Elopement weddings at Islay Cottages

11th December 2023

Run away together to our beautiful isle

Tucked away in the heart of this Scottish island, Islay Cottages offers the perfect venue for an elopement wedding. On a sandy beach, surrounded by beautiful hills or inside our beautiful house, your wedding can be exactly how you have dreamed it. Hold hands and say ‘I Do’ on the Isle of Islay under your own terms. If you love the idea of a remote and charming setting for your elopement wedding in Scotland, you can’t do any better than Islay Cottages.

Kilchoman House and Islay Cottages

Your elopement wedding can be a small affair with just you two, or a bit larger with a few close friends and family. At Islay Cottages, your dream elopement wedding is not only about the ceremony but also about the perfect wedding accommodation. Looking to bring some close friends and family? We’ve got you covered with Kilchoman House which sleeps up to 12 people. We also have five cottages, which stand just above it. Lossit Cottage, Machir Cottage, Saligo Cottage and Sanaig Cottage all sleep 4 guests each. Each one makes the perfect hideaway for the special couple. Fieldgate Cottage can accommodate a further 6 people. Our accommodations provide a comfortable and charming retreat for you to make your escape here the most perfect, magical and special time of your life. The accommodation seamlessly blends modern amenities with the warmth of traditional Scottish hospitality.

A happy married couple in a non-traditional wedding. — Just married!

Gorgeous gardens and grounds

Our venue extends beyond the cottages, with extensive grounds that open up possibilities for a unique and personalised celebration. The grounds provide a blank canvas for you to create the wedding of your dreams. It can be as simple as you like with no extras, just the two of you expressing your love for one another. Or, it could incorporate aspects of your personality to add to the occassion. It’s up to you. What you will have, however, is sweeping views that add a touch of magic to your big day.

Bird eye view of Kilchoman Properites Grounds. — Kilchoman Properties Grounds.

Seaside Setting

Machir Beach is just a stone’s throw away from our cottages. It offers a serene and romantic setting for a romantic beachside ceremony and beautiful photographs to show everyone back home. The sound of the waves, the sea breeze and the golden sands create an idyllic backdrop for your elopement wedding in Scotland to unfold.

A couple got married on the beach and the groom carries her away, happily. — Carried away after a beach wedding!

Exclusive Use Accommodation

Choosing Islay Cottages as your elopement wedding accommodation means you have the entire property exclusively for your celebration. If you are having a few guests, this means everyone can stay together in the house, making it a great opportunity for mingling and meeting. You will be surrounded only by the people who matter most to you.

If you’ve always dreamed of a wedding in a place where you can elope to and be surrounded by wilderness and embraced by romance, Islay Cottages is the perfect choice. Let the beauty of Islay and the cosiness of our Islay wedding accommodation make your big day extra special. Bring your elopement wedding in Scotland to Islay. You can check availability and prices online or get in touch to talk about your ideal day with us.

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Romantic Island Escape

Are you looking for romantic breaks in Scotland? Then why not make an adventure of it and visit the stunning Scottish island of Islay? Islay is a perfect romantic getaway, with scenery and views to set any heart fluttering! With Valentines Day just around the corner, this could be the perfect gift for your loved one to get those sparks flying!

Islay Distilleries

Asides from Islay’s stunning natural beauty, if there’s one thing our island can hold a claim to fame about. And that’s producing world class malt whisky! Of course, with eight distilleries on the island alone, it can be hard to know where to begin. But don’t worry, we’re here to give you an insight into our favourite whisky distilleries on Islay.

5 Inspired Islay Whisky Cocktails

If there’s one thing the Queen of the Hebrides can hold claim to, it’s producing some of the world’s best Single Malt Whisky. Renowned for producing Whiskies with strong peaty tones, a trip to Islay is a Whisky connoisseur’s dream. Get ready for your next trip to the island with these 5 Inspired Islay Whisky Cocktails.

An Essential Guide to Whisky Tasting

Whisky tasting is a niche for some, and most people will tell you that the perfect whisky has this or has that, or is between this age and that age. The truth is, it’s all subject to personal taste. But what really makes a whisky a whisky? In our essential guide to whisky tasting we’ve picked things which might help you work out what’s for you and what’s not when it comes to this fine art.

Testimonials

My wife and I spent 2 weeks at Machir Cottage, one of four row cottages in Kilchoman. For me, it was a wonderful return to Islay after over 50 years having visited as a boy and stayed in the same cottages. For my wife, who is American, it was a brand new and wonderful experience and she loved every moment. The cottage had everything you could need as a base for exploring this incredible island.

Everything was to a good standard, the beds were comfortable and the wi-fi connection was more than adequate for such a remote location (we didn’t use the TV/DVD). The living room and kitchen area is perfect for relaxing in the evenings, and you’ll be amazed at the quiet ! If your idea of the perfect holiday is getting out into the wilds and exploring miles of unspoilt beauty, this is the place for you. I am certain it is popular with walkers, but you can also do many exciting trips by car (which you’ll need anyway to get around !). Some of the roads do get a bit funky in places, and it’s largely single track with passing places, but you soon get used to this, and the courtesy between drivers is generally a joy to experience.

The Kilchoman cottages are near three absolutely stunning beaches, all within 4/5 miles: Machir Bay, Saligo Bay and Sanaigmore, it was impossible to choose between them, but we visited each one at least twice. Perhaps the most scenic beaches we’ve ever seen, with beautiful rock formations, white sand and totally unspoilt (and indeed generally deserted !)

There’s also the possibility to take a day trip over to the nearby island of Jura, the famous `paps’ (mountains) add a stunning back drop to so many places on Islay. It is a photographer’s dream. Life is simpler here, and in many ways it had not changed at all for me since 1972 ! A lifetime dream fulfilled to come back here, and I wasn’t disappointed ! We were very very lucky with the weather, which does help, and on a good day I wouldn’t hesitate to call it paradise.

Handy hints: Take plenty of basic provisions with you, but the Co-op in Bowmore is up to modern standards for most of your needs, we only needed a couple of trips there to restock in two weeks. If you’re big on nightlife and bustle, give it a miss…but if you love nature, beauty and fresh air….it can’t be beaten.