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Yelp
Stayin' in? Then go and put your feet up in the snug Stein Inn at Stein on the western shores of the Waternish peninsula.
The Stein Inn is an oasis amidst the refreshment wilderness that is, happily, northern Skye. The remoteness and general lack of amenities in this part of the world, compared to say the tea room addled Lake District or the pub-ridden moors of the Peak District, accentuate the hospitality of the place.
Stein itself is a smattering of buildings strung mainly along the very edge of the western coast of Skye's most central northerrly peninsula. On one side of the narrow road: buildings. On the other: the sea.
My attention was first drawn to it because if you're driving up the hilly coast towards Flora's grave and the old chapel, preparing for a walk to the tip of the headland to look out across The Minch to the Outer Hebrides, it's really hard not to crash the car when drawn to incredibly idyllic and curvacious bays and inlets that characterise that part of the landscape. Down a long and windy road lies the Inn itself.
The main room is long and low and has something of a nautical, cabin feel to it. The tables and chairs are cluttered closely together as though engaged in some sort of conspiratorial furiture conference. We made our allegiances with a couple of chairs and tables and holed up for the only day of our trip that was a complete wash out weather-wise. A great, laid back venue it made too. We sampled the beer - they stock great beers from Isle of Skye brewery (based up the road in Uig) including Reeling Deck, brewed specifically for and only available at Stein Inn. And we drank their excellent teas and coffees while fumbling over the clues in another Gaurdian Quick Crossword. The afternoon melted by amidst frequent stares through the rain soaked window to our left and out across the misty Little Minch towards Harris. At every moment the scene appeared to change.
We ended up staying and eating in the restaurant adjacent to the main room. The meals were okay - there was nothing wrong with the food or the service, yet nothing particularly memorable or exciting either: much is the cullinary case for Skye in general, I've found.
The Inn also includes a small child's playroom just off the main bar and lounge.
You could imagine RL Stevenson hauling up at the end of the jetty on a scooner in gale force winds, bursting in through the heavy wooden door and sipping a warming single malt whilst sea water dripped from the cuffs of his so'wester.