Borrodale Hotel — Hotel in South Uist

This review is one of a series relating to hotels and restaurants visited on a tour of the Western Isles with Leger Holidays. This tour happened during the COVID pandemic, when infection rates in Scotland were still very high. Consequently, establishments were suffering staff shortages, and I suspect some were just recovering from an extended shut-down.||||Other hotels and restaurants/cafes visited were:||||Hotels:||- Normandy Hotel, Renfrew, Glasgow||- Kings Arms Hotel, Kyleakin, Isle of Skye||- Dark Island Hotel, Liniclate, Isle of Benbecula||- Caladh Inn, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis||- Angus Hotel, Wellmeadow, Blairgowrie||||Cafés, Restaurants:||- Highland Cinema, Fort William||- Loomshed Deli, Tarbet, Isle of Harris||- Artizan, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis,||- Scotch Corner of Pitlochry, Pitlochry||||I'll try and post reviews for all these places.||||Visited the Borodale Hotel for a quick lunch stop on the way from Eriskay to Benbecula. We were with a coach party of 35 people, so catering for a hungry group all wanting to be fed and on our way again was quite a challenge. However, we were warmly welcomed and taken to a dining room all ready and waiting for us. Very quickly, we were served with a really good lentil soup - not suitable for vegetarians as there was a strong flavour of chicken from the stock - and a platter of sandwiches. To follow, there was tea/coffee and the bar was open if required. I'm not going to reveal how much we paid for the lunch because this was negotiated with the tour driver, but I thought it was reasonable.||||One thing worth mentioning - the ladies in the group used the toilet facilities, and one by one they returned saying how wonderful the loos were. Obviously, the men in the group couldn't share this experience, but the men's loos were spotlessly clean, well-equipped and modern.||||This doesn't in any way explore the facilities of the Borodale as a hotel, but I was impressed with the speed and efficiency of service, and the quality of the food, so I felt it was worth recognition. Quite surprised that there isn't already a TripAdvisor listing for this place, so I don't know if they've changed the name recently.||||So how to score this venue:||- People (Reception, service) - good||- Content (Food quality, price, presentation): good||- Environment (cleanliness, appearance, facilities): good||- Would I return? - yes||- Would I recommend? - yes - based on the experience described...

I reserved a table at the same establishment where we dined last night, securing a 7:00 PM slot for tonight. We rushed back, showered, and arrived punctually, only to be met with infuriating incompetence. Let me be clear: the barman, the same insufferable individual from last night, was already grating on our nerves. At no point did we misrepresent our intentions or status.|We ordered drinks and settled in, expecting the prompt service we experienced previously. Yet, by 7:10 PM, no menus had arrived. Out of diligence, I requested them, only for this exasperating barman to have the audacity to ask if we were residents! I sharply reminded him that he served us just last night, accepted our booking for tonight, and had my name and contact details—ample opportunity to clarify any issue beforehand. His vacant, clueless stare—confirming the dim-witted impression we formed yesterday—only fueled my outrage.|I’m beyond livid. This is an unacceptable lapse in professionalism, and I’m half-tempted to escalate matters further. For now, I’ll order Mark a Jäger and see if this inept barman can manage that without another...

Stayed here for one night as part of my Hebridean Way trip having eaten here then previous evening and what was a delicious meal served by friendly staff. Receptionist was a little frosty when I had an issue with the TV only having a a couple of channels not working and fobbed me off with a signal issue. I retuned it and Hey Presto all sorted! Room was comfortable and after a wild camp the previous night it was very welcome. Shared facilities but not a problem. Where it came into its own was the good. Everything I had was delicious, especially the Barra Scampi, and a good sized portion too. Bar and waiting staff were friendly and attentive, especially Nicky with her take on the Park Bar in Glasgow! Initial coolness from the Receptionist dissipated and she helped me find the local prehistoric site and gave some history on it, as well as looking after my bike till my lift arrived later in the day. All in all a nice experience and reasonably priced and would definitely recommend a visit...