With Bowmore virtually next door and Islay’s seven other distilleries just a tour away, this long-serving family hotel overlooking the water is naturally a Mecca for devotees of malt whisky, and has acquired an enviable international reputation over the years. The line-up runs to over 300 bottles, and the present owners are always adding new discoveries and rarities to the list. Settle into the lounge or Duffie’s bar and work your way through the line-up of heady names – Bruichladdich, Kilchoman, Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Bunnahabhain and many, many more. Food-wise, expect plenty of locally landed seafood on the all-day menu – sandwiches, salads, fish and chips, steamed mussels, Gigha halibut, langoustines and the like, backed by steaks, rack of lamb and meaty pies laced with Islay ale. Just add stunning views of the Atlantic surf.