Basics - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 28

to book direct through Directflight ( T 01595
840246, W directflight.co.uk). Competition emerges
from time to time, with Eastern Airways ( W eastern
airways.com)

charge a flat fee of £4. If you take advantage of this
service, it's worth being clear as to what kind of
place you'd prefer, as the tourist o ce quite often
selects something quite randomly across the whole
range of their membership. Bear in mind, too, that
outside the main towns and cities many places are
only open for the tourist season (Easter to Oct):
you'll always find somewhere to stay outside this
period, but the choice may be limited.

currently offering flights from

Aberdeen to Stornoway and Wick.

Accommodation
In common with the rest of Britain,
accommodation in the Highlands and
Islands is fairly expensive. Budget travel-
lers are well catered for, however, with
numerous hostels, and those with money
to spend will relish the more expensive
country-house hotels. In the middle
ground, however, the standard of many
B&Bs, guesthouses and hotels can be
disappointing. Welcoming, comfortable,
well-run places do, of course, exist in all
parts of the country - and you'll find the
best ones listed in this Guide.

Hotels

Hotels come in all shapes and sizes. At the upper
end of the market, they can be huge country houses
and converted castles offering a very exclusive and
opulent experience. Most will have a licensed bar and
offer both breakfast and dinner, and often lunch as
well. In the cities the increasing prevalence of modern
budget hotels run by national (and international)
chains may not win any prizes for aesthetics or variety,
but they are competitively priced and for the most
part meet criteria for clean, smart, serviceable accom-
modation. Also making a bit of a comeback are inns
(in other words, pubs), or their modern equivalent,
“restaurants with rooms”. These will often have only a
handful of rooms, but their emphasis on creating an
all-round convivial atmosphere as well as serving
top-quality food often make them worth seeking out.

Star ratings
VisitScotland , the country's tourist board, operates
a system for grading accommodation, which is
updated annually. However, not every establish-
ment participates, and you shouldn't assume that
a particular B&B is no good simply because it's not
on VisitScotland's lists. The tourist board uses star
awards, from one to five, which are supposed to
reflect the quality of welcome, service and hospi-
tality - though it's pretty clear that places without
en-suite toilets, a TV in every room, matching
fabrics or packets of shortbread on the sideboard
are likely to be marked down.

Guesthouses and B&Bs
Guesthouses and B&Bs offer the widest and most
diverse range of accommodation. VisitScotland uses
the term “guesthouse” for a commercial venture
that has four or more rooms, at least some of which
are en suite, reserving “B&B” for a predominantly
private family home that has only a few rooms to
let. In reality, however, most places offer en-suite
facilities, and the different names often reflect the
pretensions of the owners and the cost of the
rooms more than differences in service: in general,
guesthouses cost more than B&Bs.
A surprising number of guesthouses and B&Bs
still have decor that consists of heavy chintz and
floral designs, but the location, and the chance to
get an insight into the local way of life, can be some
compensation. Many B&Bs, even the pricier ones,
have only a few rooms, so advance booking is
recommended, especially in the Islands.

Booking accommodation

If you decide not to book online, most tourist
o ces will help you find accommodation and
book a room directly, for which they normally

ACCOMMODATION PRICES
Throughout the Guide, accommodation
prices are quoted according to the least
expensive double room in high season.
Individual prices for dorm beds and (if
available) double or twin rooms are given
for hostels. For campsites the figure given
is for a pitch including a vehicle and two
people, or else per person.

Hostels

There's an ever-increasing number of hostels in
the Highlands and Islands to cater for travellers -