Cuillin Hills Hotel

On the 22nd July, I made the drive from Inverness to Skye. As I was in Scotland for only one week, I wanted to maximize my time there and see my Granny as much as was practically possible. Therefore, the decision was made for me to stay the night in the Tongadale Hotel in Portree – this would allow me to see my Granny on both the 22nd and 23rd July.

I do not drive in Tokyo - cars are not really required for most day to day chores and are an unnecessary expense. I enjoy driving but can see not pleasure in driving on gridlocked roads.
As I have had little ‘behind the wheel’ action over the last couple of years, I really enjoyed zipping back and forth to places in my parents’ car. The drive to Skye on the 22nd July was a pleasure, and despite being the height of the tourist season, I found nice long stretches of open road which allowed me to drive at a heady pace.

After checking in to the Tongadale Hotel, I got back in the car and drove up to see my Granny. She was generally in good spirits each time I visited and we managed to talk well and reminisce over some past events. Once I had seen my Granny, I then had to decide what I should have for dinner. I decided to go to the Cuillin Hills Hotel to eat as I had been told that it had recently been renovated. The Cuillin Hills Hotel actually has a special place in my heart for a number of reasons…..the views from the hotel are lovely, I had a part time job there as a student between the ages of 13 and 20, and it was also the place where Yuki and I had our wedding reception. Visiting the Cuillin Hills is all part of the ritual of going home and if I ever failed to visit, it would be a sign my ties with Skye are weakening.

The renovations at the hotel were very well done and looked quite classy – almost something from the Jazz Age of 1920s America. There was a sympathetic extension to the front of the hotel, a nice long wooden bar, and tastefully decorated bar area. Despite being the height of summer, the hotel seemed quiet and as it was still light, I sat on the lawn at the front of the hotel and soaked up the views and memories from years ago.

As is clear, all was well and I was impressed with the renovations, the selection of beer at the bar (including Budvar), and the professional Eastern European staff. As I decided to eat relatively early (6pm) I was able to get a table beside the window with views of Loch Portree and the distant Cuillins. I placed my order (lentil soup and a lamb dish for my main course) and gently supped my pint of McEwan’s 80. Once the soup arrived, I dispatched it with ease and wrestled with buttering the crusty roll. The roll was not too user friendly and after I had finished my soup, my table and immediate surrounds looked like an eczema convention had recently visited.Anyway, after the very pleasant soup, I was really looking forward to the lamb. Unfortunately, the lamb was more akin to mutton and whatever the sauce was, it simply did not work. Poor quality meat made worse by a dish that seemed to have been put together by a Russian submariner. I left the dish half finished and considered complaining but decided that it was not worth the stress. Everything about the hotel impressed, but was sadly let down by the food.

After my dinner at the Cuiliin Hills, I walked into town and met up with a couple of friends. We had a drink in the Merchant Bar (which is starting to look a little tatty) and then the guys (Malky, Gareth, and Iain) decided we would like some drinks in a more refined setting. We returned to the Cuillin Hills Hotel and sat in the garden for a while before refraining to the bar. Nice to see some of the boys again and a pleasure to get the craic in.