Strathview One of Best B&Bs near Dornoch in Sutherland

Aug 6, 2010
Mike Gerrard

Strathview B&B near Dornoch - Strathview B&B

Family-run guesthouse has beautiful views and bountiful breakfasts in peaceful location perfect for walking, birdwatching and playing Dornoch golf courses.

Five miles north of the lovely little Scottish cathedral town of Dornoch is a very special b&b: Strathview. This wonderfully warm and welcoming guesthouse is just the kind of place tired travellers hope to find at the end of the day, with plenty of free parking, a friendly greeting from helpful owners Tom and Mary Semple, large rooms with quality furnishings and unexpected extras, and a view to die for.

The View at Strathview

Rooms at the front of the house share a huge deck with furniture and a BBQ, and also share the splendid view that gives the guesthouse its name. Although the driveway is right off the main A9 road, a zig-zag drive up means Strathview is set above and well back from the road, and no traffic noise can be heard. Instead there is that peaceful view across Loch Fleet and its nature reserve in one direction, with the Dornoch Firth beyond, and countryside and rolling hills all around. On a sunny evening, and as a place to wake up to, it's hard to beat.

The Extra Mile in this Dornoch B&B

Guest rooms at Strathview not only have superior furnishings, with good-sized beds and thick quality drapes, there are many extras not normally found in a very modestly-priced b&b. These include free wifi throughout the house, digital TVs, iPod docks, Spa Works toiletries, and even chocolates on the pillows. Some hotels charge twice the price and don't provide half these amenities.

History of the Strathview B&B

The buildings here were built in around 1900 as an infectious diseases hospital, the Cambusavie Hospital, known locally as the Fever Hospital. One of the guest rooms was the hospital canteen. It may not sound very romantic but the hospital days are long gone and the rooms and guesthouse today couldn't be more modern and appealing. The hosts kindly provide a history of the house, and plenty of information on what to do nearby in the rooms. There are also local books and guides for guests to read, and the owners are themselves a mine of information about the area.

Dining Options at this Dornoch B&B

The owners include a generous full Scottish or continental breakfast in the room rate, with as much of the food as possible sourced locally to provide tasty platefuls of black pudding, sausages, bacon and eggs, with toast, jams, cereals, juice and plenty of fresh tea or coffee. A Strathview breakfast is likely to leave you not needing to eat again till the evening, when the best option is to drive the few miles into Dornoch.

Dining in Dornoch

For a small town Dornoch has a wealth of good eating to choose from. Fine dining options include the restaurant or bar at the Dornoch Castle Hotel, where the food in the Garden Restaurant is exceptional. The 2 Quail Restaurant on Castle Street also provides superb food with an inventive menu which changes weekly, while less expensive but very good quality pub food is available along the street at the Eagle Inn. After any of these it's a 10-minute drive back to the homey comforts of Strathview, where a chocolate awaits on the pillow.