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The Old School

Property class: 4

Photo gallery for The Old School

A beach scene with a rock in the foreground and waves in the background. - The Old School (Islay Island)
A coastal town with white buildings, rocky shoreline, and a red buoy in the water. - The Old School (Islay Island)
A bedroom with a bed, a nightstand, a radiator, and a cabinet. - The Old School (Islay Island)
A stone building with a red door and a small circular window. - The Old School (Islay Island)
A modern kitchen with a central island, white cabinetry, and a built-in oven. - The Old School (Islay Island)

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional

Entire home

1 bedroom1 bathroomSleeps 8

Popular amenities

  • Washer
  • Parking included

Add dates for prices

Property amenities

Parking and transportation

  • Free self parking on site

Food and drink

  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils

Bedrooms

  • 1 bedroom

Bathroom

  • 1 bathroom

Laundry

  • Washing machine

Pets

  • Welcoming dogs only

Suitability/Accessibility

  • No elevator
  • Smoking not allowed

Services and conveniences

  • Luggage storage
  • No housekeeping provided

Things to do

  • Birdwatching nearby
  • Cycling nearby
  • Fishing nearby
  • Horseback riding nearby
  • Rock climbing nearby
  • Sailing nearby
  • Scuba diving nearby
  • Surfing/bodyboarding nearby
  • Windsurfing nearby

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector)
  • Smoke detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property)

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Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: 9:00 PM

Early check-in subject to availability

Check-out

Check-out before 10:30 AM

Special check-in instructions

Guests will receive lockbox information

Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Access methods

Lockbox

Pets

Service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees

Welcoming dogs only

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Property payment types

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards and cash
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property

We should mention

This property does not have elevators

Property class

This establishment has received its official star rating from VisitScotland, the National Tourist Board for Scotland.

About the neighborhood

Islay Island is home to this vacation home. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Port bhaigh and Port Bhith Sgeir, while Museum of Islay Life and Outback Art Gallery are cultural highlights. Scuba diving and windsurfing offer great chances to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with horse riding and cycling nearby. Visit our Islay Island travel guide
View more Vacation Homes in Islay Island
Map
Portnahaven, Islay Island, Scotland, PA47 7SG

What's nearby

  • A sign with the name 'BRUICHLADDICH' in large letters.
    Bruichladdich Distillery
    33 min drive - 15.5 miles
  • Port bhaigh
    3 min drive - 1.3 miles
  • Port Bhith Sgeir
    3 min drive - 1.3 miles
  • Islay Ales
    47 min drive - 22.3 miles
  • Bowmore Distillery
    54 min drive - 26.4 miles

Getting around

  • Islay (ILY)
    48 min drive

Restaurants

  • The Rhinns Cafe
    9 min drive
  • An Tigh Seinnse
    9 min walk
  • Portnahaven Pottery
    10 min walk
  • Burnside Lodge B&B and Coffee Shop
    8 min walk
  • The Bramble Bar
    9 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is The Old School pet-friendly?

Yes, dogs are allowed at this property.

How much is parking?

Self parking is free at this property.

What time is check-in at The Old School?

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: 9:00 PM.

What time is check-out at The Old School?

Check-out is at 10:30 AM.

Where is The Old School located?

Situated in Islay Island, this vacation home is within 1 mi (2 km) of Port bhaigh and Port Bhith Sgeir. Currie Sands is 1.6 mi (2.6 km) away.

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The Old School Reviews

Reviews

Exceptional

All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travelers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
Rating 10 - Excellent. 6 out of 6 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 6 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 6 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 6 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 6 reviews

10

Cleanliness

9.6

Staff & service

10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Michael M.

Wonderful stay in Portnahaven

Beautiful spacious house with well appointed kitchen. Short walk to the coast was very nice and we had a glorious sunny weekend. Everything was clean and comfortable. Quiet and peaceful.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Michael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Base needed for work!

Four of us needed a base to work from! Portnahaven is a bit out of the way, but a really picturesque location, and the Old School House was immaculately prepared and presented. Spacious, clean, well appointed and equipped. The only down side was that the wifi was a bit slow - but at least it worked!!
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2018
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Nici

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Beautiful Cottage , Portnahaven

The Old School is the perfect place to stay if visiting Islay. It's a fabulous conversion - huge rooms, log burning stoves, so comfortable and well equipped.We loved our stay there and will be back.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2018
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

KC

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Amazing!

You get the entire old school house! It's a fabulous place to stay when you're on Islay. Full of character and charm. It was recently updated, so it has wifi and a lovely kitchen area and great living room. It's quiet and desolate and very "Scottish." Truly magical! I think there were 4 bedrooms and we tried out 2 of them. Beds were comfy and they have fabulous Scottish wool blankets to keep you toasty. Great shower. We didn't try out the soaking tub. You could easily house a family vacation there. My one slight complaint is there aren't locks on the bedroom doors, so if you were staying with kids, that could get awkward if you and your spouse want some uninterrupted alone time. :) The kitchen probably has overly fancy appliances in it, but it might be because we're not used to how European appliances work, but we were able to figure out how to make breakfast every morning. I will say, stop in Bowmore and buy groceries on your way TO Portnahaven. I think there used to be a store there, but there is no longer anywhere to buy groceries and the pub didn't serve very good food when we were there (and had odd hours). The pub is TINY! We were there May 2016. Portnahaven is off the beaten path of Islay, but we loved our time there! It's probably almost an hour's drive from the airport. I'd love to go back!
Stayed 4 nights in May 2016
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Björn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Fantastiskt hus i en lugn och avkopplande by.

Portnahaven är en liten by som ligger en bit från Bowmore( ca. 40 min med bil) Men boendet uppväger avstånden. Helt fantastiskt, ett sådant hus som man vill äga.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Pedro

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Beautiful, spacious, and quiet location

A wonderful stay. Portnahaven is a quaint and quiet little town. The owners of the property did a beautiful job restoring and modernizing the property. It retains the exterior and charm of a historical building, but the inside is top notch quality. The nearby pub has tons of friendly locals and a good assortment of drinks + good food. One of the town's fishermen, Neil, supplied two large lobsters and this was the most fantastic dinner which I cooked and enjoyed the same evening. The drives in the morning or back evening are lovely, with a view across the water of Bowmore and a beautiful coastline. Lots of space and 4 bedrooms. I thought I paid for a single of the rooms, but turns out I rented the entire property, was a great deal. I wish I'd brought my entire family here. Would definitely stay again.