Eilean Shona
A Scottish island of self-catering cottages, without cars or roads, where Peter Pan was written.
Eilean Shona sits at the mouth of Loch Moidart on the west coast of Scotland, reached by boat, covering about 2,000 acres of woodland, hill and shore. There are no cars and no roads — paths only. J. M. Barrie took the island for a summer in 1920 and wrote the Peter Pan screenplay there, which is the island's best-known association.
Around nine cottages and a nine-bedroom house make up the accommodation, let self-catering rather than as a hotel. This register places it in the Extended Index for that reason: there is no hospitality operation in the usual sense, and comparing it to a resort would misdescribe both. The island is owned by Vanessa Branson.
Self-catering, not hospitality. Guests cook, walk and light their own fires; staff maintain the island rather than serve the guests.
Two thousand acres without a road. The absence of vehicles is absolute and is the reason the island feels far larger than its acreage.
Who it is not for
Eilean Shona is wrong for guests expecting hotel service, since the model is self-catering. It is wrong for travellers wanting warmth and swimming on the Scottish west coast. And it is wrong for those who need vehicles or step-free access. And it is wrong for guests who want dinner cooked for them every night without arranging it. Those wanting a Scottish island with a hotel should look at Isle of Eriska.
Sources
- eileanshona.com — around nine cottages plus a nine-bedroom house, self-catering, no cars, Loch Moidart
- Cottage count and island area unverified. Confirm before publication.
Booking
Private Island Resorts arranges each stay on request, quoting the rates available for the island and dates. No benefit should be assumed unless it is confirmed in writing for the individual reservation.
Request a proposal