We were booked to stay for two nights at Borodale House at the beginning of September. We only managed one night before leaving, and being honest, if the ferry had still been running the first evening we wouldn't have even stayed one night.
Upon arrival we were shown to our room (or sty, which is perhaps a more fitting name). The room was freezing cold, as was the entire wing of the hotel we were placed in. Given we had placed a courtesy call a few hours before arriving to say we were en-route, putting the heating on to make it welcoming wasn't much to ask for.
The room itself was in a very poor state. The main room door had a hole in it. as did the back of the bathroom door. The locks on both of these doors also failed to work. Impressive. I'm not sure you would want to lock yourself in the Bathroom however, given it was covered in mould and dirt.
The walls below the windows were also showing signs of damp/water damage. Last but not least, the bed... The mattress itself needs to be burned, no matter how you positioned yourself you'd be treated to a spring in your back.
I won't even go into much detail on the food. Suffice to say, you could probably rustle up a nicer meal using the kettle in the room. I pray they do not employ a chef.
It is a real shame that this will be many peoples impression of Raasay, as I believe it is the only place to stay on the Island. My advice to anyone considering a stay here would be to get an early ferry over, explore the island, take a packed lunch, and get the ferry back off before you are forced to stay!
