Old Gortan Schoolhouse

Welcome to Old Gortan Schoolhouse! Built around 1880, today the Schoolhouse is a characterful cottage. Located just one mile outside the village of Bruichladdich, with its progressive whisky distillery, the Schoolhouse boasts stunning views of Loch Indaal. From the dining room or garden bench, you can watch the tide, plentiful seabirds, and gaze across to the Paps of Jura and the other side of the island. With the gorgeous views and cosy interior, you won’t want to leave! Old Gortan Schoolhouse was built as one of several schools constructed on Islay, to quite similar designs, following the passing of the Education Act in Scotland in 1872. This Act made education compulsory for all children between 5 and 13. The main schoolroom was in what is now our living room, and the windows in that room were placed deliberately high so that the children were not distracted by the beautiful views of Loch Indaal during their lessons! Old Gortan Schoolhouse functioned as a primary school until the 1970s. There is no shortage of people on the island whose uncles, aunts or grandparents were pupils at Gortan School! We prefer weekly bookings (Saturday to Saturday), especially at high season, and offer a discount for two-week stays. Short breaks and special longer stay rates are available in low season. Please contact us for details. Have a look at our website for further information about the Schoolhouse, things to do on Islay and our booking terms and conditions: oldgortanschoolhouse_dot_com Old Gortan Schoolhouse was fully refurbished in 2016 and has been furnished to make your stay as cosy and comfortable as possible – we hope it feels like a home from home. The Schoolhouse comfortably sleeps four, with the addition of a sofabed in the living room allowing us to accommodate a maximum of six people. The accommodation consists of a dining room with multi fuel stove, a fully equipped kitchen (including a washing machine and drying rack), large cosy living room with plenty of comfortable seating and a TV and DVD player as well as books and games, a bathroom with electric shower, and two double bedrooms. The larger bedroom can be configured as two single beds or one kingsize bed – just let us know your preferences. The smaller bedroom has a double bed which fills an alcove space - this might not be suitable for older guests. Additionally, one of the sofas in the living room converts to a sofabed for extra guests. We welcome children and a cot can also be provided upon request. All towels and bedding are provided, but guests should bring their own beach towels. Apart from one low step at the front door, the Schoolhouse is all on one level and generally accessible for guests with mobility issues. Please contact us if you want to enquire about wheelchair access. There are off-street parking spaces for two cars, or one large van, on the gravel bay beside the house. A third car could be accommodated by parking on the lawn, however please contact us to enquire about this. Old Gortan Schoolhouse has garden space to the front, side and rear of the property with outdoor seating and a wildflower garden that attracts birds and insects. Sometimes you can see deer in the neighbouring field! We regret that we cannot accommodate pets and smoking is not permitted anywhere inside the property. WiFi, electricity and heating are included in your rental. Unlike many places on the island, Old Gortan Schoolhouse offers good mobile phone reception on most network providers. Please note that Old Gortan Schoolhouse is a semi-detached property. We have a neighbour who is very quiet, but we allow him to park his car in front of our part of the building. This does not impede your view. The larger bedroom overlooks his back garden. We have a keysafe so that you can let yourself in on arrival. Before your stay, I will send you instructions on how to operate the keysafe. You will be left in peace, but you can always contact us if you have any issues. My parents live a 10 minute drive away and can quickly come out if there are any problems. Old Gortan Schoolhouse is very close to two of Islay’s newest and most progressive whisky distilleries. We are just one mile outside the village of Bruichladdich, and only five miles from Kilchoman. Bruichladdich can be reached by a 2-minute drive, a 5-minute cycle or a 20-minute walk. The village Minimarket has a café, with great coffee and cheese toasties, and sells most of the basic provisions you might need, including milk, bread and daily newspapers. It is also the gathering point for the Islay Cycle Club. Less than 5 minutes’ drive beyond Bruichladdich is Port Charlotte, with its excellent seafood restaurant, Yan’s Kitchen, as well as the Museum of Islay Life (open April to October) and the Islay Natural History Trust. One mile from the Schoolhouse on the way to Kilchoman is Forelands House with its famous gardens, open to the public once a year in mid-May (the date is announced in the local newspaper, the Ileach ). One mile beyond Kilchoman Distillery is Machair Bay with its amazing sandy beach and beautiful walks, and the ruins of Kilchoman Church and military cemetery, with one of Islay’s medieval standing crosses, Kilchoman Cross. Another turning from this road will take you to the RSPB reserve at Loch Gruinart, where you can join regular RSPB tours. In the autumn you can watch the amazing spectacle of tens of thousands of wintering geese arriving on the island. A 10-minute drive along the Uiskentuie Strand brings you to Bridgend. Here there is a general store stocking a wide selection of food and other useful supplies. Bridgend Stores also has a Post Office and a petrol station. At Bridgend are the famous woods, full of bluebells and other wildflowers in the spring, and Islay House Square, home to a range of independent art and craft shops. Here you can buy MA MacKinnon’s famous marmalades and chutneys, call into Islay Ales to sample locally-brewed beers, and visit the Community Garden to buy freshly-grown vegetables and home-made jams, and pick your own berries. A short drive along the road towards Port Askaig is the famous Islay Woollen Mill, established in 1883 and housing some of the oldest functioning looms in Scotland. Call in to see a demonstration of the weaving process and to buy some of their lovely blankets and tweed products. The main town of Bowmore is about a 15-minute drive from the Schoolhouse. Here you can find the Co-operative Supermarket, a butcher’s selling local meats and produce, as well as a range of shops, cafés and restaurants to meet all your needs. The Schoolhouse is about a 30-minute drive from both Islay Airport and Port Askaig, one of the island’s main ferry ports; it is about 40 minutes drive from the other main port at Port Ellen. We will email detailed directions for how to reach the Schoolhouse when we confirm your booking. Inside the house is a welcome book containing information about the house and the island, as well as maps and books to help you plan your holiday, or just to relax and enjoy.