Blog archive
Browse our archive for older blog articles.
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Browse our archive for older blog articles.


Festive Cheer
Thank you to everyone who joined us for an evening of Festive Cheer!
Read more>December 13, 2018

Open daily until Christmas
Open throughout the Festive Season (with a few exceptions) for drinks, coffees, lunches and dinners in the Ferry Bar and a la carte Restaurant.
Read more>December 11, 2018

New season menu
Inspired by the finest seasonal produce, our new à la carte menu is full of the tastes and colours of autumn, with dishes to warm the cockles of your heart throughout the winter months.
Read more>November 9, 2018

What's cooking?
As the colours of autumn surround us, Head Chef Sergejs and his team have been developing our soon-to-be-launched autumn/winter menu. We've had a wee sneak peek at what's going on in The Pierhouse kitchen ...and boy are you in for a treat!
Read more>October 5, 2018

Farewell from Nick & Nikki
After 12 and a half happy years at The Pierhouse, Nick & Nikki Horne bid a fond farewell to Port Appin.
Read more>October 1, 2018

Bravo Pierhouse Hotel!
We have received wonderful feedback throughout the season. Sometimes one guest's review jumps out at you - like this one from Mark from Oregon, USA.
Read more>September 18, 2018

Super Summer Suppers
Deliciously light summery dishes full of flavour - just the ticket for supper this summer.
Read more>July 30, 2018

Pierhouse People: Mat
Mat brushes up on Scottish licencing laws and the history of iconic Castle Stalker...what a combination!
Read more>July 3, 2018

Sea Kayaking around Port Appin
Our recent American guests took to the water in sea kayaks, launching from the hotel's beach.
Read more>June 15, 2018

Your just des(s)erts
Our delicious summer desserts...go on, try one, you deserve it!
Read more>June 1, 2018

Sergejs wins Young Chef of the Year 2018
Our Head Chef, Sergejs Savickis, wins Young Chef of the Year 2018 at the Scottish Food Awards.
Read more>May 20, 2018

Paradise Found says Scottish Sun
Lynn Kernan, Features Editor at The Scottish Sun, found a weekend break with us to be "a little bit of paradise"...
Read more>May 3, 2018

A fishy business
Creating our new season menu is always good fun - selecting the finest seafood and matching it with delicious, fresh, seasonal tastes. It's a fishy business indeed - we hope you'll love our new Summer a la carte menu.
Read more>April 17, 2018

Birthday Celebrations at The Pierhouse
We love it when guests choose The Pierhouse for a special occasion - most recently it was Faye who celebrated a very special birthday at the hotel.
Read more>April 12, 2018

In honour of Robert Burns
"Nae man can tether time or tide" As Burns Night approaches and the latest West South Westerly storm passes through Port Appin....come warm yourself with a wee dram by the stove and treat yourself to a delicious Pierhouse meal.
Read more>January 24, 2018

Festive Season & Winter Opening
You'll be pleased to here that we're open all winter for rooms, food and drink....and here are details of what's on over the Festive Season at The Pierhouse.
Read more>November 28, 2017

Pierhouse People: our talented Chef team
Formerly our Sous Chef, Sergejs Savickis begins his new role as Head Chef and sets about building his team.
Read more>November 6, 2017

New Winter Menu
Our new winter menus are inspired by fresh, seasonal produce with tastes and colours to comfort and brighten the darker days of winter. Enjoy!
Read more>November 6, 2017

Dine out in style this Hogmanay
Bring in 2018 at The Pierhouse with our 5 course candlelit Hogmanay Dinner, fireworks & ceilidh dance. Tables are still available - get in touch to book yours now!
Read more>October 6, 2017

A taste of chocolate heaven
End of summer holiday blues? A salted caramel & chocolate brownie is just the ticket to cheer us up!
Read more>August 30, 2017

Fantastic Morgan road trip
Regular Pierhouse guests take a road trip in a Morgan.
Read more>August 10, 2017

Inveraray Highland Games
Head to Inveraray Highland Games on Tuesday, 18 July, for a great day out.
Read more>July 13, 2017

Behind the dish - Scottish Lamb
Head Chef, Laura Milne, tells us about the inspiration for this summer’s Scottish Lamb dish…a homage to Scotland of yesteryear.
Read more>June 30, 2017

Luss Seafood Bar joins The Seafood Trail
We are delighted to welcome Luss Seafood Bar as a new member of The Seafood Trail, a culinary journey through Argyll.
Read more>June 10, 2017

Whisky Galore - part 3
Nikki & Nick experience Islay’s wildlife and try out a few more drams…
Read more>May 23, 2017

Whisky Galore - part 2
Nick and Nikki continue their mini-tour of Islay with a visit to Kilchoman – the island's smallest and youngest distillery.
Read more>April 6, 2017

Whisky Galore - part 1
Nick and Nikki spent two wonderful days on Jura & Islay recently visiting some of the distilleries that make the special ‘Golden Liquor’ that are on the shelves in the hotel's Ferry Bar.
Read more>March 28, 2017

Pierhouse People - Janette
Head Housekeeper, Janette Jack, is perhaps one of the hotel's unsung heroes....until now.
Read more>March 15, 2017

Mothers' Day Treats
Spoil mum - and the family - on Mothers' Day, Sunday 26th March.
Read more>March 7, 2017

Cycling in Appin
Three recent reviews puts Port Appin and Lismore well and truly 'on the map' for cycling.
Read more>March 2, 2017

A Taste of......Beetroot Smoked Salmon
A taste of Loch Fyne beetroot smoked salmon accompanied by three types of beetroot - red roasted, golden roasted and candied beetroot. What a taste combination!
Read more>February 16, 2017

Chefs develop new spring dish
The Pierhouse Chefs are busy developing new dishes for the Spring Menus - we had a sneak preview at a recent tasting session.
Read more>February 7, 2017

A Taste of....Monkfish
Our winter a la carte menu reflects the season – with dishes to cheer and satisfy.
Read more>February 1, 2017

SHA Regional Winners
The Pierhouse team and hotel are Argyll & Lomond Regional Winners at the 2017 Scottish Hotel Awards.
Read more>January 20, 2017

Love Valentine's
Celebrate Valentine's with a break at The Pierhouse Hotel. Tranquil West Coast setting, stunning sea & mountain views, roaring log fires, delicious seafood - what could be more romantic?
Read more>January 18, 2017

Merry Christmas
Season's greetings from a stormy Port Appin on the shores of Loch Linnhe in Argyll.
Read more>December 23, 2016

Prestigious Award Finalist
The Pierhouse Hotel is a Finalist in Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards, Most Hospitable Hotel category.
Read more>October 31, 2016
Gourmet Veggie Picnic
A special request for a vegetarian/gluten free picnic - fit for a climb up Ben Nevis? Pierhouse Head Chef, Laura, rises to the challenge!
Read more>October 30, 2016

Visit Scotland Award
"Serving up gold in Argyll" - The Pierhouse Hotel is awarded four star gold status by VisitScotland.
Read more>October 29, 2016

The Scotsman guide to seafood restaurants
The Pierhouse Hotel features in The Scotsman newspaper's "Five of Scotland's freshest seafood restaurants" review.
Read more>October 18, 2016

Summer Round-up
We've had a fantastic summer - full of lovely guests, stunning sunsets, tasty seafood and lots happening in Port Appin.
Read more>September 1, 2016

Lismore Agricultural Show
A spot of rain didn't dampen spirits at the first Lismore Agricultural Show since the 1930's.
Read more>July 18, 2016

Mark Beaumont is Wild About Argyll
Cyclist and adventurer Mark Beaumont whizzed through Port Appin yesterday on the first day of his mammouth #WildAboutArgyll trip.
Read more>July 11, 2016

Raising money for Help for Heroes
The Pierhouse owner, Nick Horne (in the red helmet), reports back on this year's Mull CycloSportive event.
Read more>June 30, 2016

Touring West Highland Distilleries
A summer tour of West Highland whisky distilleries, taking in stunning coastal scenery and savouring fantastic fresh seafood - what's not to like?
Read more>June 29, 2016

Food and Wine this spring
For spring and summer, there are delicious new seasonal dishes, wonderful wines as well as your favourite seafood, steaks and venison on our a la carte menu.
Read more>June 28, 2016
Ardnamurchan Point
A day trip to Ardnamurchan Point is a highlight for many Pierhouse guests. The trip was made recently by two guests - Claire and her mother travelled by car while Belinda, on a different day, went on motorcycle.
Read more>April 28, 2016

New Malts and Gins
Nick continues his quest to bring guests the very best choice of malt whiskies and Scottish craft gins in the Ferry Bar.
Read more>April 27, 2016

Sous Chef Sergejs
Sous Chef Sergejs from Latvia joined us over the winter. With a passion for seafood and a love of Scotland's west coast, Sergejs has fitted right in to life at The Pierhouse.
Read more>April 26, 2016

2016 Scottish Hotel Awards
The 13th annual Scottish Hotel Awards gala dinner took place at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Edinburgh last night. The Pierhouse team put on their finest to sip some bubbly and dance the night away .....and pick up a few awards along the way.
Read more>April 25, 2016

Sign of The Times
Pssst.....did you see the Weekend Edition of The Times newspaper? We were listed in the top 30 Cool Hotels on the Coast.
Read more>April 19, 2016

Local Moths & Butterflies
Regular Pierhouse guests Brian and Angela Stewart, who enjoy some “mothing” and butterfly hunting in the local area, share their findings with us.
Read more>April 18, 2016

Walking - from sea to summit
From gentle coastal wanders to snow-covered Munros, our guests love their days out walking....and take beautiful photos to boot.
Read more>March 21, 2016

Clean and green
The Pierhouse's journey towards being a greener and more sustainable business continues. Our chemical cleaning products have now vanished and in their place we have a wonderful new range of award winning green products manufactured in the UK.
Read more>February 24, 2016

A real storm
Port Appin in a real storm! Having had 2 similar storms in the space of a week, it's made for some excellent entertainment from the comfort of the The Pierhouse Ferry Bar! Take a look at the video.
Read more>February 5, 2016

Hogmanay 2015
A fabulous start to 2016 at The Pierhouse Hotel with fantastic fun, food, fancy footwork, fireworks and friendships.
Read more>January 12, 2016

Bill McLaren Foundation
The Pierhouse was very pleased to support the Bill McLaren Foundation by donating a prize for a recent silent auction in Edinburgh.
Read more>November 25, 2015

Photographers Dream
Pierhouse guests Greg and Judy Hanlon from Australia are becoming regular autumn visitors to Port Appin. What draws our southern hemisphere friends north? Landscape, hospitality and exceptional light!
Read more>November 18, 2015

Inverawe Fishing Taster Session
Two Pierhouse guests tried out a day's fishing at nearby Inverawe Angling School....and loved it!
Read more>November 17, 2015
Film locations in Scotland
The new James Bond movie, Spectre, is launched this week. Guests this summer who were Bond enthusiasts went in search of that iconic Scottish scene from 007's last outing in 2012's Skyfall.....
Read more>October 19, 2015

Autumn & Winter Menu 2015
Bold flavours and autumnal colours feature in our new season à la carte menu - with some fantastic new wines to match!
Read more>October 1, 2015

Sawdays Special Places
What a summer it has been for the hotel - not only named Favourite Newcomer in Alastair Sawday's guidebook, but also Top Romantic British Hotel by Alastair Sawday in the Daily Mail.
Read more>September 29, 2015

Arran Aromatics and Arran Cheese
During a whistle-stop visit to the Isle of Arran , Nick & Nikki called in at Arran Aromatics and Arran Cheese.
Read more>September 23, 2015

Scottish Craft Gins
There's an exciting world of new Scottish gins to explore - at the last count, The Pierhouse Gin Collection stood at 24...
Read more>September 23, 2015

Alzheimer Scotland
We are pleased to support Alzheimer Scotland and donate a prize to their Red Carpet Charity Ball in Aberdeen this weekend.
Read more>September 22, 2015

Sawday's Favourite Newcomer Award
We've just heard that The Pierhouse Hotel has been awarded the Favourite Newcomers Award from Alastair Sawday's - described by the Daily Telegraph as 'the go-to guide for special places to stay.'
Read more>September 15, 2015

Alastair Sawday's most romantic hotels
Top spot for The Pierhouse Hotel in travel guide expert Alastair Sawday's list of Britain's 20 most romantic hotels & B&Bs in the Daily Mail.
Read more>August 14, 2015

The Great Pretender
We love to hear about our guests' travels so when we read this fantastic guest review on Trip Advisor, we had to share it with you....Be warned - you'll laugh out loud!
Read more>August 11, 2015

6 things to do this summer
Looking for things to do during your visit to Port Appin? Watching the sun set is always top of the list, but here are 6 ideas of things to do - by day - this summer (while you are waiting for the stunning sunsets).
Read more>July 17, 2015

Latest Gins at The Pierhouse
Monkey 47 from the German Schwarzwald and Pickering's from Edinburgh are the latest gins to be added to the now temptingly long list of gins on offer in the Ferry Bar.
Read more>July 8, 2015

The Secret's Out
The secret's out - London commuters see what awaits their arrival at The Pierhouse - breathtaking scenery and fresh seafood to savour.
Read more>June 24, 2015

Pierhouse Team News
"We feel very fortunate to have such a great team of staff at The Pierhouse. Returning guests often ask me what various staff members are doing, so here's a quick update." Nikki Horne
Read more>April 14, 2015

Regional Winners SHA
We are excited to hear the news that The Pierhouse Hotel are regional winners for Argyll & Lomonds in the 2015 Scottish Hotel Awards. We've won two awards: Restaurant Regional Winner and Family Hotel Regional Winner.
Read more>April 7, 2015

New Furniture
As part of our hotel refurbishment programme this winter, we've introduced new bedroom furniture. We hope you like it!
Read more>March 11, 2015

The Year of Food and Drink
Packed with brilliant moments, The Year of Food and Drink Scotland 2015 will serve up a year-long mix of events and festivals dedicated to celebrating Scotland’s outstanding natural larder. Do you recognise the location?
Read more>March 5, 2015

Mothers Day 2015
Whether you prefer to call it Mother's Day or Mothering Sunday, it all boils down to the same thing - Sunday 15th March is a day in honour of your mother, mum or mammy.....
Read more>March 4, 2015

Hogmanay Celebrations
Ceilidh dancing at The Pierhouse Wishing all of our guests, staff and Appin & Lismore neighbours a very happy new year and all the best for 2015. What an outstanding Hogmanay party we've just had in the hotel! Delicious food (we're reliably told!), fireworks, dancing and a touch of romance.....
Read more>January 8, 2015

Hughie features in Ernest Journal
Hughie Macleod, a local prawn fisherman, has been supplying The Pierhouse for 16 years. Now Hughie has featured in an article in Ernest Journal, "a blog, iPad magazine and biannual printed journal for curious and adventurous gentlefolk."
Read more>December 15, 2014

New generator
The Pierhouse takes delivery of a new secret weapon for winter.....a generator.
Read more>November 28, 2014

New super-comfortable beds
We have just finished installing new beds in every bedroom to help you enjoy a fantastic night's sleep.
Read more>November 27, 2014

Brilliant Moments
Sounding a little like a Bogart line from Casablanca, "of all the seafood restaurants, in all of Scotland, Visit Scotland walks into ours.."
Read more>November 19, 2014

Winter Menu 2014
We’ve been working hard in the kitchen to develop our new Winter 2014 menus. We’ve added some lovely dishes to comfort and satisfy your winter appetites using the finest seasonal ingredients.
Read more>November 18, 2014

Visit Scotland poster
Thanks to Visit Scotland for using The Pierhouse Hotel seafood restaurant in their nationwide Ryder Cup 2014 PR poster campaign. This specific poster was spotted at Perth Railway Station!
Read more>October 1, 2014

Geoff Retires
Geoff Antcliff retires after 25 years service as Barman and chanterelle picker at The Pierhouse. He has moved to Cornwall to be nearer to his family and do more of his beloved Bass fishing!
Read more>September 15, 2014

Life on the pier
The life of the pier in front of The Pierhouse is a good one. It has a constant stream of boats visiting it, people wandering along it to admire the views, otters eating breakfast on it and an award-winning Chef being filmed on it.....what more could a pier ask for?
Read more>September 1, 2014

Breakfast at The Pierhouse
We don't often mention breakfast here on The Pierhouse Blog - we're too busy enthusing about the lovely fresh seafood and tasty steaks and venison on the a la carte menu. So we thought we'd experience The Pierhouse breakfast for ourselves one Friday morning......
Read more>August 11, 2014

Our Lure Fishing Chef
We are very lucky to have such a wonderful mix of interesting people in The Pierhouse team. We've also now discovered that Dimitrios, our Chef de Partie, loves lure fishing.
Read more>July 21, 2014

Queens Baton comes to Appin
A recent visit to Glasgow (2.5 hours away from The Pierhouse) showed that the city is well and truly ready for the start of the XX Commonwealth Games on 23 July. Meanwhile the Queen's Baton Relay continues on its journey - passing through Appin on Sunday 13 July.
Read more>July 3, 2014

Pierhouse Sunset Gallery
We do get very excited about our sunsets here at The Pierhouse in Port Appin. Well, who can hardly blame us as we have a ring-side seat for the most spectacular sunsets all year round!
Read more>June 9, 2014

SHA 2014 Triple Awards
We are delighted that The Pierhouse received no fewer than three awards at this year's prestigious Scottish Hotel Awards ceremony held recently in Edinburgh. This year's Awards are all about the food and the relaxed, informal atmosphere that guests tell us makes The Pierhouse really special.
Read more>May 19, 2014

New Summer Menus
It's time to roll out our summer menus at The Pierhouse, inspired as ever by the very best produce the sea and land has to offer at this time of year.
Read more>May 12, 2014

Appin Boat Tours
A new boat tour service has recently started, leaving from the pier in front of the hotel. Appin Boat Tours offer a magical 1 hour trip in the comfort of an open RIB. Catherine and Nikki at The Pierhouse have both taken the tour.
Read more>April 21, 2014

Pedal Power
You don't necessarily need a car to reach The Pierhouse - as one group of guests touring with their folding Brompton bicycles from Ayrshire recently proved.
Read more>April 7, 2014

Scrumptious Seafood 5 out of 5
Kerri and Alistair recently booked a table for lunch to complete a short break on the West Coast. Kerri very kindly sent us photos of her lunch and some lovely feedback.
Read more>March 24, 2014

Pierhouse inspires writer
When writer Sue Gerrard makes her annual visit to The Pierhouse in May it isn’t just to recharge her batteries but also to sharpen her imagination. Sue finds our beautiful, haunting location on Loch Linnhe inspirational for both her poetry and stories.
Read more>March 10, 2014

Hogmanay at The Pierhouse
Our Hogmanay celebrations at the hotel were superb fun, enjoyed by all - thank you for the fantastic feedback.
Read more>January 13, 2014

Laura Milne Head Chef
We're delighted to announce the promotion of Laura Milne to Head Chef. Laura has been a key part of The Pierhouse team since earlier this year - you may well have already tasted her delicious home-made scones and shortbread in the bar. With a wealth of experience, Laura's cooking is traditional Scottish with a modern twist.
Read more>June 3, 2013

Orkney Lobster Hatchery
The Pierhouse's Nick and Nikki recently visited the lobster hatchery at Lamb Holm in the Orkneys from where many of our lobsters come. It's a fascinating place!
Read more>May 13, 2013

West Highland Yachting Week
The recent West Highland Yachting Week saw the annual race around the Isle of Lismore pass right by the front door of The Pierhouse. 96 yachts with all their colourful spinnakers up was a beautiful sight!
Read more>April 9, 2013

Nick cycles for charity
The Pierhouse’s Nick Horne takes part in his third Mull Cyclosportive Challenge on 9 June 2013. Starting in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, the gruelling 87 mile route circumnavigates Mull’s wild coastline.
Read more>April 9, 2013

Jubilee Bridge Restoration
Appin’s iconic Jubilee Bridge which spans the tidal marshland of Loch Laich is a much loved view. But the wooden bridge is showing its age and needs our help!
Read more>April 9, 2013

Fly fishing at Inverawe
A fly fishing lesson, fresh clean air by the river Awe and a fine catch of rainbow trout - a grand day out for one Pierhouse guest.
Read more>April 8, 2013

Chequered Skipper Butterfly
Glasdrum Wood beside Loch Creran is home to a very rare butterfly - the Chequered Skipper. Our guests, the Youngs, tracked it down.
Read more>April 8, 2013

Mark Newton
Mark Newton stopped off at The Pierhouse for a couple of nights during his fund raising journey around the coast of Britain by mobility scooter.
Read more>April 8, 2013

Scottish Hotel Awards 2013
We're delighted to have won two prestigious awards at the 2013 Scottish Hotel Awards in Glasgow on Sunday.
Read more>April 8, 2013

Local genealogy
Recent guests at The Pierhouse with an interest in genealogy tracked down an ancestor's grave from 1850...with a helping hand from The Pierhouse's Caroline.
Read more>April 8, 2013

B&B Owners Lunch
Local B&B and Guest House owners were invited to lunch at The Pierhouse as a thank you for recommending our seafood restaurant to their own guests.
Read more>April 8, 2013

Astin Martins for lunch
In Aston Martin's 100th Anniversary year, 23 Aston Martins and their owners from Holland stopped by for lunch recently while on their tour of Scotland. Amongst the cars was a soft top DB4 - one of only 5 ever produced and worth getting on for a £1 million!
Read more>April 8, 2013

Trip Advisor Award
We're delighted to announce that we have received a 2013 TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award for consistently great guest reviews.
Read more>April 8, 2013
The Walking Lads
In 2009, three retired friends began the first of many stages in their exploration of the Scottish coastline. Fast forward 1384 miles to March 2013 and the ‘walking lads’ 2013 season started in Oban with a couple of nights R&R at The Pierhouse in Port Appin.
Read more>April 8, 2013

A birds eye view
With only a few days to the shortest day of the year, it's a joy to look over some summery photos from Pierhouse guests.
Read more>April 8, 2013

Summer menus 2013
This year's summer menus include some new treats, but we've made sure to retain our signature seafood dishes.
Read more>April 8, 2013

Loch Etive Cruises
Pierhouse guests took full advantage of the recent beautiful weather to go for a cruise on Loch Etive and had 'a lovely day out'.
Read more>April 8, 2013

Charity Cycle to John O'Groats
Scott and Charles stayed overnight at The Pierhouse en route to John O'Groats. The guys started at Lands End and plan to cycle the 1010 miles in 14 days.
Read more>April 8, 2013

Oysters - how do you eat yours?
Some people love them ‘au natural’, while others love oysters with ‘a twist’. How do you like yours?
Read more>April 8, 2013

Caroline ceilidhs for charity
Operations Manager, Caroline, took part in a 24 hour ceilidh on the isle of Lismore. The mammoth event raised an amazing £6500 for charity.
Read more>April 8, 2013

Caroline's commute to work
What's your daily commute to work like? The joys of the M8 between Glasgow and Edinburgh, a cramped train compartment into Waterloo or somewhere in between? How many of us catch a ferry to work each day across a stunningly beautiful sea loch in Argyll? Well, that's Caroline's commute to work at The Pierhouse each day.
Read more>April 8, 2013

Nick's Cycle Challenge
The Pierhouse's Nick Horne, who completed last weekend's 87 mile sponsored cycle ride around Mull in 22 degree heat, shares his story and his heart-felt thanks to everyone who sponsored him - if you would like to sponsor Nick please visit his Just Giving page.
Read more>April 8, 2013