FAQ's for Gowanlea Heights B&B

We think so, but it depends! If you’ve seen us on Online Travel Agency sites (OTA’s) like Booking.com you’ll already know we offer great value. Especially when you compare our VisitScotland star rating with other properties.

We offer the best rates through our own website here by an average of around 20%, if you exclude any offers anyone runs. 

We also run many promotions and discounts exclusively on this site giving you the opportunity for huge savings.

We cannot advise you to book direct with us or market offers to you after you have booked with an OTA such as Booking.com, as it is against the terms and conditions we agreed to. 

Therefore, our standing advice is to compare our price with that offered by OTA’s before booking and you can always use our site to do that or contact us.

Campbeltown is at the head of the Campbeltown Loch with Davaar Island nearby. Locally it’s known as the Wee Toon and has a population of around 5000 people.

Practically all of Kintyre is within “day trip” distance, even Oban and many of the islands, such as Arran, Islay, Jura and Gigha, so Campbeltown is an excellent base from which to explore. In the immediate area, you have all the facilities you’d expect of a small town such as shopping and eating out. However, what sets Campbeltown apart are the small independent shops and cafe’s,  nearby golf courses, the history, the amazing scenery and the distilleries! Find out more here: https://stayinkintyre.com/explore-kintyre/

We offer options of a Full English breakfast, Full Highlander and Full Vegetarian option featuring the infamous Linda McCartney vegetarian sausages! We use a selection of locally sourced ingredients. We also offer lighter breakfasts such as cereals, fruits and yogurts as well as lashings of tea, coffee and juices!  Even children’s meals!

And don’t think you need to choose between a hot or cold breakfast, here at Gowanlea you can have both. You can even take some with you if you like, you won’t leave the B&B hungry! More details are here: Gowanlea Heights B&B Breakfast Menu

If you do have any dietary requirements please let us know.

Continental options are available from 7 am, hot breakfast orders can be taken the night before or on the day. We serve food until 9am. If you have any other requirements please do let us know, such as early departures and wanting a packed breakfast. 

This is what makes your stay with us special. You are the only people booked here.

When you book, you book the suite.  No one else can book so you are the only guest(s) staying. It’s exclusive to you.

Owners accommodation is on the upper floors, entirely separate to guest accommodation and cordoned off.

All of the exclusive suite is on the ground floor. The bathroom is arranged just like a standard house; in it’s own room and you only share it with the people in your group. No-one else stays, so it’s your private bathroom.

We include complimentary dressing gowns and slippers for each guest as well as a selection of toiletries. 

Children are £10 per night until 10 years of age, at 10 to 15 years old we charge £20 per night; all to a maximum of £60, even if your stay is longer than three nights. Adults are classed as being 16 years of age and older. 

With the exclusive private suite, we believe occupancy based pricing is fair.  

Our rate structure allows a single individual to stay at a very reasonable cost all the way up to a family or friend group at an equally reasonable cost.

The alternatives would involve things like single room surcharges, a higher average flat fee or additional room fees. We felt this would be overly complicated and also a bit negative.

This way, you pick the dates, pick the number of guests and decide if you like the price.

Feedback so far has indicated we made the right choice.

You can choose Stripe or PayPal at the checkout, both allow you to use your Visa, Mastercard and American Express card.

We also take full payments via the Scotland Loves Local gift card.

If you choose Scotland Loves Local as the payment method, shortly afterwards we’ll send you a payment request link via Zettle as they are partnered to Scotland Loves Local. You use that to enter your gift card details, we receive payment and then we confirm your booking. That’s it.

Our cancellation policy is here: https://stayinkintyre.com/conditionsofbooking/#cancellation 

Please note, choosing a no cancellation or non-refundable rate means exactly that. We will not refund bookings made on those rates under any circumstances. 

Yes, and to comply with fire regulations we can only ever offer up to a maximum of four persons in the suite. Adults, children, and infants count toward the total. Four is the strict limit.

If you need a z-bed in either room, there is plenty of space to allow that. A reason could be you are using the double as a single and want the z-bed in either there or the twin. Let us know what you might need. There is a flat fee of £20 for the z-bed that can be paid when you book or on arrival. The reason there’s an additional fee is the additional cleaning required (and wear and tear) over the standard, offered configuration. 

We can also provide a baby travel cot free for either room but you must supply your own bedding for that for safety reasons in line with common practice.

Based on adult persons staying on a per night basis and standard rate:

One: £95

Two: £120

Three: £175

Four: £195

Standard rate shown, seasonal rates and offers can apply, such as early bird, no cancellation, stay longer and last minute. Child rates are available.

Generally, you can book for one night minimum.

However, during the peak season specifically during May, we offer a two night minimum booking policy. 

You also get a 15% discount on each night as part of our Stay Longer deal! 

We only take bookings with payment in advance and confirm then. We don’t book without full payment.

Why? We only have the one suite. If someone doesn’t show and we’ve reserved the suite for them, it’s more financially damaging for us than for other venues with other rooms that supplement a no show.

If you are booking for business purposes most businesses supply you with an expense card that can be used and we can arrange invoicing for your reimbursement, but in all cases, booking is not considered confirmed until payment is received in full in advance of the booking.

We do not take walk-in bookings under any circumstances.

We only take bookings with a minimum of 48 hours in advance of check-in date with payment in advance.

You can cancel any time however if you cancel too close to check-in, and depending on rate, you may have to pay for all or part of the booking. Rates vary on this so please look at the specific rate information when you make your booking and make a considered choice. Our cancellation policy is here: https://stayinkintyre.com/conditionsofbooking/#cancellation 

Please note, choosing a no cancellation or non-refundable rate means exactly that. We will not refund bookings made on those rates under any circumstances. 

Within the B&B you’ll find all the expected accoutrements, such as luxurious bedding, own private bathroom with bathtub, shower and toilet, all the little extras you might need and a spotlessly clean house.

Rooms have hairdryers, hair straighteners, tea and coffee facilities, glassware, a safe, fresh filtered water, an assortment of hot drink sachets, snacks, tissues and an information booklet, sewing kit and torch.

There’s a kitchenette in the lounge with microwave, a fridge with small freezer compartment and tea/coffee making facilities. If you are heating/preparing food, please eat in the lounge and allow us to clear items for washing.

Terrestrial television is available in your lounge as well as a selection of DVDs, Freesat, Netflix and the PLEX server. In your rooms you have a Netflix account and free access to our PLEX media server with over 350 DVDs of films and TV series. Radio is via Alexa which is in each room, just ask for a radio station.

You can connect to the WiFi router as you would in any cafe or at home. The password will be available on arrival, you can also scan a  QR code or use the NFC tags.

Each room has central heating radiators and additional panel wall heaters are available.

There’s plenty of on-demand hot water, and the shower is a powerful little beastie!

Your hosts, John and David live here with their two teenage children and a gentle giant of a dog called Gino. We moved here in 2019 because we just fell in love with the area. The scenery is unbeatable and it’s a great place for kids to grow up in. We’ve loads of experience in hospitality and we’re all looking forward to your stay!

We need your name, address, a mobile telephone number and an email address.

Please ensure you add hello@stayinkintyre.com to any spam filter whitelists to allow us to send you booking details and confirmation.

Guests booking with t-online.de email addresses will need to provide an alternative email address or continue with the understanding that t-online.de have a ridiculous email policy that blocks small businesses from legitimately emailing customers.

Gäste, die mit t-online.de-E-Mail-Adressen buchen, müssen eine alternative E-Mail-Adresse angeben oder mit dem Verständnis fortfahren, dass t-online.de eine lächerliche E-Mail-Richtlinie hat, die kleine Unternehmen daran hindert, Kunden rechtmäßig E-Mails zu senden.

• You can check-in between 4 and 8 pm on your arrival day. If you need any other times please contact us and have agreement in writing.
• You must check out on or before 10:00 am on your check out day. This allows us time to reset the rooms for the next guests.
• No pets are allowed. Sorry.
• No smoking is allowed inside the property but vaping is. We have a smoking area outside in the guest garden.
• This is a bed and breakfast in a family home, there are clearly marked areas for guests and areas marked as private and there are also quiet hours between 11pm and 7am.
• No parties.
• Only paying, booked guests are allowed in, there is no public space such as you get in hotels. 
• We recommend you have your own, robust holiday insurance.
• There’s a maximum comfortable occupancy for each room. 
• Please read and understand the fire rules in your room, if you have any questions please let us know.
• Full terms and conditions are here.

• Only paying, booked guests are allowed in as we have your details.
• A bed and breakfast is accommodation for you in someone’s private family home.
• There is no public space such as you get in hotels. You may require a hotel or self-catering accommodation if that is what you want to do.

Campbeltown is near the southern end of the stunning Kintyre peninsula. There are no dual carriageways; it’s mainly one A road with B roads that form the network. Many of the B roads are single track with lots of Passing Places.

Additional information is here:

Travel to Kintyre

By road

Take the A82 from Glasgow passing Loch Lomond. At Tarbet take the A83 towards Arrochar, taking in sights at Inveraray with Loch Long visible on your left. Continue on the A83 passing through Lochgilphead. A few miles south of Tarbert at Kennacraig (Calmac ferries) you can either take the B8001 and join the B842 at Claonaig to B879 Carradale (the scenic single track route) or continue southbound on the A83 toward Campbeltown. 

By ferry

Calmac ferries – look for the Firth of Clyde timetables.

Take the ferry from Ardrossan to Brodick on the Isle of Arran. Take the A841 to Lochranza and join the ferry there taking the Lochranza to Claonaig route where you can take the B842 to Campbeltown via Carradale or take the B8001 to Kennacraig and join the A83 southbound to Campbeltown.

You can bypass Arran and take the ferry from Ardrossan to Campbeltown, and we’re just up the road from the ferry terminal.

By air

LoganAir runs a twice-daily flight to Machrihanish airstrip, situated just outside Campbeltown. 

By bus

From Glasgow, take the West Coast Motors 926 bus to Campbeltown.  More details of their services are on their website.

Using SatNav it’s: PA28 6AZ 

Using What3Words it’s: ///noted.couches.nightcap

Using Google shortcode it’s: C9CW+VJ

Using Longitude and Latitude it’s: 55.42226 -5.60347

Using addresses it’s Gowanlea, Argyll Street, Campbeltown, PA28 6AZ.

Call any of these taxi firms to help, you can book or call on the day:

Fona Taxi: 01586 554001
Tavie’s Taxis: http://www.taviestaxis.co.uk 01586 551122
Roy’s Taxis: https://www.roystaxis.co.uk 01586 554625

We are just a 5 minute walk from Campbeltown ferry terminal. 

If arriving from Islay or Jura to the port of Kennacraig, you can call a cab or take the 926 bus.

Fona Taxi: 01586 554001
Tavie’s Taxis: http://www.taviestaxis.co.uk 01586 551122
Roy’s Taxis: https://www.roystaxis.co.uk 01586 554625

926 Bus timetable:

https://www.westcoastmotors.co.uk/services/WCMO/926

If on the ferry from Lochranza, Arran, to Claonaig, take the 448 to Kennacraig and then the 926 to Campbeltown

448 Bus timetable:

https://www.westcoastmotors.co.uk/services/WCMO/448

On all of the above services, check they are running on the day you are planning to travel. 

Contact us if you need assistance.

• The B&B accommodations are on the ground floor.
• The front storm door is of standard width and has a step and a slightly raised threshold and then another threshold through the main door. There are handholds near the exterior storm door.
• The guest lounge for relaxation and breakfasts is situated on the ground floor.
• The own private bathroom doesn’t have any specialised fittings or access other than being on the ground floor. 

Yes, there is. The website is here: http://www.campbeltownmedicalpractice.co.uk

Stewart Road
Campbeltown
Argyll
PA28 6AT
Tel: 01586 552105

It’s a five-minute walk from Gowanlea Heights B&B to reach it. The main points to note are that you can register with the Campbeltown Medical Practice as a temporary resident if you need help and any prescriptions you need are via the Scottish NHS with prescriptions being free in Scotland for UK residents.

Regarding baby facilities, we have a travel cot that is available for use. We also have a high chair, a child booster seat and a baby bath.  Please let us know you want it out of storage when you make the booking.

We do not include cot bedding for safety reasons, we would ask that you supply your own in line with common practice.

You might want to have an extra bed in your own room for your child, we have a z-bed that can be used, just let us know. We’re happy to supply bedding for non-infants.

What is mobile network coverage like?

Coverage is limited depending on the provider, it is a remote area of the country and mobile companies are claiming to improve matters. Please select your provider from the list below to determine probable coverage they give you. You’ll need to enter Campbeltown or PA28 6AZ for the search location.

http://www.o2.co.uk/coveragechecker

http://ee.co.uk/why-ee/network/mobile-coverage

https://www.vodafone.co.uk/explore/network/uk-coverage-map/index.htm

http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/Network/Coverage

We’re very sorry but we don’t allow pets.

Smoking is not allowed within the B&B but we have provided a comfortable smoking shelter with seating and table for you. It’s in the guest garden and you can access via the car park or the front gate. 

Type 2 7kW EV Charge point at Gowanlea

There’s a private car park at the rear of the building with ample space with always on lighting, a security floodlight and CCTV, or you can park on the road at the front of the building.

At the rear we have a fast Type 2 7kW EV charging point which is free for guests and ideal for an overnight charge. There’s a rapid charger at Campbeltown Ferry Terminal and Campbeltown County Garage.

We recommend Argyll Recovery who cover all of Kintyre and are happy to go further afield. They are agents for several Breakdown clubs including the AA. They can assist with private work and they’re also the Authorised Recovery agent for the police for this area. Regarding road traffic accidents they can deal with these and liaise with insurance companies relieving the stress on the owners.

Tel: 01586 807063 / 0800 4332468 Web: https://argyllrecovery.co.uk 

There’s plenty of room within the Bed and Breakfast to store your bicycles securely if you wish, and we have installed anchor points in the car park to chain your bicycles to. The car park is covered by CCTV and motion activated floodlighting.

There’s a private car park at the rear of the building were we’ve installed a motor home electric hook up point.

This is for guests staying at Gowanlea B&B only. The use case would be for guests exploring Scotland perhaps using a stay with us as a break from the confines of a motorhome while retaining use of it during their stay.

The STL Bill was enacted to provide guests with safety and quality assurances. As a small Bed and Breakfast we have to abide to the requirements that have been included in the Bill anyway, such as fire regulations and environmental health, this is just a formality to wrap everything up into a single license.

We are pleased to inform you we have been GRANTED a Short Term Lets Licence ref: AR00026F

Please see our dedicated Covid-19 page and check the Covid Care Policies.