Before the 19th century Clearances and the potato famine of 1846, there were 10,000 Muileachs crofting, fishing, distilling whisky. Now roughly 2500 islanders remain, around 800 of them living in Tobermory.
HotelForTwo is an intimate house in the centre of a 19th century terrace above Tobermory's harbour, a 5-minute walk down into the centre of the town (in the photograph above, it's the green house between the grey stone house on its left and the white one to its right). It offers accommodation for two people or two couples travelling together. Filled with antiques, paintings and books, staying here is like relaxing at the home of a friend.
Julia Watson, whose home it is, is an ex-foreign correspondent who has lived around the globe. In Washington DC she was also co-owner and co-chef of The Secret Restaurant, a private dining room booked by word of mouth. She loves to cook and while breakfast at the Hotel for Two is provided, she will be glad to produce 3- and 4-course dinners and packed lunches on demand – any of them, all of them, or none of them. Or she will leave breakfast ingredients in the fridge for you to cook your own if you prefer to be left alone. While you are staying at Hotel for Two, her house is your house: just let her know what you would like her to do for you. If you would like reservations for sea-eagle watching tours, whale watching tours, walking tour guides, restaurant meals, just instruct her. She lives in a small bothy (cottage) at the top of the back garden, leaving guests free to treat the main house as their own. The only intervention is that rooms will be cleaned daily.
Julia Watson, whose home it is, is an ex-foreign correspondent who has lived around the globe. In Washington DC she was also co-owner and co-chef of The Secret Restaurant, a private dining room booked by word of mouth. She loves to cook and while breakfast at the Hotel for Two is provided, she will be glad to produce 3- and 4-course dinners and packed lunches on demand – any of them, all of them, or none of them. Or she will leave breakfast ingredients in the fridge for you to cook your own if you prefer to be left alone. While you are staying at Hotel for Two, her house is your house: just let her know what you would like her to do for you. If you would like reservations for sea-eagle watching tours, whale watching tours, walking tour guides, restaurant meals, just instruct her. She lives in a small bothy (cottage) at the top of the back garden, leaving guests free to treat the main house as their own. The only intervention is that rooms will be cleaned daily.
- "For friends or for two: your own stone cottage sitting in a row of jaunty colours. The door opens to Julia, who makes you feel immediately at home; an ex-foreign correspondent, she has oodles of panache and an easy charm. Her home is intimate, cosy, filled with tapestries, antiques, chintzy sofas, curious artwork and a tousle of books; bedrooms (one up one down) come in cottage chic with gorgeous bed linen. Julia lives in a bothy at the top of the garden, so the house is all yours with delicious meals all provide too. The bay bursts with boats, and Mull is a treat: wildlife, whale tours, castles, good eating." The Independent
The bedrooms
On the street-level floor is a large double-bedded room. Furnished with antiques, it is equipped with radio with iPod dock.
The view through the window gives onto quiet Argyll Terrace and the sea beyond.
Sit on the window seat, glass of Tobermory whisky in hand, and watch the birds scud across the sea.
The bedroom's en-suite bathroom has a large wet-room shower with tiled bench.
Both bathrooms, upstairs and down are equipped with thick bath sheets and hand towels. Guests are provided with dressing gowns and slippers, soap from France, shampoos and lotions.
Both bathrooms, upstairs and down are equipped with thick bath sheets and hand towels. Guests are provided with dressing gowns and slippers, soap from France, shampoos and lotions.
The informal sitting room and study across the entrance hall is equipped with sofa and chair, wood-burning stove, 32-inch television/DVD player.
Here's where you can put your feet up to plan your next day's activities and study the room's collection of maps and walking guides.
Or you might watch television or your favourite film (bring your own DVDs) with a bowl of popcorn and one of Julia's informal TV dinners.
Or you might watch television or your favourite film (bring your own DVDs) with a bowl of popcorn and one of Julia's informal TV dinners.
In the opposite corner is the work area, equipped with broadband computer connection, a printer/scanner
and radio. Be aware that internet connectivity can be slow when the weather is poor. And even when it is fine. Just relax and watch a movie...
The entrance corner to the study/TV room
Upstairs is the second, smaller, double-bedded room.
Lying in bed, propped up against the bolster, the view through the window stretches over the Sound of Mull, its fishing boats and yachts, across to the Ardnamurchan Peninsular.
The room is equipped with radio CD player.
It's the room in which to have breakfast in bed, watching the sun chase the shadows across the hills over the bay. The ladder takes clothes or reaches for the Penguin Books above the bed.
The beds in both bedrooms are made up with 600 thread-count sheets. The bed downstairs is warmed by a Hungarian goose-down duvet, upstairs by a ‘Hotel’-category duvet.
The beds in both bedrooms are made up with 600 thread-count sheets. The bed downstairs is warmed by a Hungarian goose-down duvet, upstairs by a ‘Hotel’-category duvet.
A full bathroom is just yards down the hallway from the upstairs bedroom.
It has two separate pedestal basins and a full bath with electric shower.
Lie back with a good book and soak, a glass of whisky on the window ledge, your favourite programme on the bathroom radio. If you'd like the company of a rubber duck, there are three very small chicks to float. Or ignore with a roll of the eyes.
Kitchen
The kitchen is equipped with large fridge-freezer, dishwasher and AEG convection hob electric double oven. A large breakfast counter offers space to sit and eat at or, with a glass of wine or whisky to hand, to watch Julia cooking your dinner.
Sitting room
On the upper level is the sitting room, with a view from the window seat of Tobermory and across its harbour to Calve Island in the bay and the Ardnamurchan Peninsular on mainland Scotland. The room is equipped with a radio, CD and iPod player, Scrabble, cards and a mini box of dominoes.
Take a glass of Tobermory's own malt whisky
to one of the two window seats under the Victorian jelly mold lampshade and watch the boating, yachting, fishing world go slowly by.
At the other end of the sitting room is the dining room table.
Set against the window, views from the table look over the yachts bobbing in the harbour, across to the mainland.
The Garden
Directly across quiet Argyll Terrace is the private garden with sweeping views of town and harbour. The garden, with flower borders and vegetable beds, is equipped with hammock stand and has a table-seating area overlooking Tobermory, the steeple of the old church pining the view across to Calve Island and, beyond, the Ardnamurchan peninsular on the mainland across the Sound of Mull.
Take your evening drink to the table overlooking the harbour...
Deckchairs, hammock and sun umbrella are stored inside the house.
Bring a glass of wine, a tumbler of whisky, an elderflower cordial, to the table and enjoy the views.
Equipment
The house is wired for wi-fi. A printer-scanner is available, and a TV/DVD player. There is a clothes washing machine and dryer, iron and board, hairdryer, dressing gowns and slippers.
HotelForTwo is a strictly non-smoking and no pets house.
The house is wired for wi-fi. A printer-scanner is available, and a TV/DVD player. There is a clothes washing machine and dryer, iron and board, hairdryer, dressing gowns and slippers.
HotelForTwo is a strictly non-smoking and no pets house.
“There is a magic here...when you walk through the door there is a sort of quirky intellectual eccentricity...be it the stage search lights on the ceiling, the tapestries on the walls or the lovely white painted wooden floor in the bedroom.
I would never have the imagination to put any of these things together but as a whole they create an atmosphere that works perfectly. Every item was carefully chosen with an overall perspective in mind. I would love to sit on a stool in the kitchen and watch [Julia] prepare some exotic dish...discussing Plato's good life or deciding whether [her novels] 'Russian Salad' and 'American Pie' were autobiographical. For any artist or writer, the combination of scenery and creative ambiance will bring out the best of their creative skills.”
Barry Nealon, developer
I would never have the imagination to put any of these things together but as a whole they create an atmosphere that works perfectly. Every item was carefully chosen with an overall perspective in mind. I would love to sit on a stool in the kitchen and watch [Julia] prepare some exotic dish...discussing Plato's good life or deciding whether [her novels] 'Russian Salad' and 'American Pie' were autobiographical. For any artist or writer, the combination of scenery and creative ambiance will bring out the best of their creative skills.”
Barry Nealon, developer
Tariffs
Half the house (one double bedroom with use of all other rooms and the garden),
from £80 per night with breakfast
The whole house (both double bedrooms with use of all other rooms and the garden),
from £160 per night with breakfast
3-course dinner, £30 per head, including coffee
TV dinner, £20 per head, including coffee
Packed lunch, £12.50 per head
Afternoon tea, £10 per head
All diners must choose the same menu
A deposit covering the first night's stay is requested at the time of booking. Should you need to cancel, Julia will return the deposit in full up to two weeks before the reservation. Any later, if she cannot replace your booking with a similar number of nights she reserves the right to retain your deposit.
HotelforTwo is also available as a self-catering let, for a minimum of three days.
Half the house (one double bedroom with use of all other rooms and the garden),
from £80 per night with breakfast
The whole house (both double bedrooms with use of all other rooms and the garden),
from £160 per night with breakfast
3-course dinner, £30 per head, including coffee
TV dinner, £20 per head, including coffee
Packed lunch, £12.50 per head
Afternoon tea, £10 per head
All diners must choose the same menu
A deposit covering the first night's stay is requested at the time of booking. Should you need to cancel, Julia will return the deposit in full up to two weeks before the reservation. Any later, if she cannot replace your booking with a similar number of nights she reserves the right to retain your deposit.
HotelforTwo is also available as a self-catering let, for a minimum of three days.
