The Colintraive

The Colintraive

Overview

The Colintraive occupies a privileged spot on the Kyles of Bute. The views, small scale and chef-led kitchen make it a particularly distinctive west-coast inn.

On Argyll's Kyles of Bute, The Colintraive has the feel of a small waterside inn with the kitchen central to a stay. Come for sea air, unhurried meals and the quiet pace of the Secret Coast. It works especially well as a stop on a west-coast touring route rather than as a facilities-heavy hotel break.

Eat

Dinner is rooted in what the area provides. The pub and restaurant let guests choose between a casual fireside meal and a more composed sitting.

Chef-owner Joe and the team cook from local fish, game and foraged produce, with menus changing frequently. There is a cosy pub with a stove as well as the more formal restaurant, so decide what sort of evening you want when booking. Dinner and lunch service days differ; reserve ahead rather than assuming food is available at every arrival time.

Sleep

Rooms above a working coastal inn keep the trip simple: settle in, eat downstairs and wake beside the water, without a second journey after dinner.

Bedrooms keep you beside the restaurant and the waterfront, without the scale or uniformity of a large hotel. Select the room category for the view and layout you prefer, and check breakfast inclusion on your chosen rate. This is a good place to stay over after dinner because the roads along this stretch of coast reward daylight travel.

Retreat

The Secret Coast is best enjoyed slowly. Ferries, shore walks and a pause in the garden can fill a day without resort facilities.

The shoreline, ferry crossing to Bute and walks around the Kyles are the draw here. After a day outside, the beer garden or fireside pub makes an easy place to linger. There is no dedicated spa; the retreat is the setting, the changing light over the water and a meal that reflects the region.

For a weekend, check the ferry timetable before setting off for Bute and allow enough time to return for dinner service; the crossing is part of the pleasure of this particular location.