Gigha Hotel

Ah, Christmas. It is the time for loving and giving and cooking and cleaning and dusting and tidying and doing another laundry…

Stop right there, Cinders! Because Fairy Godmother 5pm is here to wave a sparkling wand at you and magic you away from all of those festive chores.

Instead, we want to send you off to a winter wonderland island to soak up some Highland hospitality and be spoiled rotten for three nights.

Does that sound fab to you? Good, then hop inside this Christmas pudding-shaped coach and off you go…

Walking in a Gigha wonderland

Gigha is a beautiful little Hebridean isle. In winter, the frost-covered beaches, cottages and hills will make you feel as if you have landed in fairyland.

Although it feels like world away from everyday life, it is actually less than a three hour drive from Glasgow.

If the idea of a Christmas, ‘twixmas’ or New Year escape on an enchanted Scottish island appeals to you, then this Big Deal on a three night stay for two will be perfect.

You will be staying in Gigha Hotel, known for its amazing sea views, friendly staff and award-winning cuisine.

Choice of dates

You have two festive dates to choose from, each based on two people sharing a standard twin or double room.

Option one is for a three night Christmas B&B stay from 24th to 26th December, including a Christmas dinner on the 25th.

Option two is for a three night New Year B&B stay from 31st December to 2nd January, including a Hogmanay dinner and Chinese buffet after the bells.

A £15 per person dinner allowance is also included for the additional two nights of each stay (24th & 26th or 1st & 2nd).

Bring along children and pets

What’s great about this offer is that children under two can accompany you for free (the hotel will provide a cot but not bedding).

If you would like to bring children aged 2 to 15 along, you can upgrade to a larger room. Please arrange this directly with the hotel.

You won’t have to leave your best friend behind either, as a maximum of two dogs are welcome in dog-friendly rooms. There will be a supplement of £15 per dog, per stay and this can also be arranged with the hotel.

Scottish festive dining

You will be enjoying your festive meals in the hotel’s Sound of Gigha Bistro (which won a Taste Our Best 2015/16 title from Visit Scotland).

The hotel’s chefs are proud to use locally sourced produce to treat guests to a taste of the island and surrounding areas.

Hopefully, the merry menus will whet your appetite. On Christmas Day, after a glass of Prosecco on arrival, you can choose starters from the likes of tomato and roasted red pepper soup with artisan bread, duck liver and candied orange pate with crostini and leaves, and king prawns breaded with coconut and a mango and lime dressing.

Starters are followed by a lemon sorbet pallet refresher.

Mains should be along the lines of turkey roulade stuffed with sage and onion stuffing wrapped in streaky bacon with roast potatoes and all the trimmings, roast butternut squash with mushroom and spinach risotto and garlic bread, and pan fried salmon fillet with a root vegetable crust, new potatoes and ratatouille.

Christmas pudding with brandy sauce and Sicilian limoncello tart with vanilla ice cream are just a couple of desserts on offer. The meal is followed by tea or coffee with a mince pie, and petit fours.

New Year’s Day lunch will start with canapés, followed by French onion soup served with Gigha bread.

Choose a starter, with options including port and Stilton bruschetta with watercress, apple and grape salad, and pan fried halibut, compressed cucumber, crab and lemongrass consommé, followed by a mojito sorbet pallet cleanser.

Mains such as venison with butternut squash, truffle potato and Parmesan crust with red wine sauce, or twice-baked cheese soufflé with a celery and grape sauce are on offer, followed by an iced pear and cinnamon parfait with roast pear and sweet cherries dessert, and petit fours with coffee or tea.

There will be vegetarian and vegan options available, and menus are subject to change.

Friendly sea view hotel

Gigha Hotel is a small and welcoming family-run residence perched above Ardminish Bay on the Kintyre peninsula.

It is ideal for an atmospheric winter getaway, as you can cosy up indoors and soak up the Highland hospitality while watching waves crashing onto the beach outside. Bliss.

As well as stunning sea views, other features include the award-winning Sound of Gigha Bistro; a big comfortable guest lounge for reading and board games; a cosy bar where you can chat to locals, free parking and free WiFi.

All of the rooms are ensuite, spacious and extremely comfortable. Each one has a sea view and cheerful decor. Other features include a TV, hairdryer and tea & coffee making facilities.

Winter magic

From basking seals to silver beaches to stone quarries, Gigha may be small but there is no shortage of hikes and sights on the island.

For instance, you could take a bracing walk to the top of Creag Bhan to see the sun set behind Islay, watch dolphins play off the South Pier or search for the spouting cave (a favourite hangout of the seals).

That said, you could also just cosy up inside with a whisky, wine or glass of fizz (don’t forget to pack your Christmas jumper).

Happy guests

Gigha Hotel has plenty of fans posting rave reviews on TripAdvisor. Here are a couple (edited for length):

‘Food was excellent… I loved the menu. I complimented the chef personally..the kitchen staff were excellent. Breakfast was brilliant, it was freshly made for you… a really good toast machine gave you crispy hot toast which was very welcome. A really wide choice too… all you could really want for a hearty, tasty breakfast… we especially loved the small bottles of Wee Dairy Milk that was on the table… Service was great too, very efficient and friendly. We walked from one end of the island and back… Can’t wait to go back…’

Escape to an island this festive season

If you thought that it was too late to get away from it all this Christmas or New Year, then think again – this three night Scottish island escape offers the perfect chance.

So why not let yourself be spoiled rotten for three nights while exploring Gigha’s winter wonderland?