself is lovely, I would not recommend it for cyclists or travelers whose plans may need to change...

Beware, don't miss the ferry under any circumstances, you will be charged. We booked this B&B directly through the owners Dave and Jane. We were travelling to Harris on the Thursday for my husband's mother's funeral on Friday. Unfortunately we were caught behind a very serious road accident on Skye, held up for hours and missed the ferry crossing. We immediately phoned the owners to explain, sadly it was very clear their real concern was the loss of the booking. We asked to transfer the rooms to the next evening and advice on other ferries. The owners took it upon themselves to negotiate another ferry on our behalf but this turned out to be on the wrong date. No apology for this. We had to cancel our ferry crossings, my husband missed his mother's funeral and on that very morning these B&B owners took payment from our account for the rooms we didn't use and the breakfasts...