Scarista House - Eilean Siar

Stayed here with my wife for three days. That meant three delicious breakfasts, and three delicious evening meals. First time we had visited Harris, after years of dreaming about it. I’ll come right out with it: I’m a fan. I loved staying here, and so did my wife. The purpose of this review is to let you know what we loved about our stay. If you’re looking for negatives, please peruse the reviews that highlight them. In my opinion, anyone who leaves a one- or two-star review for this beautiful place and its magnificent staff needs their head examined. That’s just my opinion… but, hey! That’s what this platform was created to showcase. The room was a delight, the bed was comfy, the linen was crisp, we read books and drifted off to sleep and woke up again and read some more. Then slept some more. Heaven. The breakfasts were sublime but it’s dinner, of course, that most people make the pilgrimage here for. I’ve seen some comments suggesting that the atmosphere in the house is stuffy. Trust me, nothing could be further from the truth. If you feel uncomfortable about having to string a few words together in the pre-dinner company of a handful of complete strangers, maybe Scarista isn’t for you. The library and the drawing room are perfect spaces for aperitifs and serendipitous conversations. We had different nibbles every night, and we enjoyed making friends with the rotating cast of diners. Most people (almost always couples seem to stay for a night or two, with others plumping for three or four night stays. I think the remoteness of the location makes it more likely that if you’re a little bit “up yourself”, a one-night stay has the potential to disappoint. The charm of Scarista develops as you add a night or two to your adventure. The staff start to recognise you, and they clearly value and enjoy your continuing commitment to their restaurant, and to their island. Of course for the owners, your stay at Scarista House is uniquely personal, because it’s also their home. I felt like an old friend by the time I left. Hell, I felt like that when I first walked in. I completely understand that not everyone will feel that way. Those of you who drive white Range Rovers with personalised number plates, who fetishise black cod served on traditional rural Japanese earthenware platters, who have paid to have lip fillers or botox, or who don’t read books/listen to a wide range of music/appreciate art, architecture and culture, will detest it. But then you’re never satisfied, are you? Thus, leaving a negative review of this place is part of a pattern for you. A pattern of never, ever being satisfied. My wife and I were thoroughly satisfied by our stay at Scarista, and we cannot wait to return. It’s a location, and an offering (set menu! that forces you to make a choice. Do you like it, or don’t you? It all depends on the sort of person you are. That’s what is so wonderful about it: Scarista gives you an unique opportunity to re-engage with who you are, and contemplate who it is that you want to become.

We were there just for dinner, so cannot comment on the bed and breakfast side of the business. The evening began with soggy canapés in a small sitting room. NB. Mingling might be OK, but here it is impossible to move around the furniture. Down to the dining room, where the starter was good. The meal went downhill with the main course. My dining partner has a food allergy, so we both had the centrepiece swapped out. The side dishes were not changed, so the result was a disgusting clash of flavours. For the amount charged it would surely have been possible to also change the side dishes. Dessert was unexceptional.

We booked for dinner as non residents. Faded opulence is definitely the best description. Really awkward crammed into a small lounge for pre dinner drinks and most disgusting amuse bouches straight out of a jar/packet! We had a table in a dingy corner of the restaurant with no atmosphere. We even had a creepy crawly wander across our table not sure where from! Starter was meant to be salad nicoise but contained a blob of hot smoked salmon no tuna to be seen and other bits pretty tasteless with a watery dressing. Yuck. I’d arranged fish instead of lamb on set menu and got two triangles of what was described as turbot tasted of nothing! Certainly didn’t go with mash potatoes and puy lentils. Yuck again. Finally dessert was tarte tatin covered with a sweet coulis of raspberry syrup. Not nice. Couldn’t wait to get out so passed on coffee. No point discussing with chef who appeared with bill overpriced difficult where to start! Won’t be back. It’s a shabby establishment passed its best.

We had a wonderful Scottish breakfast as guests who were not staying at the hotel. The muesli, preserves, and bread were all homemade and delicious. The scrambled eggs and Scottish kipper breakfast were cooked perfectly. The coffee was great and everything was set up nicely for our walk afterwards.

Scarista House has a beautiful and unique location and delivered a lovely dinner concept of one set menu and one seating. We started the evening with drinks and canapés in one of the lounges chatting to some other guests and then moved to the dinning room for dinner before retiring for coffee and petit fours. The venue and concept were unique and they clearly take pride in the location and offering. A really pleasant evening and something we would do again. They have rooms also but we did not stay there as they felt on the expensive side (although they may very well be worth it, we can’t say).