Last Updated on May 4, 2026
Scottish Hospitality and Charm at the Pierhouse, A small but perfectly formed Boutique Hotel
I’m working on a big Scottish adventure, starting with a trip to see my family and visit Mull (the home of Clan Maclean), and then, at some point in the next few months, a move up to Edinburgh. Oban, the main ferry route to Mull, is close to a small village called Port Appin (at least in Scottish terms!), so a visit to the Pierhouse Hotel there was an easy win.
The Pierhouse Hotel, a compact twelve-bedroom affair, sits just in front of the foot ferry to Lismore, a tiny Hebridean island just 10 miles long that runs between Mull and the west coast. The hotel dates back to the 19th century and was built as the residence and office for the Port Appin pier master. At the time, Port Appin was a thriving hub for steamboat traffic along Loch Linnhe, carrying both passengers and cargo. When the steamboat trade declined, the building became a private home and later became a hotel. After it was bought in 2019 by the well-known hotelier Gordon Campbell Gray, it became part of the newly formed The Wee Hotel Company (alongside The Three Chimneys). The perfect place to experience genuine Scottish hospitality and enjoy some wonderful Scottish seafood.
In fact, the warmth for me started before I ever reached Port Appin. Travelling without a car, I took the train from Glasgow to Oban, where I was met by the Port Appin local taxi service. It’s around £50 for the half-hour journey, and Jimmy had a wealth of local information, so it almost felt like a private tour.
The Pierhouse Hotel was exactly what I’d imagined; closer to a restaurant with rooms, with the kind of hospitality that makes you feel as if you’ve arrived to stay with an old friend. There’s a cosy bar looking out over Loch Linnhe and two snugs where you can tuck yourself away with a book. The restaurant spans two rooms: the larger has fabulous windows overlooking the loch, while the smaller, on the other side of the bar, is dog-friendly (as is the rest of the hotel).
A tour of the bedrooms at The Pierhouse Hotel was a relatively quick affair, although there are four options to choose from. There are two superior rooms, each sea-facing and with a comfy seating area. Mine had a large walk-in shower, while the other had a full-sized bathtub. Something like a mini apartment, mine also had its own front door onto the grass and terrace.
Seaview standard rooms are cosy and compact but still have that amazing view, while cliff-facing rooms look out onto a mossy, sloping garden area for a more private experience. The rooms are well equipped with Roberts radios, large TVs, tea and coffee facilities, and a minibar. The bathrooms have rather luxurious Scottish toiletries (brand to add), and overall, it has a real home-from-home feel, with soft cream upholstery on the chairs and contrasting cushions and throws.
It’s the restaurant though which really sets The Pierhouse Hotel apart. Head Chef Michael Leathley has been in place for over six years now. Having grown up in the North of England it was a period working in Glasgow with the current General Manager of the Pierhouse, my namesake Fiona McLean that resulted in Michael (and a number of other team members at the Pierhouse) moving to Port Appin. His son had just been born and the magical atmosphere at Port Appin, a village by the sea with a proper sense of community, seemed just right at the time.
What he found was a network of local suppliers offering exceptional produce – icecream made by Jane Isaacson who has a small fold of highland cows, Pacific oysters from Judith Vajk’s Caledonian Oyster Company and Langoustine from Eoghan Black, who uses sustainable creel bait shellfish from his base on Lismore island to supply the Pierhouse Hotel. Lobsters too are creel caught, though Michael, almost regretfully told me that he had to source them from across the West Coast to avoid overfishing Loch Linnhe. Even the salt is local – produced using a graduation thorn tower – blackthorne salt from near Ayr. It’s all about terroir. It’s also about community so Pierhouse Hotel has a stall at the Appin show and has recently expanded with a cafe and storehouse run by Michael’s wife, The Linnhe, set high in the hills on the route from Port Appin to Ballachulish.
So, what else should I start dinner with than Pacific oysters and champagne. The freshest plump oysters served with a grilled lemon and a classic mignonette. There are times when I really wish I had a car; knowing that Judith Vajk has a roadside kiosk and honesty box for spontaneous purchases of oysters was one such moment.
Next, a slightly retro scallop dish, served with a rich lobster bisque, a sweet, gently spiced sauce laced with onions and topped with crisp puff pastry.
Lobster, Chef Michael’s suggestion, was spot on, carefully grilled and served with a buttery dressing. I may just have over ordered side dishes but I have no regrets, though I couldn’t finish the incredibly moreish house smoked ratte potatoes served with butter and parsley.
The little gem and anchovy salad was just a little overwhelmed by a heavy dressing but otherwise delicious.
To finish, of course, I had to order some of that icecream. Foraged lightly floral meadowsweet icecream and refreshing seabuckthorne sorbet came with a charming service of an upturned icecream cone and a scattering of honeycomb crunch.
Coffee and a square of tablet to round things off – simple, but elevated dining with more than just a sprinkling of Scottishness.
The Pierhouse Hotel has the kind of peaceful setting where I sleep like a baby. The next morning, back in the Lismore restaurant looking out across the loch, I enjoyed a full Scottish complete with haggis and black pudding. It’s is a dangerous kind of place for any food lover, but thankfully there are things to do beside eating.
I walked up the hill behind the hotel for ten minutes or so after dinner. If you wanted a little more exercise, it’s easy to continue on the route I took for a forty minute or so stroll. And, if you were staying for a bit longer, you could easily spend a day on Lismore – it’s just 10 minutes across the water by the foot ferry.
I’m most intrigued by the Pierhouse Hotel’s collaboration with Lucy Cooke, who is based nearby in Oban and who runs The Wild Cooke. There are a series of ‘Forage and Feast’ dates where you can spend the morning with Lucy foraging before returning to the hotel for a foraged buffet prepared by Michael.
For more to do, the hotel runs regular yoga classes on Sundays and Blair Mackintosh, the yoga tutor also offers private classes.
The Pierhouse, Port Appin, Appin PA38 4DE
Phone: 01631 730302
Looking for more culinary breaks? Check out our feature on Gothenburg for Food Lovers
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