Black Isle Bar & Rooms

Stopped in for beer and pizza after a week-long bike ride in northern Scotland. Pizza was excellent and they have a solid variety of very good beers, including a few on nitro. The rooftop garden is also very nice. Would highly recommend a visit if you're in Inverness.

Needed a break from Scottish food. Hard to decide which was better, the pizza or the beer. We sat at a large table which we shared with a nice couple from Germany. They introduced us to chili oil. Wow. The place was very busy, and I learned after that there is rooftop seating.

We needed accommodation for 2 nights while on a 3 day tour. This was a budget choice but everything else was almost double. We picked it for location, price and reviews. The room was simple but very clean. Lots of water pressure in the shower. We did not experience any noise at night as we were on the top floor.

Not sure where to begin. I don't like having to leave bad reviews but, this was quite bad. I'm fairly easy pleased when it comes to accommodation & happy to excuse a few issues when I run into them but, just too many bad things stacked up here. We only stayed here as our normal place we like to stay in Inverness was booked. We stayed 1 night & paid £115 for 2 people. I guess this place is like a hostel but, not really all at the same time. You check-in at the bar which wasn't a bad experience for us as it was early & not busy but, can imagine this might be not so great if arriving later when busy. We got our keys & made our way to the back steps that lead up to the beer garden & rooms. The back steps are carpeted & looked as though a troop of crofters with sheep (rhymes with kite) covered wellies were having relay races up and down it for a week solid. Absolutely mawkit! Yes, I get it, loads of folk tramp up and down to the beer garden all day & evening so, lots of foot traffic but, time to get out the steam cleaner folks. We were on same floor as the beer garden but, street facing. We opened the door and there was a damp, musty stench. We later figured out the shower was leaking through the wall onto the floor and saturating the carpet & obviously had been doing for quite some time going by the smell. The room was tiny but, ensuite. The room was absolutely boiling so at night it was either suffer in the heat & musty stench or fling the window open & get a break off the stench & heat but, now a load of noise off the street at pub emptying time. Meh. The shower room looked to have been not to recently done up & was decent enough though bar the leaky shower. They have quite a nice beer garden up there with heaters. Now, you would think it would be nice if your key also opened up that beer garden door for guests in the morning to go out & sit & have a coffee & a smoke & read the news but, nope! Went out into the wind tunnel of a side street instead. Couldn't wait to leave to be honest. Poor show folks and the price! Good grief, there is far better hostels in Inverness for a LOT cheaper & a lot more going for it. If it was cheaper you might forgive them for a few of the bad bits but, still was worse (& more expensive) than any hostel-like accommodation I've ever been to in all of Scotland.

The welcome was fantastic, even with arriving late. The drinks selection was great as always. The porter and oatmeal stout in particular, the accommodation is in comfortable, clean and well cared for rooms. When we accidentally left the key in the room this was resolved quickly. The check in process was swift and easy and the check out process even more so. Everyone in our group loved the accommodation and I will look to return when I am back in the area for work.

It’s hard to list any positives about staying at this accommodation, though it was at least clean. Check-in at the bar was tricky to navigate when the pub was completely busy, bed was uncomfortable and small, no TV, heated towel rack didn’t work, and their red bath towels left fluff everywhere. They do provide advance warning that the bar can be noisy, but their hotel guests seem like an afterthought given the rooms oversee a beer garden that doesn’t close until midnight. Bus tours from Inverness tend to start early, so this is a major drawback for tourists. A lot of small annoyances made a two-night stay a disappointing experience and a hassle. If you can, stay elsewhere.