Ardtorna

Bed and Breakfast

GOLD! My wife and I were traveling through Ireland and Scotland and discovered an opportunity to book Ardtorna with no prior knowledge of the property or the area. What incredibly good fortune! We missed the check-in window due to problems with email, but the owners forgave the policy and stayed late to greet us. We arrived to the most beautiful, contemporary, immaculate property overlooking farm-forest-lake/loch, just in time to rest up and recharge for the remainder of our journey! The beds and views were outstanding. The design incredible. Many small, thoughtful touches, such as a coffee machine in the hall, a hard-to-find single malt scotch and house made Irish cream available at the ready each evening when we returned from hiking/exploring/ visiting Oban, Karen and Sean available as needed — and a beautiful breakfast each morning to start the day, cooked and served by Sean leaving no detail overlooked! (When we left something behind, Karen drove to Oban the next day and sent it overnight so we would have it before heading home to the States. Next time, we will seek out Ardtorna specifically — and will be less of a pain in the… :) Incredible folks and stay.

Wonderful location, great hosts and great breakfast. Only stayed for one night, but the bed was too soft for us. Slept well and really enjoyed our stay.

"Professional and inhospitable" Apparently Ardtorna requires you to check-in before 8pm. I discovered that ignorance of this procedure can be uncomfortable, as the owners are strict in its enforcement. After hillwalking, I arrived at Tyndrum around 9pm and put in a courtesy phone call to Ardtorna to say I would be arriving there soon. No-one answered and I left a message. I then arrived around 10pm whereupon no-one responded to my bell ringing at the entrance. I checked my phone to discover a voicemail (from Karen? ) from 9.30pm saying I had missed check-in; the other residents were all tucked-up; I had lost the room; and I would not get any monies refunded. Exhausted, I had no alternative but to try to sleep in my car, there in the Ardtorna car park, without any bedding. A couple of existing guests arrived after 11pm and entered with their own keys, otherwise I had a quiet but very cold and sleepless September night. The following morning after 7am, I stiffly walked around the back of the house, saw a chap in the kitchen (Sean? ) and introduced myself. Sean indicated he was aware I had been sleeping in the car park, laughed and said they have very strict check-in practices which are clearly marked on the web site. Tired and with a long day ahead, I asked about a hot breakfast. Without a trace of irony Sean told me I would have had to order a hot breakfast the night before. He told me I could come back in 15 minutes for some cereal, tea and toast. I decided to leave.