Holiday letting in Argyll and Bute and the islands

Argyll and Bute is Scotland's island and sea-loch country: Oban as the ferry gateway, Mull and Iona, Islay's distilleries, Jura, Coll and Tiree, Kintyre, Inveraray, Loch Lomond's western shore and the Isle of Bute. Guests come for wildlife, whisky, sailing, surfing on Tiree and slow touring by ferry. Seasonality is strong, and ferry capacity shapes what is possible on many islands.

Licence required, control areas under consultation

Every short let needs an Argyll and Bute Council licence before bookings are taken. The council tells applicants to prepare a floor plan and site plan, a fire safety checklist, a fire risk assessment, a Legionella assessment, an energy performance certificate for most self-catering properties and a declaration of owner consent. It has up to nine months to decide a new application, though simple cases can be quicker.

On 21 September 2026 the council opened a consultation, running to 1 November 2026, on a short-term let control area covering Mull and Iona; Coll and Tiree; Islay, Jura and Colonsay; and Oban, Lorn and the Inner Isles. It says housing pressures on these communities justify looking at every option. If the area is designated, new short lets of whole homes that are not the owner's main residence there would need planning permission. Nothing is in force yet, and the rest of the council area, including Bute, Cowal and Kintyre, is not part of this proposal.

Council tax and rates

• From 1 April 2026 the council applies a 110% premium to second homes, meaning a furnished property no one lives in permanently pays more than twice the standard charge.
• A property available for 140 nights and actually let for 70 in the financial year can be rated as a business on evidence to the assessor.
• The council is also consulting on a visitor levy.

Our advice

If you own on one of the islands named in the consultation, apply for your licence now, keep proof of when letting began and consider responding to the consultation. Across the region, secure cleaning and repair cover that can reach you by ferry before promising guests anything. Tell us about your property; we study every request and tell you honestly whether and how we can help.

Beyond Oban and the islands

Two quieter corners are easy to overlook. Kilmartin Glen, near Lochgilphead, holds one of Scotland's densest clusters of standing stones and burial cairns, a short drive from the Crinan Canal, where yachts lock through towards the Western Isles. On the other side of the council area, the Cowal peninsula around Dunoon and the Helensburgh shore sit within easy reach of Glasgow: Hill House, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, draws architecture visitors, and the Cowal Highland Gathering fills Dunoon every August.

For an owner, that split matters. A cottage near Helensburgh or Dunoon can work on weekend demand from the Central Belt almost all year, while a croft house on an island earns most of its money between spring and early autumn and needs a local contact for keys and cleaning when ferries are cancelled.

Festivals, roads and the weather window

Some island weeks sell out a year ahead because of a single event. Fèis Ìle, the Islay festival of music and malt in late May, fills every bed on the island, and the Tiree Wave Classic brings windsurfers in the autumn. In Oban, the Argyllshire Gathering in late August draws Highland games crowds and pipers.

Mull has its own pattern: Tobermory's coloured harbour front, boat trips to Staffa and Fingal's Cave, and puffin colonies on Lunga in early summer. Seil and Easdale, reached over the Clachan Bridge, attract slate-island visitors and sea kayakers. At the southern end, Campbeltown's distilleries and the Machrihanish links bring golfers and whisky enthusiasts to Kintyre, and Inveraray Castle and the old jail anchor visits to Loch Fyne. On Bute, Mount Stuart house and Rothesay's Victorian seafront suit day-tripping couples who decide to stay.

The road that matters: the A83 through the Rest and Be Thankful pass is prone to landslips and has been closed repeatedly, with traffic diverted onto the Old Military Road or a long detour. Guests travelling from Glasgow to Inveraray, Kintyre or the Loch Fyne coast should check the route status before leaving. Mentioning it in pre-arrival messages avoids late check-ins and frustrated reviews.