Room (Room 2) | Beach/ocean view
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Reviews of The Island Bear B&B

3 out of 5
The Island Bear B&B
SHORE STREET, Islay Island, Scotland

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 33 out of 38 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 5 out of 38 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 38 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 38 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 38 reviews" "

9.8/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Staff & service

9.6/10

Amenities

9.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Irakli, JAMISON

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very cosy place, wonderful people
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Fiona on 11 Apr 2024
Thank you for your kind words Irakli, it is much appreciated. It was lovely to see a father and son spending time together. Kind regards Fiona & Duncan

10/10 Excellent

Josh

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Fiona and Duncan are a ton of fun, and they make sure you're well-fed to start the day and have great local advice on how to get around Islay, especially on Sundays when the bus doesn't run. Definitely can't go wrong a The Island Bear, and the rooms are great
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Fiona on 14 Oct 2023
Hi JoshThank you very much for your kind words, they are very much appreciated. It makes our day to hear that our guests enjoyed their time on Islay. We would be delighted to welcome you both back anytime. Kind regards Fiona

10/10 Excellent

stephen

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Enjoyed a couple of days staying here. Rooms were very comfortable and clean. Nice breakfast.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Fiona on 14 Oct 2023
Thank you for taking the time to write a review, it is much appreciated. We were delighted that you both enjoyed not only your stay at the Island Bear but, most importantly, your time on Islay. We would be delighted to welcome you back anytime . Kind regards Fiona

10/10 Excellent

Diane

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Hostess was so friendly and helpful! The room was lovely and had a great bathtub. View was beautiful from the room. Breakfast was great!
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2022
Response from Fiona on 24 Nov 2022
Thank you for taking the time to write a review, it is much appreciated. We enjoyed meeting you both and are so pleased you enjoyed your time with us on Islay. It really makes our day. We would be delighted to welcome you back anytime. Kind regards Fiona

10/10 Excellent

Michelle

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
An absolute gem with a lovely host!
We were in Islay on a whisky tour for 3 nights and absolutely loved this little three-room B&B run by Islay local, Fiona. The room was surprisingly spacious. The bed was comfy. There was a lovely view of the water. It was right on the main road in Bowmore. And breakfast was made to order each morning, and served by Fiona herself - along with lovely conversation and local tips. I cannot say enough wonderful things about The Island Bear!
View from room 3
View from room 3
Front entrance - right on the main road through Bowmore
Lovely sunrise view straight outside the front door
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2022
Response from Fiona on 16 Oct 2022
Thank you for your kind words and excellent review, it is much appreciated. I really enjoyed meeting you both and it really makes our day when our guests enjoyed their time on our beautiful island.We would be delighted to welcome you back anytime. Kind regardsDuncan and Fiona

10/10 Excellent

Lori, Shaftsbury

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Fantastic place to stay in Bowmore. Great location, easy parking and not far from anything on Islay. The room was large and very clean. The bed was comfortable and the shower had good water pressure. Fiona, the owner, was fab! She was very friendly, welcoming and helpful! She also makes a great breakfast!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2022
Response from Fiona on 11 Oct 2022
Thank you Lori for your kind words, it is much appreciated. It makes our day when guests enjoy their time on Islay, despite the problems encountered with ferry disruptions.We enjoyed having you both and would be delighted to welcome you back anytime. Kind regards Fiona

10/10 Excellent

Mary

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent location, very friendly, good breakfasts and lots of help with suggestions for things to do.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2022
Response from Fiona on 2 Oct 2022
Hi MaryThank you for your kind words and taking the time to write a review, it is much appreciated.We do our best to help guests enjoy their time on our beautiful island. Kind regards Fiona

10/10 Excellent

Hayley

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We spent 3 nights at the Island Bear and it was wonderful. Duncan and Fiona were excellent hosts and helped us when we needed to make a change and bring our son with us. The room was lovely, comfortable and the breakfasts were fantastic. We’ll recommend staying here to everyone that we know traveling to Islay
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022
Response from Fiona on 19 July 2022
Hi Hayley Thank you very much for taking the time to write a review it is much appreciated. It really makes our day to hear that you enjoyed your time on Islay and your stay with us. We enjoyed meeting and accommodating your delightful son and would be more than happy to welcome you all back anytime. Kind regards Fiona

10/10 Excellent

Mary

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Room was very clean, checkin was convenient, bed was comfortable, and the location was perfect. We had a nice view of the water from our room. Hosts Fiona and Duncan were very kind and helpful. Couldn’t ask for more!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2022
Response from Fiona on 10 June 2022
Thank you Mary for the excellent review and kind words, it is much appreciated. We enjoyed meeting you both and were very pleased that you both enjoyed visiting Islay. We would be delighted to welcome you both back anytime. Kind regards Fiona & Duncan

10/10 Excellent

Catherine

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely spot in the middle of town, great views from my bedroom window. And Fiona was the perfect host, cooking up a delicious Scottish breakfast!
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2022
Response from Fiona on 25 Apr 2022
Thank you Catherine for taking the time, to write a review. We were absolutely to receive such a excellent review. It made my day. We are delighted that you enjoyed your time on Islay and would be happy to welcome you back again. Kind regards Fiona

10/10 Excellent

Jackalyn, Mesa

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
An absolutely lovely stay on Islay! Duncan and Fiona are incredibly kind, and their bed and breakfast is wonderful. The rooms have a cozy feel, while still being really spacious if you’ve brought large luggage. I can’t wait to go back!
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2022
Response from Fiona on 12 Apr 2022
Thank you Jackalyn for taking the time to write such an amazing review, it really is appreciated. We were delighted that you both enjoyed your time on Islay, so much so, that you intend to return. We would be delighted to welcome you both back anytime. Enjoy the rest of your trip. Kind regards Fiona

8/10 Good

Luis Cesar

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fiona and David great hosts confortable room
Cozy decently sized room with comfortable bed. Fiona and David are very friendly and supportive. Location is great very close to Bowmore Distillery. Breakfast is made-to-order abd very tasty. Would definitely revommend and stay again on my next trip to Islay.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2021
Response from Fiona on 11 Oct 2021
Hi Luis Thank you for taking the time to write a review, it is much appreciated. It is makes our day to hear that you enjoyed your time on Islay. We would be delighted to welcome you back anytime.

10/10 Excellent

William

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect hosts
If you're already looking at the Island Bear for your trip to Islay then I suggest you just go ahead and book it if you can. This is a spotless, modern looking B&B right in the heart of Bowmore. I doubt it took us 5 minutes to walk anywhere in the village with all the restaurants and shops extremely close by. Really comfy bed, great shower/bath and nothing lacking in terms of facilities. What makes this B&B though are the hosts, Fiona and Duncan. We only ever really had the pleasure of speaking to them during breakfast but it made a great start to our day as they both took a lot of time to chat to us and talk about Bowmore and the island in particular. They were able to answer any questions we had. As well as all that the breakfasts were superb and more than enough to fuel a morning's adventuring. There was a problem with the ferries while we were there and their willingness to go above and beyond to help us out if needed was so appreciated. Thank you to you both and we hope to see you again soon. Billy & Marjorie
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2021
Response from Fiona on 22 Sept 2021
Hi Marjorie and Bill Thank you for the excellent review, it really is appreciated. So glad to hear that your horrendous last day, waiting for a ferry didn't ruin your holiday. We enjoyed your company and would be delighted to welcome you back anytime Kind regards Fiona &Duncan

10/10 Excellent

Malcolm

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent BnB. Clean, modern with great service. The owners couldn’t do enough for us Can’t fault it
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2021
Response from Fiona on 12 Sept 2021
Thank you for the excellent review, it is much appreciated. We enjoyed having you guys stay and would be delighted to welcome you back anytime.

10/10 Excellent

Frances

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing B&B, thoroughly enjoyed our stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2021
Response from Fi on 20 Aug 2021
Thank you Frances for your kind words, it is much appreciated. We are so pleased that you enjoyed your visit to Islay. We would be delighted to welcome you back anytime. Kind regards Fiona &Duncan

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely comfortable rooms. Great choice of breakfasts. Hosts were friendly and knowledgeable about the area - things to do, places to eat etc. Would love to go back!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2021
Response from Fiona on 30 July 2021
Thank you for taking the time to write a review, it is much apprectiated. We are so pleased that you enjoyed your time and stay with us on Islay. We hope that you will manage to return to our beautiful island

10/10 Excellent

Andrew

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great stay and excellent base to discover Islay
Lovely modernised accommodation. Breakfast excellent and great hosts. It would appear Bowmore is the largest place on Islay with a few pubs and restaurants (better to book these as they can be busy) so this is a good base for touring the Island. If visiting the distilleries , buses are regular and go to most places over the island from here letting you enjoy even more.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2021
Response from Fi on 21 July 2021
Thank you for taking the time to write a review it is much appreciated and also your kind words. We were very pleased that you both enjoyed your time on Islay. Kind regards Fiona & Duncan

10/10 Excellent

Colin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Islay paradise
Spotless, quiet room. Friendly and helpful hosts. Excellent location. Perfect "chill out" home from home.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2021
Response from Fi on 14 June 2021
Thank you Colin for taking the time to write such an excellent review, it is much appreciated. We are so pleased you both enjoyed your time on Islay and would be delighted to welcome you back anytime. Kind regards Fiona &Duncan

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Recommended
Very enjoyable. Nice breakfast and great hosts
Stayed 4 nights in May 2021
Response from Fiona on 29 May 2021
Thank you for the excellent review, it is much appreciated. We would love to welcome you back to The Island Bear anytime.

10/10 Excellent

Richard

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fab
Great couple of days staying in Bowmore. Excellent Scottish breakfast every morning, Fiona was very helpful and always available when needed. Would definitely stay here again
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2019
Response from Fi on 8 Oct 2019
Thank you Richard for the excellent review, it is much appreciated. It was a pleasure to meet you both, and we were so pleased you enjoyed your time on our beautiful island. We would be delighted to welcome you back anytime. Kind Regards Fiona & Duncan

10/10 Excellent

Katrina

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great location! Our room was cozy and our hosts were kind and very welcoming. Excellent breakfast in the morning!! Highly recommended.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019
Response from Fiona on 26 Sept 2019
Thank you Katrina for the excellent review, it is much appreciated. We would love to welcome you both back anytime. Kind regards Duncan & Fiona

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The room was immaculate, and the place is right around the corner from the main square with the bus stop and the pier. Also, Fiona makes great breakfast.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2019
Response from Fiona on 12 Aug 2019
Thank you for the excellent review, it is much appreciated. We truly enjoy hearing that our guests enjoy their time on our beautiful island. Kind regards Fiona & Duncan

10/10 Excellent

John

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Charming B and B with great views of the water and a centralized location on the water. The owners were very friendly and helpful.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2019
Response from Fiona & Duncan on 10 Aug 2019
Thank you John for the excellent review, it is much appreciated. So pleased you both enjoyed your time on Islay and we enjoyed having you stay. Haste Ye Back to Islay. Kind regards Duncan & Fiona

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This is a great place to stay, recently renovated with great care and style, the hosts are friendly, helpful and attentive. You will not regret staying here.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2019
Response from Fi on 9 July 2019
Thank you for taking the time to write a review, it is much appreciated. So pleased that you enjoyed your time with us on Islay. It is most important to us that all our guests, enjoy, not only the good whisky but also have a good experience on our beautiful island.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We loved everything! The room was fantastic, Fiona and Duncan were great hosts and breakfast was brilliant!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2019
Response from Fi on 9 July 2019
Thank you for taking the time to write a review, it is really appreciated. So pleased that you enjoyed your time with us on Islay. We really enjoy meeting so many lovely people from all corners of the world.

10/10 Excellent

Lee D

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Island bear July stay
Fiona and her husband ate such amazing hosts I totally had the best time
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2019
Response from Fiona on 5 July 2019
Thank you for taking the time to write a review, and such an excellent one. We were delighted that you enjoyed your time on Islay and would love to welcome you back anytime. Kind Regards Duncan & Fiona

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely rooms. Very convenient location in the middle of Bowmore. Owners were friendly and knowledgeable about the area.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2019
Response from Fiona on 4 July 2019
Thank you for taking the time to write review. We appreciate feedback from our guests. Kind regards Fiona & Duncan

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wonderful stay
Perfect location - steps away from restaurants and bars and easy to get around the island while based in Bowmore. Very comfortable and cosy room. Lovely hosts who had great recommendations for our time on Islay. Hope to stay here again.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2019
Response from Fiona & Duncan on 19 May 2019
Thank you for taking the time to write such an excellent review, it is much appreciated. We love to hear that our guests enjoyed their time on our beautiful island and would be delighted to welcome back guests returning to Islay. Moran Taing (Thank you)

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2019
Response from The Island Bear on 3 May 2019
Thank you for the excellent review, it is much appreciated. We are so pleased you enjoyed your stay on Islay. Moran Taing (Thank you) Duncan and Fiona

10/10 Excellent

james

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2018
Response from Fiona on 1 Nov 2018
Thank you James. We really appreciate that you took the time to rate us. We would love to welcome you back anytime.

10/10 Excellent

Chi Leung

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Convenient location
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Fi on 1 May 2024
Hi Chi LeungThank you for taking the time to write a review, it is much appreciated. We were delighted that you both enjoyed your time on Islay and hope you manage to return again.

8/10 Good

?

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
verygood
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Fiona on 14 Oct 2023
Thank you for taking the time to write a review, it is much appreciated. We are delighted that you found our B&B very good. We hope that you enjoyed your time on our beautiful Island of Islay. Kind regards Fiona

8/10 Good

Martin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Klein, gemütlich, schön
Wir wurden sehr freundlich empfangen und auch das Zimmer war sauber und zweckmässig eingerichtet. Die Lage ist sehr gut, mitten im Zentrum von Bowmore. Frühstück gibts auf Wunsch und wird frisch zubereitet. Alles in allem ein kleines, gemütliches B&B gut gelegen für Ausflüge auf der Insel Islay.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2022
Response from Fiona on 24 Aug 2022
Thank you for your kind words, it is much appreciated. We enjoyed having you both to stay and would be delighted to welcome you back anytime Kind Regards Fiona

10/10 Excellent

Frank

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Kurz und knapp: es gab nichts zu bemängeln.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022
Response from FI on 5 Aug 2022
Hi Frank Thank you for taking the time to write a review, it is much appreciated. We were delighted that you both enjoyed your time on Islay. Kind regards Fiona

10/10 Excellent

TOMOYA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Comfortable room and honest services. I enjoyed staying here. I’ll be back some day.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2019
Response from Fiona & Duncan on 30 Oct 2019
Thank you Tomoya for the excellent review it is much appreciated. We also enjoyed having you and would be delighted to welcome you back to Islay anytime.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Hausherr und Frau waren sehr launisch . Ansonsten war die Unterkunft sehr sauber und das Frühstück gut.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2019
Response from Fi on 5 Sept 2019
Glad to hear you enjoyed your breakfast and you stay. We are sorry you got the impression we were moody, however, don't quite understand this comment. It is very important to us that all guests enjoy their time with us and go away having enjoyed their time on Islay.. My husband does tend joke with the guests, perhaps this was misunderstood due to the language barrier. Please accept our apologies for any misunderstanding.

10/10 Excellent

Göran

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Kanske min bästa boendeupplevelse någonsin!
Litet B&B med mycket fina och bekväma rum och ett fantastiskt värdpar.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2019
Response from Fiona on 12 Aug 2019
Thank you Goran for the excellent review, it is much appreciated. We were delighted you both enjoyed your time on Islay. We would love to welcome you back anytime Kind regards Duncan & Fiona