Cannon House Hotel

The vegan breakfast was appalling. We were told there would be vegan sausages, but none arrived. Instead there was half a mushroom, a quarter of a tomato, some vegan haggis, a potato scone, burnt toast, and cold baked beans. They didn’t offer extra mushrooms or haggis to make up for the missing meat items, and the beans being cold was awful. For £180, the room was overpriced: the so-called double was two single beds pushed together, uncomfortable for a couple because one of us kept falling into the gap. It also wasn’t clean. There were spiders and webs in the room and several spiders and cobwebs in the bathroom, which we had to clear away. The wallpaper was peeling, and the place felt dated. The shower leaked over the floor, so we had to keep drying it with our towels, and it changed suddenly from cold to scalding hot, which was dangerous and uncomfortable. We were on the ground floor next to the dining area, with paper-thin walls. From 8:30 am, noise from other guests and the dining room woke us up and ruined our chance to sleep in. The hotel feels more like a guesthouse and needs modernising. First, there was no clear check-in guidance. We called the number on the door and were told our room and that the key was in the lock, but the information was wrong. They sorted it out quickly, though. The stay was still a very poor experience.

On our latest visit, we had a pleasant stay. I came back on 25Jun2025 for the fourth time and booked at the last minute through Agoda. Check-in instructions weren’t clear, but I called the staff using the number at the entrance and got into my room within minutes. This time it was a clean, well-maintained, newly furnished room on the top floor overlooking the garden, with a good shower. The breakfast lady was nice and attentive, and breakfast was substantial and quite good. It was good to see the back garden well kept again. Bring your own room slippers. My first two visits were great, and over the year I’d stayed three times, from lockdown onwards. I had sea-facing rooms twice and a garden-facing room once. The rooms were clean and good, with heaters and good showers. The location, warm service, lovely garden, and yummy breakfast kept bringing us back. But when we returned after six months, standards had dropped. The staff had changed, breakfast service was poor and rude, the food wasn’t as good, and the garden looked neglected and abandoned. Rachel was lovely: we arrived early, and she spotted us at the front gate, got out of her car, and let us check in early. At breakfast, though, a short, fat blonde-haired lady was abrupt and rude, with no customer service attitude. There was just one other table occupied, but we were ignored for 15 awkward minutes. When my partner went to ask if she knew we were there for breakfast, she loudly ordered him back to the table and said she would come over. She didn’t, and went back into the kitchen hole. At check-in, Rachel had said the low occupancy rate meant we could check out late. Around 11:20 am, while we were getting ready to leave slowly, there was a loud bang on our door, and that same short, fat blonde-haired woman demanded to know why we were still in the room. It was a sour experience. I won’t return if guests are treated this way. There are many nice and friendly hotels just doors away, and I hope the owner looks into this before losing more customers who just want a good time on this lovely island. The photos were taken a year ago. The garden then wasn’t the same as on our later visit: tables and chairs were missing, the grass was overgrown, and the beautiful giant plants were gone. The front door was broken too. We could get out, but couldn’t get back in, so we had to use the back entrance.

The location is fantastic, but we wouldn’t recommend staying here. Check-in was a real faff: there was nobody to let us in, and we had to come back twice before finally getting access. There were no towels in the room. The breakfast was the biggest problem, exceptionally poor and nothing like a typical Scottish breakfast. It was clearly done on a budget: the sausages were anaemic, boiled I think, everything else was cold, and there was only one piece of toast. That isn’t Scottish hospitality; it feels insulting. If the owners don’t sort it out, reviews like this will keep appearing. The place seems to be run for maximum profit with minimal investment, relying on its location.

The rooms have perfect views, and the location is ideal for the ferry and town centre. Entry by SMS code was easy, with clear instructions, and the room key was in the door for simple access. Excellent service. Breakfast was fabulous, with a fresh full Scottish breakfast, cereals, juice, coffee, and tea.