Uig Hotel, Portree

The only noticeable change since my previous visit (apart from a lick or two of paint, no doubt) is the absence of hand pumps on the bar. Three Isle of Skye beers were available in keg versions, slightly chilled but lightly carbonated, so the different tastes of the two beers I tried were distinguishable. In fact, when I came across Isle of Skye Blaven IPA on hand pump a couple of nights later it was noticeably not as good as the one I had here. This is a pleasant hotel bar, with superb views. Well worth a visit. Date of visit: 5th June 2019

The white painted hotel sits on a bluff above the southern side of the harbour with the tower folly in front of it across the A87, not a busy road unless the ferry has or is about to dock. A residential hotel where non-residents are welcomed. The bar is to the left when you enter the hotel reception area with the restaurant to the right. Inside the bar is fairly conventional with tartan carpet, dark furniture and a counterful of the usual keg suspects plus two handpumps serving the local Isle of Skye brewery beers, if you look carefully across to the ferry terminal you will see the brewery at the side of the car park. There shouldn’t be any excuse for poor beer any these circumstances but mine was decidedly dodgy, I suspect being the end of a quiet lunchtime and a failure to pull the pipe through was to blame. The décor is rather different being mainly African tribal objects. At the front of the bar is a long room well endowded with windows and extremely pleasant as a summer drinking spot unless you make use of the bench outside.

Official site of the Uig Hotel - www.uighotel.com

Official site of the Uig Hotel - www.uighotel.com