Business travellers heading to the west coast of Scotland this summer will have a new way to mix meetings with memorable maritime experiences, as one of Argyll’s leading coastal hotels launches a fresh programme of sea tours.
The Pierhouse Hotel at Port Appin has partnered with Oban-based specialists Coastal Connection to offer guests a suite of private boat trips around the region’s dramatic coastline and islands throughout 2026. The service includes a convenient collection by boat from the pier directly outside the hotel, as well as pickups from Oban harbour, a useful perk for corporate groups arriving by road or rail.
Coastal Connection is run by twin brother skippers Cameron and Struan Smith, who founded the firm in 2008 and bring more than 25 years of combined nautical experience to the water. Their fleet caters for couples, families and groups of up to 12 passengers, making the tours well-suited to small corporate retreats, client entertainment and incentive trips.
The headline offering is a full-day private charter from The Pierhouse to Tobermory, with prices starting from £850 for up to 12 passengers. En route, guests can expect sightings of white-tailed sea eagles, seals, basking sharks, minke whales, porpoise, otters and dolphins, as well as views of the historic Duart Castle. A full day exploring the Mull coastline starts from £1,250, while a shorter 2.5-hour private charter around the island of Lismore begins at £520. The Lismore route takes in the 1833 Stevenson-built lighthouse and offers the chance to spot red deer, seals and sea eagles around Lismore and the Morvern Peninsula.
Further options include day trips to Iona or Colonsay, whale-watching expeditions, visits to the Corryvreckan whirlpool and whisky-tasting excursions to Islay. A fuel surcharge may apply depending on the itinerary.
For those wanting to raise the bar on in-flight, or rather, in-boat, hospitality, Pierhouse head chef Michael Leathley can prepare a champagne seafood picnic to take on the water.
Tucked away on the shores of Loch Linnhe, The Pierhouse Hotel has long been regarded as one of Argyll’s most idyllic boltholes, with its restaurant holding three silver stars, two AA rosettes and a place in the Michelin Guide for Great Britain and Ireland, one of only four Argyll restaurants to earn the distinction. The kitchen’s menus lean heavily on langoustines, mussels and lobsters drawn from Loch Linnhe and Loch Etive, alongside oysters from the nearby beds of Loch Creran.
For corporate planners searching for an alternative to the usual city-centre offsite, the Pierhouse-Coastal Connection tie-up offers a compelling case for taking business to the water this season.