Bothy life.
It's quiet. Slow. Enjoying the time it takes to do the simplest things.
One space with all you need. A bed above, space to stretch out and live in below. A stove, a table, a library snug and a cosy armchair.
Contemporary. Cosy. Complete.
Taking a shower in the open air, falling asleep to the gentle sounds of nature... and nothing more.
From the first coffee to the bedtime dram - relax and dwell well.
or scroll to the bottom of this page for full details, including prices.
Bothy simple comforts
Sweeney's Bothy has everything you need for a simple, self-contained and special holiday.
Wood burning stove with oven.
Well equipped kitchen with single gas ring.
Hot water from solar panels when the sun shines and from a back boiler in the wood burning stove for when it doesn't.
Organic wool duvet and mattress topper.
Recyled furniture, with a twist
Spring water.
Library snug with a collection of maps, local interest books and an eclectic mix of fiction and non-fiction.
Art work and books left by some of the artists who have lived in Sweeney's Bothy.
An outdoor shower and compost loo with a view.
Midge screens on all the windows, meaning you can keep cool & midge free on warm summer nights.
The Isle of Eigg is not connected to the national grid, instead it generates almost all of its electricity from renewable sources. Sweeney's Bothy also generates some of its own electricity with two photo voltaic panels, so it's off-off grid!
The bothy has no fridge, but we provide a cool box and ice blocks.
Smoke & carbon dioxide alarms, fire blanket, fire extinguisher, first aid kit and emergency alarm.
To protect the precious natural habitat around Sweeney's Bothy, we use organic and biodegradable cleaning products and provide our guests with soap, shampoo and washing up liquid.
We will pick you up from the pier on your arrival to Eigg and take you back at the end of your holiday. You can find out more information about how to get here, but if you have any questions about travel logistics (lots of people do!), then please do get in touch.
There is mobile phone signal for some but not all networks. The nearest point for most mobile signals is in the middle of the island, two miles away. Emergency calls can be made to and from our house.
There is no internet access at the bothy. There is an internet cafe at the Pier, and wifi at the learning centre in the Primary School.
Please note, Sweeney's Bothy is up a steep, 150 metre long path. We have an electric wheelbarrow to carry your luggage up in though - easy!
Bike Hire: Adult bike and e-bike hire from our friends at Eigg Adventures is available at £20 and £35 respectively per day including helmet. They offer a discounted rate for hires of four or more days but advance booking is essential as their bikes can get booked out fast! They also offer kayak hire in the beautiful Galmisdale and Kildonan bays from their base at the An Laimhrig pier complex.
The Bothy Project
Sweeney's Bothy was created and built by The Bothy Project, which provides week long residencies for artists for six months of the year on the Isle of Eigg and in the Cairngorm National Park at Inshriach. The other six months of the year the bothies are open for public rental through Eigg Time.
If you are an artist you can find out more about the residencies and sign up for the newsletter at www.bothyproject.com
Prices
2023
7 nights : £575 from April to October.
Short breaks available from October to April
Christmas and New Year : 7 nights £675
2024
7 nights : £630 from April to October
Christmas and New Year : 7 nights £730
Short breaks available from October to April
Note, the booking calendar will only let you book to arrive and leave on days when there is a ferry.
Prices include being picked up and returned to the ferry on arrival and departure.
Short breaks
We have thought carefully about whether or not to offer bookings of less than seven days. While shorter stays are possible between October and March, we invite everyone to think about spending a full week with us. Why? Since Sweeney’s Bothy opened in February 2014, we’ve had many hundreds of happy people stay with us. Guests who stay for just two or three nights tell us they feel refreshed and energised, but those who stay longer tell us they experience a deeper sense of relaxation and renewed energy. Sweeney’s invites people to unwind, to take life at a slower pace, a week feels like a good length of time to do that.
Booking Calendar
The booking calendar gives arrival and departure dates to coincide with when the ferry sails between Mallaig and Eigg. This varies with the summer and winter timetables and means arrival dates have different lengths of stay available. If you have any questions about the calendar, please email us.
Please note our cancellation policy below the calendar.
Cancellation Policy
If within 30 days of making a booking a customer wishes to cancel their booking, a full refund will be given, less a 5% cancellation charge. Thereafter the deposit is not returnable.
If written notice of cancellation is received more than 28 days before commencement date of the holiday, you will not be liable to pay any outstanding balance.
If cancellation is notified within 28 days of the holiday commencement date, you will be liable to pay the full balance unless we are successful in re-letting the holiday.
Notification of any of the above should be made by email to sweeneysbothy@gmail.com
We strongly advise all our customers to take out travel insurance.
At the bottom of our booking form you will be offered refund protection from a company called Booking Protect. This covers injury, illness, and a range of other reasons which might prevent you from getting to Sweeney's Bothy. Click here for full details
Note: Booking Protect’s refund protection does not cover Covid-19 travel bans. For details of what it does and doesn't cover please check https://bookingprotect.com/coronavirus-guidance
