Email The Three Chimneys enquiries & reservations: bookscotland@madbookings.com
Other places to stay in and around Dunvegan
The
Three Chimneys, Isle of Skye, is a top Scottish restaurant matching seasonal,
local food with luxury, Gold 5-star accommodation, in a romantic location
with heavenly sea views.
This world-class Restaurant with Rooms is situated on the shore of Loch Dunvegan at Colbost in the remote north-west corner of Skye, the largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland.
Owned by Eddie and Shirley Spear, it has a long-established reputation. The Three Chimneys Restaurant and its 6 spacious bedrooms next door in The House Over-By, have won numerous awards and accolades consistently over almost three decades.
The Three Chimneys Accommodation
The cottage windows overlook the garden, the loch and the hills beyond, offering beautiful sea views from many aspects throughout the ground floor of the whole building.
The Three Chimneys was once a typical Skye crofter’s cottage. It
is over 100 years old and part of the dining room was once the village
shop. Many goods came by sea to Skye in days gone by, being rowed ashore
at Colbost from steamers moored in the deeper waters of Loch Dunvegan.
Gold 5-Star accommodation assures guests of high quality bedrooms and
bathrooms, an excellent standard of personal service, outstanding cleanliness
and attention to every detail. As one of Scotland’s very best Restaurant
with Rooms, The Three Chimneys and The House Over-By aims to provide all
of this at every level.
The 6 junior bedroom suites are large and spacious with
high ceilings and luxury, fully tiled bathrooms.
Each room has direct access to the garden through French doors that open
off the sitting room area.
A hillside burn babbles through the garden from where there is a gate leading to the seashore directly opposite the building.
There are 5 split-level, 6 foot wide kingsize double suites with the bedroom a few steps up from the bathroom and sitting room area.
The 6th suite can be set-up as a kingsize double, or a twin room, or can be shared with a third adult using the fully sprung sofa bed.
This suite is all on one level and has an extra large bathroom with a
separate shower, all useful for a wheelchair user or those with special
needs.
All the rooms are on ground level with easy accessibility, ramps and pathways
to the restaurant.
There is also a baby’s cot and a chair-bed available for babies
and toddlers, for whom no charge is made if they are sharing a room with
their parents.
The simplistic interior design style of the bedroom interiors was chosen
to reflect the more rustic nature of the original stone cottage that houses
the restaurant across the courtyard, but lavish splashes of colour in
the soft furnishings, sofas and floor rugs, reflect the ever-changing
views over land and sea from every window.
Natural wooden Venetian blinds plus creamy, voile curtains, provide privacy
as well as light and shade at any time of day or night.
The hugely comfortable, 6' kingsize double double bed with its high wooden
headboard, is the pivotal attraction in each room. Large quilted bedspreads
and contrasting cushions conceal the soft feather pillows and warm duvets
beneath.
There is a velvety, two-seater sofa in each room, as well as new and antique
crofter’s chairs, plus a low stool that doubles as a window seat.
Occasional tables, plus as a long dressing table that can be used as desk
space if required, complete the soft pine furnishings that were purpose-designed
and handmade for The House Over-By.
As guests would expect, the spotless, well-fitted bathrooms are sumptuous too. Each one has a deep, double-ended bath with central taps, perfect for two people to share and a glass-screened power shower over, if preferred. With stylish white porcelain and highly polished chrome and glass, the floor-to-ceiling tiles are sparkling too.
Naturally there is a lovely selection of toiletries and extra touches
here and there, such as a votive candle, slippers and bathrobes, plus
towels already warming on the hot rails.
Cool in summer, snug and warm in winter with adjustable lighting to suit
every mood, the rooms are well-lit with a modern central heating system
and full double glazing. Radiators are individually thermostatically controlled.
Each room also has a table-top fan.
There is a Freesat multi-channel, flat-screen 32" TV and a DVD player
in each room, with a selection of satellite channels.
A Roberts portable radio is beside each bed and a wide choice of music
CDs and film DVDs available to borrow from Reception. Each room has an
I-pod docking station. There are direct dial telephones in each room and
WiFi access throughout the building.
There is a large wardrobe with plenty of hanging and storage space plus
a discreet trouser press for those who need one.
There are good mirrors and of course, a hairdryer provided with ease of
use thoughtfully remembered.
Guests are always welcomed with complimentary tea or coffee and fruit
cake and each room has a well-stocked mini bar as well as personal tea
and coffee making facilities with fresh milk.
Chilled, Scottish mineral water, fresh fruit, Three Chimneys shortbread,
handmade chocolates or tablet from Skye, are all provided at no extra
cost.
Our personal attention to making your stay as perfect as possible extends
to arranging Champagne on ice in your room on arrival, delivery of a bouquet
of flowers, or any other requests potential guests may have.
Our receptionists are on duty in their office in The House Over-By every
day from 8.30am to 10.00pm.
Part of their role is to help you with advice on local walks, activities,
places to visit and things to see and do while you are visiting the Isle
of Skye.
The Three Chimneys Facilities
Restaurant:
Accomplished head chef, Michael Smith, leads the kitchen brigade
today. He has already built his own outstanding reputation as a leading
Scottish chef and continues to improve and develop the culinary high standards
set by Shirley in earlier years.
The Three Chimneys Restaurant is housed within the bare stone walls of
an original crofter’s cottage around 120 years old.
With 3 small dining areas covering the whole of the ground floor, it has
an intimate atmosphere. In contrast, the stylish, spacious bedroom suites
in The House Over-By were built just 12 years ago. Between the restaurant
and the accommodation, The Three Chimneys provides a unique Scottish destination
experience not to be missed.
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Visitors to the Isle of Skye find it hard to believe they will find one
of Scotland’s very best restaurants in such a remote place as Colbost.
But when they step inside the door to the candlelit interior with its
thick stone walls, original fireplaces and low, beamed ceilings, they
know that they have found somewhere worth making the journey to.
Furnished in natural materials such as polished slate and black ironwork, with plain wooden tables and stylish high-backed chairs, the table settings sparkle and the white linen is crisp. The works of local artists adorn the walls, together with the odd artefact from days gone by. The style is rustic, in-keeping with tradition and its island seashore location.
We do not have a spa, or a swimming pool, or a hairdresser in-house,
but nothing is impossible to find on the island if you know who to telephone!
Our bookcase in reception is stacked with ordnance survey maps, books
and pamphlets of all kinds, offering a great deal of local information
on historic sites, artists and craftspeople, boat trips, guided walks
and tours, fishing, riding the list is endless.
There are books and magazines to borrow and newspapers are brought in
daily – although they are not available first thing in the morning
due to our remote location! We have a selection of board games too.
Best of all is the telescope in the Morning Room which
can be used to get a closer look at the seals that colonise Loch Dunvegan.
Otters, whales, dolphins and golden eagles are rarer sightings, but by
no means impossible for those who happen to be there on the right day
at the right time.
The Three Chimneys and The House Over-By is perfect for any kind of special
event or occasion – provided you are planning this on a relatively
small scale.
This could be a business or private event. For example, there is nothing like a private house party to celebrate a special family occasion. If you would like to discuss a get-together with old friends, a business meeting, or small corporate engagement, then do not think twice about telephoning to ask us if we could help you arrange this. We enjoy being adventurous when we need to be!
Please understand that we are limited in size and can only handle a maximum
party of 12 people dining at 1 table all together in the restaurant.
Larger parties would be divided between more tables, but next to each
other in the same area of the restaurant. If you want to book more than
1 bedroom, please ensure that you make your reservation well-ahead in
order to ensure that we have enough rooms available for your party.
We can offer the use of our Morning Room in The House Over-By for a large
party to assemble for pre-dinner drinks or champagne and canapés
before their meal.
The Morning Room has double French doors opening on to steps into the
garden, with stunning seaviews over Loch Dunvegan.
This is a beautiful location for photographs etc. In the winter, we can
pull the curtains and light plenty of candles to create a warmer, cosier
space for those who may prefer it. The Morning Room can also be set-up
for a small board meeting, or similar business event.
Please note that we do not hold a licence to hold weddings here, but Dunvegan Castle is only a short drive away. Couples planning a very small wedding may like to consider staying here before or after the ceremony if they are getting married on the Isle of Skye. We are very happy for small wedding parties to have their wedding breakfast here, but only for a limited number. Our premises are not suitable for a dance, or ceilidh, or wedding celebrations of a much larger kind.
Things to do and places to visit:
The Three Chimneys and The House Over-By are situated in a stunning location
on the edge of the sea by Loch Dunvegan in the Isle of Skye. Surrounded
by hills and moorland, near the foot of MacLeods Tables, the distinctive
flat-topped hills of the Duirinish peninsula, the north west wing of the
island.
Loch Dunvegan is a wide sea loch that opens into The Minch, the narrow
stretch of water that separates Skye from the Outer Hebrides.
There are panoramic sea views and on clear days, the mountains of Harris
and North Uist are easily seen. Whatever the weather, or the time of day,
the outlook ranges from heavenly calm, to wild and dramatic, from sunrise
to sunset, moonlit nights and starry skies.
Colbost is a typical crofting "township" and part of the larger area of Glendale. A croft is a small Highland farm, traditionally run by one family.
There are usually a number of crofts in each township and they share
grazing rights for their sheep and cows over a wider area, mostly the
open hillsides.
There are a good number of working crofts in Glendale, although not quite
as many as there would have been in the area in days gone by. However,
this part of Skye is home to a thriving community with many families living
and working here, or further afield in Dunvegan and Portree. The Three
Chimneys was once a Colbost crofter’s cottage. It is a traditional
stone cottage with a slate roof, of the type built in the early 1900’s.
The B884 road to Glendale passes through Colbost and runs along the shore of Loch Dunvegan, past the Three Chimneys, over the hill and through the glen, ending at Waterstein. Here steps lead down the steep cliff path to Neist Point Lighthouse, commanding a wide view of The Minch on the most westerly edge of the Isle of Skye. A trip to the lighthouse is well worth the experience. The cliffs in this area are among the highest in Europe and home to sea eagles.
There are some magnificent walks in this part of Skye.
Dunvegan Castle stands sentinel at the head of Loch Dunvegan on the shore
opposite The Three Chimneys. It is the oldest inhabited castle in Scotland
and seat of the Clan MacLeod.
A single-track road runs beyond the castle, its pretty gardens and wilder
woods, all the way to where you can take the footpath to the Coral Beaches.
The white sands of this beautiful bay can be seen in the distance from
The Three Chimneys.
The Three Chimneys and The House Over-By is surrounded by its own gardens
and has very easy access to the loch shore with its small pebbly beach.
Sometimes guests enjoy a stroll along the water's edge, or the pretty
roadway, to take in the lovely views to be seen in every direction.
Awards:
The Three Chimneys is synonymous with all that is the very best
about eating-out in Scotland. Included as one of only 6 Scottish restaurants
on Restaurant magazine’s definitive list of the UK’s Top 100
restaurants, the Three Chimneys has been awarded a coveted Gold Award
by EatScotland for 2010/2011.
Gold Awards denote the country’s very best restaurants, including several that hold Michelin stars. The Three Chimneys was also appraised by the AA as being at the “top-end” of 3 AA red rosettes for food for 2010/2011. The restaurant has held 3 red rosettes for 11 years and is described in the current AA Hotel and Restaurant Guide as an “Inspector’s Choice”.
It is also included in the Which Good Food Guide for the 25th consecutive year. A recent review in July 2008, by the revered restaurant critic, Frank Bruni, of the New York Times, described The Three Chimneys as “the French Laundry of Scotland” with reference to California’s renowned eatery. Owners Eddie and Shirley Spear are pleased and confident that Head Chef, Michael Smith, is continuing to accrue more and more accolades in recognition of his outstanding skills.
Email The Three Chimneys enquiries & reservations: bookscotland@madbookings.com
