The Ship Inn

Property class: 4

Choose dates to view prices

Consider a stay at The Ship Inn and take advantage of free full breakfast, a terrace, and a garden. The on-site restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Stay connected with free in-room WiFi, and guests can find other amenities such as a bar.

Reviews

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional

Popular amenities

  • Pet friendly
  • Free WiFi
  • Bar
  • Housekeeping

Room options

Available filters for rooms
Showing 3 of 3 rooms

View all photos for Deluxe Double or Twin Room

A bay window with multiple panes overlooking a beach.

Deluxe Double or Twin Room

  • Beach view
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed OR 2 Twin Beds

View all photos for Premium Double or Twin Room

A bedroom with a large bed, a window with shutters, a bedside table, and a small wooden cabinet.

Premium Double or Twin Room

  • Beach view
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed OR 2 Twin Beds

View all photos for Superior Double or Twin Room

A bedroom with a large bed, a window with blinds, a nightstand, and a wall-mounted lamp.

Superior Double or Twin Room

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(2 reviews)
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed OR 2 Twin Beds

About the neighborhood

Located in Elie, The Ship Inn is on the beach. Kellie Castle and Scotland's Secret Bunker are local landmarks, and the area's natural beauty can be seen at Wood Haven and Elie Beach. La Petite Epicerie and Scottish Fisheries Museum are also worth visiting. Windsurfing offers a great chance to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with hiking/biking trails nearby. Visit our Leven travel guide
View more Inns in Leven
Map
The Toft, Elie, Scotland, KY9 1DT

What's nearby

  • A brass astronomical instrument, possibly a telescope, in a museum display case.
    University of St. Andrews
    28 min drive - 28.8 km
  • A stone bridge over a grassy field with historic buildings in the background.
    Old Course at St Andrews
    29 min drive - 29.4 km
  • A golf course with historic buildings in the background.
    St. Andrews Links
    33 min drive - 28.8 km
  • Wood Haven
    1 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Elie Beach
    9 min walk - 0.8 km

Getting around

  • Ladybank Station
    22 min drive
  • Dundee (DND)
    58 min drive

Restaurants

  • Anstruther Fish Bar
    10 min drive
  • The Cocoa Tree
    7 min drive
  • The Cellar At 24 East Green
    10 min drive
  • The Waterfront Chip Shop
    10 min drive
  • Upper Largo Hotel
    7 min drive

About this property

The Ship Inn

  • Upscale inn
  • Consider a stay at The Ship Inn and take advantage of free full breakfast, a terrace, and a garden. The on-site restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In addition to a bar, guests can connect to free in-room WiFi.
  • You'll also enjoy the following perks during your stay:
  • A free area shuttle, barbecue grills, and smoke-free premises
  • Room features
  • All guestrooms at The Ship Inn include thoughtful touches such as premium bedding, in addition to amenities like free WiFi and espresso makers.
  • Extra conveniences in all rooms include:
    • Rollaway/extra beds (surcharge) and free cribs/infant beds
    • Free toiletries and hair dryers
    • Electric kettles, heating, and daily housekeeping

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Frequently asked questions

Is The Ship Inn pet-friendly?

Yes, pets are allowed at this property. There's a fee of GBP 15 per pet, per stay. Service animals are exempt from fees. Some restrictions may apply, so please contact the property for more details.

How much is parking?

There is free parking nearby.

What time is check-in at The Ship Inn?

Check-in start time: 4 PM; Check-in end time: 11 PM.

What time is check-out at The Ship Inn?

Check-out is at 11 AM.

Where is The Ship Inn located?

Nestled on the beach, this Leven inn is within a 10-minute walk of Wood Haven and Elie Beach. Shell Bay and St Monans Heritage Collection are also within 3 mi (5 km).

Can I cancel my reservation for free and receive a full refund?

Yes, this property offers free cancellation on select room rates, because flexibility matters! Please refer to the property cancellation policy on our site for more details about any exclusions or requirements.

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Reviews

The Ship Inn Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

9.6

Cleanliness

9.8

Location

9.6

Staff & service

9.6

Property conditions & facilities
Rating 10 - Excellent. 57 out of 72 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 14 out of 72 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 72 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 72 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 72 reviews

Reviews

Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Special place. Beach-view room is a must. Great breakfast.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2026
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful location and fab food
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful view of the harbour and wonderful restaurant for dinner
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This was our first visit to the Ship Inn, what a find this is a thriving business set in an amazing location. The staff all ages are attentive, polite & on their game. The highlight is the food- whoever they have working in the kitchens are a talented bunch.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This property is excellent, beautiful, 5 star hotel in the middle of a tiny town, disguised as a quaint little hotel. Everything is excellent, room, service, staff all beyond expectations. Loved it!!!
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Clean, stunning happy place, staff & food fab! Real treat the whole place! Beach view brill !
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

The food was fantastic but the staff made our stay special
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Cozy and welcoming coastal Inn.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Fabulous little hotel in spectacular location. Staff lovely and couldn’t be more helpful. Food great also! Highly recommend.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Absolutely stunning views in such a unique, charming property. I didn’t want to check out.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Full of character in a charming town
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
What a great visit we had. First time there but we will be back. The staff were so friendly and helpful. Food great too. Lovely roaring fire on the Sunday am.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Thank you, Ship Inn, we had an amazing stay. Food was great, staff most friendly and helpful, location and views - wow! Comfortable room, good shower, yummy breakfast. We will definitely be back soon. Thank you for you amazing hospitality once again
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great location. Lovely staff and delicious food. We were a little disappointed with the location of the room (avoid the downstairs room if you can) which was right next to the road downstairs where we almost brushed shoulders with passer-by’s - it was not possible to leave the window open at night to get some fresh air.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities

Amazing location and restaurant! Room not as good.

The location is amazing. Absolutely beautiful. The bar, restaurant, and outside bar are all awesome! Great service, great food, real effort put into being Gluten Free, and ridiculously good breakfast. The staff are wonderful! The room needed improvement. The bathroom fan didn't work, so any time you shower, the entire bathroom had a ton of moisture everywhere. The rainfall shower head is weak and the separate hand held head isn't tied to the same lines, so was really hard to control, and not super useful. The tub had black stuff (guessing black mold) coming out of the stopper when my wife took a shower, and the stopper didn't work well, so she had to run the water the entire bath to maintain a 1/3 water level at best. Bed was lumpy and uncomfortable, and the blinds didn't work, and opening the windows was a struggle and painful. Would love to come back here but not to this room. Dog friendly, though, which is GREAT. Hope they correct these issues, as would really like to return because of the location, food, and service.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great rooms, hospitality and food. The breakfast was very well presented!
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The weather was wild but the comfort and feeling of well being engendered by the Ship's environment and the staff meant our stay there was just wonderful. We will be back.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Brilliant food in the pub, great views and lovely staff
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Brilliant room right on the seafront. Small personal inn with friendly staff. Modern clean and up to date facilities. Delicious food in the bar and small restaurant! Shame it was only a one night stop!
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Seaside gem

Visited the restaurant many times but the stay was well worth it. Great room , clean , fresh and everything you need. All finished to a high end. Lovely breakfast watching the waves roll in. Cosy bar down stairs with roaring fire .
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Autumnal joy

Lovely setting Clean warm and welcoming Fabulous food
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
excellent in nearly every way. spotless...great service....quirky touches. ONLY downside is poor sound insulation and no AC in rooms. It was way hot in the rooms but it was a super hot weekend. Would not put me off going back. Defo one to check out
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Absolutely lovely.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The property location is stunning right on the Elie Beach. Staff were excellent and friendly and the food was fabulous. Will definitely return.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Highly recommend

Excellent room. Excellent views. Fantastic food and great service. We will be back.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019