Davar B&B
A family bed and breakfast above Lochinver harbour, in the middle of Assynt, with en-suite rooms looking out at the bay and the hills, and breakfast in the rate.
from £108.00 Per night*
Davar, Lochinver, IV27 4LJ
T: +44(0)7312 109549
A two person business, and it shows in the rules
Davar is a house on the hill above the harbour, run by the McBains out of their own home, and that shapes most of what you need to know. Check in stops at 6pm because Caren and Dave want their evening back, they would rather have a phone call than a late doorbell, and they take no dogs because they already have animals of their own. Their short term let licence is HI-00267-F.
Every room is en-suite and individually decorated, and the room you book is the room you sleep in: there is no generic room type to be allocated on arrival. Each carries a hairdryer, complimentary toiletries, bathrobes, tea and coffee, free wifi, and central heating, and each is serviced daily. Two of them have a trouser press and one has a cot on request.
Breakfast is the part guests write about. It is a full Scottish cooked fresh to order, with meat from the village butcher, eggs from a local croft, jam from a local producer, salmon smoked in Lochinver, and coffee roasted in the Highlands. The yoghurts, pancakes, and muesli on the buffet are made in the house. Their own booking system holds 859 reviews at five out of five.
1 / 3
Good to know
- Their two pages disagree about Room 1. The home page calls the bed king size; the room's own page calls it a queen and the room wee.
- The website says three rooms. Their booking system now lists four, the extra one a ground floor king looking onto the garden.
- On the rates we checked, cancellation was free until four days before arrival.
- Our entry carries £108 a night, below every rate their own system quotes, and no amenity terms at all, so the features grid on this page shows nothing.
- No check out time is published anywhere on their site. Ask when you book.
- Their site does not mention parking either way, which is worth a question if you are arriving in two cars.
Where it puts you
Lochinver sits about halfway round the NC500, and Davar is in the village rather than out on the single track roads, at the Inver end above the harbour. Boat trips leave from here and from Kylesku, the local angling club has dozens of trout lochs, and there are beaches at Achmelvich and Clachtoll, with Clashnessie a little further on.
Behind the village the hills start. Dave has been up all of them and will talk through routes, from Stac Pollaidh, which is a couple of hours, to Suilven, which is a day. The Bone Caves at Inchnadamph are the other kind of outing, a short walk into a limestone glen to caves that held ancient animal bones.
Wildlife on the NC500
Dolphins, eagles, otters, and where along the route to look for them.
Frequently asked questions
Which room has the best view?
Room 1 looks over the harbour and bay to Suilven and Cul Mor, and faces the sunrise. Room 3 looks west over Lochinver bay for sunsets. Room 4 looks onto the garden.
How do I get the cheapest rate?
Book on their own website. They take 10 per cent off automatically for up to two nights for two people, and 15 per cent off for three nights or more.
What can you walk from here?
Dave has climbed the local hills and gives route advice, from Stac Pollaidh and Cul Beag up to Suilven, Canisp, Cul Mor, Breabag, Conival, and Glas Bheinn.
Can you get out on the water?
Boat trips leave from Lochinver and from Kylesku, and the local angling club gives access to dozens of lochs full of trout.
What wildlife is about?
The McBains list seals, dolphins, whales, basking sharks, otters, sea and golden eagles, pine marten, deer, and, if you are very lucky, wild cats.
Important
*Make it Scotland provides general information and aims to be as up to date as possible. However, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information or pricing provided.
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