THE VIEW DOWN TO KNEEP
Welcome to The Beach Bothies at Kneep.
All the comforts you`d expect to find in Isle of Lewis holiday cottages contained in your own bijou beach front dwelling, Every modern convenience in a wild and wonderful setting!
Stay
Clean, warm and cosy, equipped with every comfort, each self catering pod will comfortably sleep up to three
Eat
Enjoy your complimentary welcome box at the bothies, our local shop and recommended places to eat out
Explore
An area of unspoiled natural beauty, home to an abundance of birdlife, rugged cliff walks & fresh water lochs
About Us
Our story – from the bright city lights of Manchester to renting a ramshackle Isle of Lewis holiday cottage, to buying our lovely family home with a view and setting up self catering holiday homes.
In 1986, a fresh faced Dave and his good friend Keith, packed in their jobs in Manchester and set off for their new home in a ramshackle Isle of Lewis holiday cottage to seek their fortunes as scallop divers.
Keith: “It`s 490 miles to Lewis, we`ve got a full tank of gas, half a packet of chocolate digestives, it`s dry and we`re wearing wellies.”
Dave: “Hit it!”.
They bade a fond farewell to their anxious families and set out with the sun shining and hopeful hearts only to break down half an hour down the road, and spend the next few hours waiting for the breakdown truck, arguing about whose fault it was that the trailer brake had been left on.
Cut to the village of Kneep three months later – our intrepid heroes are established as bona fide scallop divers, quietly going about the business of doing what scallop divers do. Keen to experience an Isle of Lewis holiday, enter a group of visiting friends from their old dive club. The group includes the lovely Julie – and the rest as they say, is history.
Thirty three years, three kids, and how ever many scallops later – Dave and I (the lovely Julie) welcomed our very first guests to The Beach Bothies, providing cottage styled self catering accommodation. Scallop diving and mussel farming may be all very well and exciting, but Dave had been finding it was not quite as easy on the body as it had been thirty odd years previously, and so we were looking for a change of direction.
Luxury Self Catering Cabins
We had fondly imagined that we`d be able to sit with our feet up whilst the boys took over the family business, but all three of them were determined they didn`t want to be mussel farmers or scallop divers, and had all sorts of excuses for why they shouldn`t be!
We closed The Scallop Shack in spring 2021 – definitely the end of an era for us, and now we are putting our energy into looking after The Beach Bothies, an occupation that is proving to be a lot warmer, and a good deal more predictable than the shellfish industry!
We love Lewis with all its weather! We love the wide open spaces and the wild windy landscape. We love living in a house beside the sea with all it`s constantly changing moods, and being part of such a close knit community, and knowing we`ll always be able to meet someone we know whenever we go to Stornoway!
We hope you will love it too, and very much look forward to welcoming you to our luxury holiday lets. If you want a yarn or any local knowledge or tips, Dave will be only too happy to oblige (his mother was Irish – being chatty is in his genes) but if you want privacy, don`t worry – I will be here to head him off, and you can be left in peace to enjoy your self catering holiday!
Exceptional
Everything is perfect, idyllic location, great hosts and great care in all the little details makes The Beach Bothies a place to remember
Manuel, Norway
Amazing stay, didn't want to leave
Great place with a beautiful view. Very welcoming owners
Angie, UK
Everything perfect - would have liked to stay longer
It was just perfect. The pods are spacious with a nice terrace between the pod and the beach. A great view across the beach onto the small island. Even with it being very windy upon arrival, we have been able to sit on the terrace and enjoy the view. The owners Dave and Julie have done a great job equipping the pods with everything you might ask for and even more. Especially the binoculars and the bbq found a very good use (small hint: the Uig community store around 4 miles away has a great selection of meat). As the images on booking dot com do not show a lot of images, I would recommend looking up the website of the beach bothies and check the drone video they have there. The location and the setting are just outstanding
Mario, Liechtenstein
Exceptional
The location was amazing, being 15 metres from the sandy beach, amazing views and with everything you need in such a little space. Bed was great and wonderful waking up to the view onto the beach
Robert, UK
Amazing place and spectacular location
Stayed here for 2 nights in October. We travel with our dog and have stayed in lots of pods across Scotland but this one was by far the best. Exceeded our expectations in every way. Very spacious with a full comfy bed, and everything has been thought of from shampoo and bread/jam to playing cards and treats for the dog. The scallops from the scallop shack are the best we have ever eaten, fresh as they come! Also – the view and location is out of this world. The photos don’t do it justice, truly a little slice of paradise. We didn’t want to leave!
Jessica, UK
Perfect relaxed get away
The beach Bothies are brilliant, in a spectacular location with pretty much a private beach in front. The hosts were so welcoming and helpful, went above and beyond to make sure our stay was perfect. Can’t recommend the beach Bothies enough and already planning our trip back
Roderick, United Kingdom
BOOK YOUR STAY NOW
Please use the link below to check availability and tariffs. During busy times we ask for a minimum stay of 2 nights. Please contact us if you have any queries