Holiday rentals and lettings in Islay

Table of contents

• At a glance: what should you know about renting a holiday rental in Islay?
• Holiday rentals and lettings in Islay: find your perfect retreat
• Exploring Islay: our top recommendations
• Activities: what are the top things to do and see in Islay?

• Space for every group: Cottages, farmhouses and apartments across the island sleep up to twelve guests, with gardens, Wi-Fi and barbecues among the most common comforts — and many properties welcome pets.
• Where to stay: Port Ellen suits beach-and-whisky breaks, Bowmore is the handy island capital, whilst Port Charlotte and Portnahaven charm visitors with harbours and heritage.
• Guest verdict: Stays on Islay receive consistently high ratings, with sweeping loch views, spotless interiors and welcoming hosts the features reviewers praise most often.
• Best time to visit: May to September brings the finest weather; come in late May for the Fèis Ìle whisky festival or in April for the Walk Islay walking week.
• Top activities: Touring legendary distilleries, wandering beaches such as Machir Bay, visiting lighthouses and watching the autumn arrival of barnacle geese at Loch Gruinart.

Islay's holiday rentals and lettings range from traditional whitewashed cottages in harbour villages such as Portnahaven to roomy farmhouses near Ballygrant and modern apartments a short stroll from Bowmore's high street. Most holiday homes come generously equipped:

• Enclosed gardens
• Fast Wi-Fi throughout
• Barbecue facilities
• Private parking
• Wood burners

Many properties also offer loch and sea views over Loch Indaal and the Atlantic, which might just inspire you for your next camping trip or break in a cabin in Scotland.

What are the best areas to stay in Islay?

Port Ellen is the best all-round base, combining sandy bays, the main ferry port and three world-famous distilleries on its doorstep. The table below details regions for specific interests:

What do our guests say?

Guests staying in Islay's holiday lettings regularly praise the cleanliness, sweeping loch views and warm host welcomes. Reviewers often single out peaceful garden settings and how easy it is to reach beaches, distilleries and coastal walks from the front door. Here are some of our top-rated Islay properties from the last year:

1. Beautiful cottage by the bay - 9.5+: There's room for five in this renovated seaside cottage. Guests love waking up to stunning sea views.
2. Holiday home 'Traigh Bheag East' with sea view - 9.8+: This six-person holiday home on the south coast of the island has massive windows to admire the views. Guests praise its convenient location, in walking distance to some of Scotland's best distilleries.
3. Cosy cottage in picturesque Scotland - 9.7+: Guests highlight the rustic charm of this cottage, which is set on a working farm. With space for four guests, it makes a great base for a family holiday.

Islay lies off Scotland's west coast, the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides, separated from neighbouring Jura by a narrow sound and reached from the Argyll mainland.

✈️What is the best way to get to Islay?

The CalMac ferry from Kennacraig is the classic — and most scenic — way to arrive. Here are the most common ways to get to the island:

• Ferry: CalMac ferries sail from Kennacraig, on the Kintyre peninsula, to Port Ellen and Port Askaig several times a day, with a crossing time of around two hours. From Glasgow, the drive to Kennacraig along the A82 and A83 takes roughly two and a half hours, and cars can be taken on board.
• Plane: Loganair operates short flights from Glasgow to Islay Airport at Glenegedale, taking around 40 minutes, with connections from other UK cities via Glasgow. The airport sits conveniently between Port Ellen and Bowmore.

🥗Where to eat in Islay?

According to Google Maps data and reviews, An Tigh Seinnse is the best-rated restaurant in Islay. Below is a table showing the top 5 highly-rated restaurants hand-picked by our travel experts.

⭐Our guests' recommendation: Our guest travellers Emma and James recommend SeaSalt Bistro in Islay: a relaxed spot in Port Ellen for fresh haddock and chips after a day of distillery tours — book a window table and watch the evening ferry come in.

☀️When is the best time to visit?

May to September is the best time to visit Islay, when daylight stretches late into the evening and ferry crossings are at their calmest. Whisky lovers should aim for late May, when the Fèis Ìle festival fills the island with music and malt, whilst keen walkers arrive in April for the week-long Walk Islay festival.

Spring

• Best for: Walkers and whisky enthusiasts, with Walk Islay in April and the Fèis Ìle festival rounding off late May.
• Weather: Mild and changeable, typically 8–13°C, with brightening days and frequent rainbows over the lochs.
• Atmosphere: The island wakes up — distilleries resume full tour programmes and the fields fill with lambs.

Summer

• Best for: Families and beach days, with long daylight hours perfect for exploring the coastline.
• Weather: The warmest months, usually 14–18°C, with the most reliable sunshine and calm seas.
• Atmosphere: Lively villages and busy distilleries — book accommodation and ferries well ahead.

Autumn

• Best for: Wildlife watchers, as tens of thousands of barnacle geese arrive at Loch Gruinart from Greenland.
• Weather: Cooler and wilder, at around 9–13°C, with dramatic skies and rolling Atlantic swells.
• Atmosphere: Quiet and cosy, with log fires, empty beaches and lower rates in low season.

⭐Our hosts' recommendation: Our local hosts on Islay recommend visiting the American Monument on the Oa peninsula at sunset, when the towering cliffs catch the day's last light. Combine the walk with the surrounding nature reserve, keeping an eye out for golden eagles and choughs wheeling above the headland, then reward yourself with a dram back in Port Ellen.

1. Follow Islay's famous whisky trail
2. Relax on eye-catching beaches
3. Visit the island's lighthouses
4. Step into 12,000 years of history
5. Walk Islay and watch the wildlife

1. Follow Islay's famous whisky trail

   Islay is synonymous with peated single malt, and its renowned Whisky Trail lets you sample the island's celebrated distilleries at your own pace. Walk the coastal path from Port Ellen past Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg, three legendary names sitting side by side on the south coast, or head to Bowmore, home to one of Scotland's oldest licensed distilleries. Most offer daily tours and tastings throughout the season, and many will fill a bottle straight from the cask for you to take home.

2. Relax on eye-catching beaches

   Few Scottish islands can rival Islay's coastline. Lossit Bay on the Rinns rewards a short walk with golden sand and Atlantic rollers, whilst Ardnave Point offers wild dunes and views across the water. Machir Bay is a favourite for sunsets, and sheltered Kilnaughton Bay near Port Ellen is ideal for families. If you're working your way through Scotland's most popular beaches, Islay's quieter stretches make a refreshing contrast — you'll often have the sand entirely to yourself.

3. Visit the island's lighthouses

   Guarding sailors on the Atlantic for two centuries, Islay's lighthouses are among its most photogenic landmarks. The Rinns of Islay lighthouse rises from the tidal islet of Orsay and is best admired from Portnahaven's harbour, whilst the square-towered Carraig Fhada lighthouse near Port Ellen is reached by a lovely shoreline stroll past Kilnaughton Bay. Pack a camera and time your walk for golden hour, when the white towers glow against the sea.

4. Step into 12,000 years of history

   Islay's past runs remarkably deep. At Finlaggan, near Ballygrant, ruined chapels on two lochside islets mark the medieval seat of the Lords of the Isles. The 8th-century Kildalton Cross is one of Scotland's finest early Christian carvings, and the imposing American Monument on the Oa peninsula honours those lost in two troopship sinkings of 1918. The Museum of Islay Life in Port Charlotte ties the whole story together with finds spanning the island's entire past.

5. Walk Islay and watch the wildlife

   Every April, the week-long Walk Islay festival guides visitors along the island's best trails, from clifftop routes on the Oa to gentle lochside rambles. Wildlife is a constant companion here: grey seals loll in Portnahaven harbour, golden eagles patrol the cliffs, and each autumn tens of thousands of barnacle geese descend on Loch Gruinart from Greenland — one of Scotland's great natural spectacles.