Scarista House

Scarista House isn't a grand, stately home but it is a warm and comfortable place to stay. There are three bedrooms in the main house and three suites (each with its own private little sitting room) in the adjacent Glebe House. All the rooms have sea views and bathrooms en-suite. We have tried to choose furniture and fabrics which reflect the period, and are sympathetic to, the original use of the house. A library and first floor drawing room, both with open fires, are also available to guests. The library has an open fire and lots of books.

There are two elegantly furnished dining rooms. We serve a daily changing set menu, with no choice, but with notice we can provide for most dietary needs and we take particular care to cater for vegetarians and vegans. We aim for natural, skilled cooking of the ingredients most immediately available, especially the islands' fish, shellfish, lamb, beef and game.

Twin room at the side of the main house next to HANNAH, with south facing views of the sea. Ensuite bathroom with bath and shower over the bath. Suite in Glebe House just across the garden from the main house. Super-king-size bed (6' wide). Little porch sitting area with full length windows and lovely views of the beach and the sea.

The most popular activities at Scarista are eating, drinking, lounging around and walking, all of which we cater for adequately, but there are lots of other things to do as well: visiting weavers, fishing, golf, painting, cycling, climbing, archaeology, surfing, diving. No visit to Harris would be complete without a visit to one of the many weavers on the Island.

We don't enter ourselves for hospitality award competitions, but sometimes guests kindly nominate us. We were also featured as one of the Sunday Telegraph's 50 cosiest hotels and No 4 in the Observer's list of 20 Cosy Inns for winter. The intoxicating mixture of peat smoke, Hebridean air and expenses can go to a journalist's head. Even we take some of these reviews with a pinch of salt, but we publish them gladly.