Situated by Loch Creran, in the wonderful west of Scotland, the luxurious five star Ardtorna Bed and Breakfast has a list of awards longer than both of your arms. The Scottish Hotel Awards have awarded Ardtorna their ‘Scotland’s Best B&B’ accolade six times in the last seven years. Quite impressive given it only opened in 2010… My expectations were, quite understandably, sky high!
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQLH5dyTrU8[/embedyt]One of my favourite parts of staying here happens right after checking in. A warm scone straight out of the oven upon arrival, with jam and some fresh cream. What a way to start your stay! Another nice touch is the fact that complimentary whisky and a homemade whisky cream liqueur was included in the standard package.
I reckon all hotels should offer warm scones and free alcohol!
The Room
The B&B has just four rooms but each one is beautifully presented and the floor to ceiling windows give an excellent view of the loch. The beds are all super-king sized with memory foam mattresses topped with a deluxe mattress topper. They are exceptionally comfy! The rooms are largely the same except some come with a spa bath and others come with a colour changing wet room. There are Molton Brown toiletries for your use in the bathroom along with bathrobes too.
That’s not all though, there are also hand made chocolates available in each room with a fridge stocked with some complimentary snacks. There is also underfloor heating in your room with a Dyson heater/cooler to get the room temperature just right. If you need to dry your hair then Ardtorna also provide Dyson hair dryers in each room for your use.
There’s also the option of having a pillow mist added to your bedding to help enhance your sleeping experience.
Food at the B&B
To start off, the breakfast at Ardtorna is amazing! The B&B won the Best Breakfast Award at the Scottish Food Awards and Academy 2017 and it’s easy to see why!
The only downside is having to choose your breakfast the evening before. However when you see the food and the preparation that’s gone into it you’ll realise why. The menu has a great selection with the traditional Scottish breakfast hard to turn down. The Ardtorna speciality is poached eggs on a bed of bacon with grilled halloumi which sounds lovely! You can have a look at the menu on their website here. It’s served between 8am and 9am so if you’re wanting a longer lazy lie in then you might struggle here.
Unfortunately Ardtorna doesn’t offer any other dining options so you will have to go elsewhere for dinner. Due to the high standard of furnishings there is also a no hot food policy in the rooms. There are many options for dinner though but, given the excellent location of the B&B, these can really only be reached by car. The lovely owners Sean and Karen can arrange bookings at local restaurants and also provide cheaper transport rates with a local taxi driver.
Eating Out
Now I would 100% recommend a visit to the Isle of Eriska Hotel & Spa for dinner. Wow!
It is around a 15 minute drive from the B&B and it costs around £25 for a return taxi provided by the owners of Ardtorna. The hotel is also a five star luxury hotel with dining options that are excellent for a special occasion. The hotel itself sits on it’s own private island which is pretty cool!
The A La Carte 3 course dinner is £67 per person and each course was absolutely amazing, really lovely food! If you like cheese there’s also a fairly sizeable cheese trolley to round off your meal! If you’d like more variety there is the option of a five course tasting menu which is available upon request.
There are many other dining options in Oban which is around a 20 minute drive from Ardtorna. There is a lot of parking available in Oban depending on where you end up. With Oban being right on the sea then why not try out some seafood? There are seafood restaurants like Ee-usk, Oban Seafood Hut and Coast Restaurant. There is also Piazza for some Italian food or The Manor House for some fine dining.
Additional Packages
There are a range of activities and packages that you can add or book through Ardtorna. One of which are archery lessons. One of the owners, Sean, is a former longbow world champion and offers lessons starting at £25 per person for an adult for an hour. There is also a reduced rate of £20 per person (from £45 pp) for full day access to the spa and golf facilities at the Isle of Eriska.
If you’re looking at add to your B&B experience at Ardtorna then you can book one of their butler or romantic packages. The butler packages range from £75 to £125 and the B&B will unpack your luggage, press your first night’s clothes, assist with activities and restaurant bookings plus there is an additional option for champagne on the £125 package. The romantic packages start at £40 and go up to £75. The packages include wine, prosecco and champagne options plus fresh flowers and rose petals on your bed upon arrival. These packages are only available direct so they wouldn’t be available on your usual hotel website.
Pricing
The price of staying at Ardtorna ranges from £70 to £90 per person per night depending on the time of the year. This is just the room rate however there are also special offers available. These special offers include a range of alcoholic options and additional extras detailed above. Overnight stays including these additional extras start at £225, two night stays start at £299, the three nights offer is £560 with a week totalling £1,250.
Would I stay here again? Yes
I would definitely stay at Ardtorna again. The owners really think about every small detail and it was a wonderful place to stay, with the loch view an added bonus. It’s a great base for exploring more of the west of Scotland too if you’re visiting to explore Oban and the surrounding areas.
If you’re looking for an alternative luxury stay in Scotland then check out the review of my Scottish Borders Lodge Retreat.
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Looks like a lovely place. And yes, warm scones and drinks are often a good idea!
What a beautiful spot! I’ve never been to Scotland but can’t wait to go one day. And staying at a B&B seems so quaint and fun!
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The warm scone on arrival would have made me happy for sure! I always struggle with B & B’s having only a small set time for breakfast, but I guess it is worth it for the quality you receive. Looks like a beautiful place to stay at a fairly reasonable price tag too.
Ardtorna B&B is a great getaway spot! With the stunning loch view and the warm hospitality, it’ll be hard to leave this place. Would love to try the food at the Eriska Hotel & Spa. Plus, it looks like you’re eating inside of a castle. Thanks for sharing more about this area in Scotland.
It looks like a cosy place. I will check it if I will decide to visit the area of Loch Creran.
You had me at: “A warm scone straight out of the oven upon arrival, with jam and some fresh cream.” And then, you mentioned: “…complimentary whisky and a homemade whisky cream liqueur was included.” Looks like a spot worth staying at indeed!
One question: what is a “colour changing wet room”?
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Free scones AND free whisky – I was in my element! In the wet room the shower had some coloured lighting which changed every so often. I’d have loved to try the spa bath. Maybe next time!
Sounds like a place where a lot of thought goes into every little detail. No wonder you have great memories of it. And to be exploring west Scotland from a stay such as this – so very dreamy! Thanks for sharing this gem 🙂
What a beautiful place this would be to visit. It sounds like the hosts are very thoughtful with every detail. The location looks beyond amazing too. So nice that they offer warm scones. I would be hooked right there.
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They really did think of every little thing! I can only imagine what it would be like to stay there for a few days in the height of summer. It would be even more amazing!
You had me at scones. Does one even need to read a review past “free warm scones”…? In fairness this looks like a marvellous place to stay, even if they didn’t bribe me with warm scones.
I literally decided that I would definitely stay there one day when you said that a warm scone was waiting when you arrived. Then, you said there was home made chocolates in the room and actually started to think about when I would be going. The prices for the room seem very reasonable. I love the idea of archery lessons and I love the view.
Well that is luxury with a L. What a beautiful place to stay. Your article wants me to travel there now. The food options close by for dinner are perfect. I will certainly consider staying here if I was travelling to the west of Scotland. Thank you for sharing.
This accommodation looks fantastic! The room is indeed luxury and all the foods looks like a great quality threats. I also love that the owner takes care of every detail. I would definately stay there and visit all the natural places around, which look stunning.
I really like the concept of a luxury B&B! This place looks lovely. I haven’t visited Scotland yet but I’ll definitely have this place in mind when I visit. Thanks for the recommendation.
What a gorgeous B&B and a fantastic find at such reasonable prices. I woud absolutely love waking up to the smell of freshly baked scones. Yum! Love small B&Bs too where service is always so much more personal. Glad you had a wonderful stay!
I was immediately drawn to this post because we are headed to Scotland soon! This looks like a lovely place to stay (I agree- every lodging option should provide warms cones and free alcohol!). Your restaurant recommendation for a dinner out looks incredible. What a beautiful destination!
You had me at freshly baked scones from the oven, what a delightful welcome! Complemented with free whiskey and homemade whiskey liquer wow ! I can see why the place has received so many accolades for being the best bnb in Scotland for 6 years. Looks like an amazing place to stay with so much to do close by.
I what a lovely place to stay in when visiting the lochs in western Scotland. I agree that every place should offer their guests a warm scone and alcohol! It is very considerate of them to offer to make dinner arrangements and even provide the transportation to dinner. The Isle of Eriska has an amazing menu and I like that it is on a private island. What a great getaway!
I am really impressed by Ardtorna B&B as it has lovely interiors and beautiful location also. I have never been to Scotland but would definitely prefer this when I will go there. The price is also very affordable.
I never visit this place…Thank you for sharing beautiful pictures
amazing information about scotland beautiful place i have never been to seen this spot and I have read the complete blog and gained very informative knowledge. Thanks for this and keep it up.