What will you get up to when staying in our family-friendly accommodation on Islay? There are plenty of things to do with kids on our beautiful Scottish island. Here are some of our favourites.

Play on the Beach

Well, you’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to a natural playground for all generations! Islay boasts more than 20 beautiful beaches around its coastline. Often you can have these beaches all to yourselves too. And what parents can’t resist building sand castle or letting the kids bury them in the sand? Learning can continue for all when you explore the ample rock pools that crawl with sea life! Who can collect the most shells, spot the hermit crab or find the winkles under the seaweed?

Pony Trekking Adventures

Treat the kids to a pony ride. Islay Pony Trekking offer pony rides for all abilities, from short rides for smaller children to owning a pony for a day.

Discover the Local Wildlife

The island has lots on offer for children, from bird watching to sea life spotting, Islay Sea Adventures have it covered. Perfect for kids, the trip starts at Port Ellen Marina, where the tour will take you along the beautiful coast of Islay. From seal to basking sharks this wild life adventure will be a great memory for the whole family. Highly recommended, this trip can be great fun! Make sure you bring warm clothing with youas it can get pretty cold out at sea, even on sunny days.  This is a popular experience on the island so it may be worth your while to book up in advance of visiting.

Or, if you’re looking for an indoor wildlife activity, visit the Islay National History Trust in Port Charlotte. Here you can get up close and friendly with our resident sea creatures who inhabit our touch tank aquariums. There is also a large laboratory with fun things to do including learning to use a microscope and dissecting owl pellets.

Fishing Trip

Take the kids for their first fishing trip on Islay. Get out in boat for a few hours and have the chance to catch fresh fish like tope, mackerel and skate. Again, this is a popular choice for tourists so it may be best to book up this experience online before you go.

Swimming Pool

Now lets face it…. this is Scotland and it every so often drops wet stuff from the sky! However, you may not mind getting wet in our very own swimming pool in Bowmore. For lots of splashy family fun!

Islay Family-Friendly Accommodation

So whatever the weather, you are guaranteed to find enjoyable things to do with kids on Islay. And here at Islay Cottages, we provide fabulous and cosy accommodation from a large traditional house to quaint and homely cottages where you can snuggle up in the evening after an exhilarating day of play!

Book direct for best rates guaranteed. We look forward to welcoming you!

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You spend that last week before your holidays tying up all your tasks. Then you start to pack the car, have those niggles with your travelling partner(s)- ‘did I switch the iron off, have you left food for the cat, you did lock the back door, didn’t you?….’ and you are finally on your way to the ferry. As you leave the clunk of the ferry ramp behind, the stunning Hebridean island of Islay unfolds before your eyes and all those worries start to fade away as you breathe in the fresh sea air. So the only thing that potentially needing thinking about is…’what shall we see and do on our holiday?’ Well, you need not worry as we have done the leg work for you and created your very own, bespoke top 5 things to do on Islay.

Islay Sea Adventures

Step on board a 38ft Revenge Charter with Islay Sea Adventures at the marina of Port Ellen and soak up the view of Islay and its marine life. For those fishers amongst you can book fishing trips and those with a more daring disposition you can arrange to go diving and view some of the 97 wrecks off the coast off Islay.

Whisky Distillery Tours

No trip to Islay would be complete without visiting at least one of their eight prestigious whisky distilleries. This unique island produces some of the strongest flavoured Single Malt Whiskies in Scotland.

The Museum Of Islay Life

This quaint little church house in Port Charlotte many items reflecting the history of Islay with around 2,000 objects from a variety of subjects. The Museum of Islay Life exhibits items from Mesolithic times to recent including artefacts found from archaeological investigations and rooms displaying how the inside of a croft would have once looked.

Islay Beaches

You come to an island and you expect a beach or at least the sea! The Islay coastline spans 130 miles and hosts some the worlds most scenic beaches. Here you can also observe some of Islay’s wildlife including seals, and many species of bird. For some wild swimming you can choose from the following safest beaches to take a dip if you dare!: Laggan Bay, Loch Gruinart and Loch Indaal.

The Isle of Jura

If you fancy a trip across the water it is a skip, hop and a jump where you can visit the equally stunning Isle of Jura, Islay’s neighbouring island. Simply board the ferry for a 15 minute crossing that separates the two islands and prepare to be wowed! People on this island are outnumbered by deer, with only 180 of the two-legged variety and 5,000 of the four-legged!

Whatever you choose to do, rest assured that here at Islay Cottages you can return to the most relaxing and cosy accommodation in one of our cottages or our stunning Georgian Kilchoman house. You will not want to leave! Find more great things to do during your stay with our Islay Guide.

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Islay is famous for its spectacular wildlife and is home to many species. A beautiful, peaceful and easily-accessible island of the Inner Hebrides, it’s the perfect place to visit for a Scottish nature and wildlife retreat.

Sea Life

Islay Sea Adventures offer wonderful nature-watching boat tours. So, if you fancy bobbing up and down on the waves and breathing in the salty sea air you can board a boat at Port Ellen Marina, which will take you along the East Coast and introduce you to some of Scotland’s most amazing creatures. From the cute puppy-eyed seals, huge basking sharks and friendly dolphins you are sure to be dazzled!

Dry Land

Of course you do not have to board a boat to observe much of Islay’s wildlife. You can see much of what is on offer on foot on dry land. Seals can be observed along coastal routes. Or, if you venture inland you can stumble upon an otter near a river, or deer trotting across moorland. You may if you are lucky even spot the occasional hare darting across the heather. And if you’d like some expert guidance, Wild Islay Birding offer a choice of wildlife and bird-watching tours by mini-bus on the island.

Feathered Friends

You can spot many species of birds from any part of the island you visit. Geese and a variety of ducks bob and splash in the waters of Islay, while raptors such as the Golden Eagle and buzzards glide the skies, hunting out their next feed!

Nature Breaks to Islay

Here at Islay Cottages our properties have fabulous views of the sea, and also a fabulous special offer for nature lovers.  Stay in our cosy self-catering cottages and come and explore all the surrounding nature and wildlife.

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Dying to put pen to paper and churn out that next chapter of your debut novel? Perhaps you’ve simply had enough of your final year university dissertation? A writer’s retreat can work absolutely wonders … and Islay Cottages is the destination for you!

A Writer’s Retreat Surrounded by Nature

Whatever the block is to your creativity, the Queen of the Hebrides, Islay is certain to help clear your mind. Benefit from a stroll across one of Islay’s twenty unspoilt beaches and meditate on the tranquillity that the remote island brings.

Enjoy one of Islay’s many nature trails. Or, if you’re looking to give your mind a complete break, why not hop onto one of Islay Sea Adventures for a wildlife spotting excursion! Spot seals and porpoises in their natural habitat whilst scaling the Islay coastline. If you’re in luck, you may just spot some basking sharks too!

Look to Islay’s sky to spot some of the rarest and most majestic birds in the world. Islay is home to over 100 species of bird including eagles, hawks, falcons, ospreys and buzzards.

Immerse Yourself in Local Culture

Islay is also home to a rich culture and history. A quick visit to the Museum of Islay Life in Port Charlotte will be a testament to that. Be inspired for writing the next chapter of your book with the Islay community and take the time to explore the eight active whisky distilleries on the island. Dip your toes into whisky tasting with a tour around Kilchoman Distillery, conveniently located a stone’s throw away from our lovely self-catering cottages.

Escape to Islay and beat Writer’s Block

An escape to tranquillity and serenity can only be a good thing for writer’s block. Why not kick back and relax at Islay Cottages? We’re sure your writer’s retreat will be nothing but soothing. Book now and get planning your trip to the Outer Hebrides!

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