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The whitewashed Harbour Inn in Bowmore under a blue sky, cars parked in front.
Isle of Islay

Harbour Inn

Bowmore Distillery's small guest house by the harbour in Bowmore, with seven rooms looking over Loch Indaal.

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Welcome

The Harbour Inn is a small whitewashed inn at the foot of Bowmore, by the harbour on Loch Indaal, and it now belongs to Bowmore Distillery, which runs it as a boutique guest house.

It has seven bedrooms, decorated with care, looking out over Loch Indaal, and it stands in the middle of Bowmore, with the distillery, the shops of Main Street and the island's buses all a few steps from the door.

The day starts with a cooked breakfast, and every stay includes a complimentary Whisky and Chocolate Tasting Experience at the Bowmore Distillery Bar along the shore. From the inn it is an easy walk up Main Street, the spine of the planned village of 1768, to the Round Church at the top, and in the other direction along the water past the distillery's warehouses. Rooms are booked through the distillery, on 01496 737147, and the inn's office is open on weekdays from 8am to 3pm.

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The Daily for 13 November, from Scotland with love. A waterfall tumbles over mossy rocks into a woodland pool, autumn leaves scattered on the water.
A little further outCaol Ila DistilleryThe distillery on the Sound of Islay near Port Askaig, the Islay Home of Johnnie Walker, with tours from £21 and views to Jura.19 min by roadSee itCaol Ila Distillery

Before you go

Rooms are booked through Bowmore Distillery (bowmore.cottages@beamsuntory.com, 01496 737147).

The inn's office is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 3pm.

Getting there
CalMac’s ferry from Kennacraig sails to Port Askaig while Port Ellen is closed for upgrades (from 2 June 2026, expected to reopen in 2029); Port Askaig is about 20.8 miles from Port Ellen. Or fly from Glasgow to Islay Airport.
Rooms
Seven, over Loch Indaal.
Office
Mon to Fri, 8am to 3pm.

Opening hours

Monday
8am–10.30pm
Tuesday
8am–10.30pm
Wednesday
8am–10.30pm
Thursday
8am–10.30pm
Friday
8am–10.30pm
Saturday
8am–10.30pm
Sunday
8am–10.30pm

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Where it is

The Square, Bowmore, Isle of Islay, PA43 7JR.

Close byIn Bowmore, by the harbour.
  1. Bowmore DistilleryBowmore DistilleryThe distillery on the shore of Loch Indaal in the middle of Bowmore, with tours, tastings and a whisky bar.Under a mile 1 min by road
  2. BowmoreBowmoreIslay's main town, a planned village of 1768 whose Main Street climbs from the pier to the Round Church.Under a mile 1 min by road
  3. The long white building of the Celtic House on the corner, its windows along two streets.The Celtic HouseA bookshop and gift shop in Bowmore since 1959, with Hebridean books, Islay gifts and a coffee shop.Under a mile 1 min by road
  4. Peatzeria's whitewashed building on Shore Street, Bowmore, with its belfry and pointed windows.PeatzeriaAn Italian restaurant and takeaway on the seafront in Bowmore, with pizzas topped with Islay crab and scallops.Under a mile 1 min by road
  5. The whitewashed front of the Bowmore Hotel on Jamieson Street, its name across the gable.Bowmore HotelA family-run hotel on Jamieson Street in Bowmore, with Lucci's Whisky Bar and some 1,800 Islay and Jura malts.Under a mile 1 min by road
  6. The long bar at the Ballygrant Inn, stools along the counter and shelves of whisky behind.Ballygrant InnA family-run inn near Port Askaig with rooms, home cooking and an award-winning whisky bar.8 miles 13 min by road
Directions
White-washed Bruichladdich Distillery buildings with turquoise-framed windows and a tall chimneyAttractionsBruichladdich Distillery3.0 miles as the crow flies
The bar of the Port Charlotte Hotel, whisky bottles lined up behind a carved wooden counter.RestaurantsPort Charlotte Hotel3.7 miles as the crow flies
The dark green hide at Loch Gruinart, set low in the grass.AttractionsLoch Gruinart9.3 miles
FinlagganAttractionsFinlaggan9.5 miles
Two crumbling stone gables of a ruined castle rise beside a lochAttractionsFinlaggan Castle9.5 miles
Masked woman packs boxes in a pottery studio lined with unglazed ceramics and paint bottlesShoppingPersabus Pottery, Ceramics and Art10 miles
White cottages line a clifftop row with a lighthouse in the distanceAttractionsIsle of Islay (pronounced Eye-la)10 miles
Whitewashed terraced houses and a church spire overlook a seaweed-strewn beachAttractionsPort Ellen10 miles
Black rigid inflatable boat moored before white cottages along a wooded shorelineAttractionsPort Askaig11 miles

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