- Notable guests: Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth II & Prince Philip, plus celebrities like Sean Connery and Elton John.
- Hotel style: 5 Star loch side baronial mansion in the Scottish Highlands near Ben Nevis.
- Luxury dining: Renowned restaurant by Albert & Michel Roux Jnr with modern British cuisine and French influences.
- Estate size: 42,000-acre grounds with forests, rivers, mountains, wildlife, and gardens to explore.
- Activities: Hiking, 4WD tours, horse riding, clay pigeon shooting, archery, winter sports, and photography tours.
- History: Transformed into a luxury hotel in 1969, estate originally built in the 19th century.
- Check dates & prices here.
This Scottish Castle Hotel is particularly special; an imposing loch side baronial mansion near Fort William and in the foothills of the highest peak of the Highlands, Ben Nevis.
In 1873 Queen Victoria forgoed her usual holiday home at Balmoral and instead spend a week at Inverlochy.
“I never saw a lovelier or more romantic spot” she noted in her diary and this is as true now as it was then.
In later years would also play host to Queen Elizabeth and The Duke of Edinburgh, as well as a long list of dignitaries, royalty, and various celebrities including Charlie Chaplin, Sean Connery, Elton John and Anthony Hopkins.
The 5-star Inverlochy Castle is all about old-fashioned sophistication and luxury and it has the added attraction of having maybe one of Scotland’s finest restaurants, Seasgair, lead by two the Michelin starred chef Michel Roux Jnr.
What are the rooms like?
- Room count: 17 B&B rooms from basic doubles to junior suites and a full suite.
- Room features: Spacious, elegantly furnished, with bathtubs and spectacular views.
- See all the rooms in detail here
There are just 17, very lovely B&B rooms to choose from at this 5 Star Hotel, starting with what may be referred to as a basic double room here but might just be considered a luxury suite in many other hotels, to Junior Suites and one particularly opulent and spacious full suite.
They all feel spacious, comfortable and showcase elegant furnishings throughout. The bathrooms too are spacious and well-appointed and all come with a bathtub.
What are prices like?
Check out all the details on the booking page here.
And what about food? Facilities, things to do?
- Dining: Excellent restaurant serving modern British cuisine with French influences.
- Lounges & bars: Various lounges, bars, drawing rooms, and the spectacular Grand Hall with chandeliers.
- Estate activities: Games room, billiard room, hiking, 4WD tours, horse riding, clay pigeon shooting, archery, winter sports, photography tours.
- Wildlife: Spot golden eagles, ospreys, buzzards, red deer, pine martens, foxes, and highland cattle.
- Children: Under 8 welcome, restricted in Great Hall/ Drawing Room after 18:00, babysitting available.
Exploring Inverlochy Castle and its estate
The castle’s restaurant is Seasgair, lead by Michel Roux Jnr. It serves modern British cuisine with French influences, or vice versa depending on how you look at it, and is considered by many one of the best restaurants in Scotland.
Inside the castle, a network of lounges, bars, and drawing rooms provide quiet spaces to linger.
The Grand Hall, with its soaring frescoed ceiling and enormous chandeliers, dominates the interior. While the games and billiards rooms offer more casual hang outs
Beyond the walls, the estate stretches across 42,000 acres. The gardens invite leisurely strolls, while further afieid trails around the forests, rivers, and hills offer a full day’s flaneur.
Wildlife is abundant at Inverlochy: golden eagles and ospreys patrol the skies, red deer and pine martens roam the woods, and highland cattle graze in the fields.
For those who prefer to see the highlands without the climb, 4WD tours can reach 2,000 feet and open up views. Photography and wildlife excursions, picnics, and sporting activities, from horse riding and clay pigeon shooting to mountaineering, golf, white-water rafting, and even Rolls Royce Phantom drives, are all possible at Inverlochy.
Note: children under 8 are welcome to stay but are not permitted in the Great Hall or the Drawing Room after 18:00 when dinner service begins. There is a baby sitting/child minding service on offer though for any time you may need.
How is the location? And how do I get there?
- Location: Near Fort William, gateway to the Scottish Highlands and breathtaking scenery.
- Nearby attractions: Glencoe, Glengarry, Glenfinnan, Cairngorms, Loch Lomond, and Loch Ness.
- Access: A82 from Glasgow, A9 from Perth or Edinburgh, airport transfers available including Rolls Royce Phantom.
Inverlochy Castle is very near Fort William, about three miles in fact, which is probably the most popular starting point for exploring the Scottish Highlands, and the most breathtaking scenery in Britain.
So contained though is the estate, you have pretty much everything the Scottish Highlands have to offer within its boundaries, that the average visitor will be guaranteed the ultimate Highland experience without ever leaving Inverlochy.
If you do feel the need to venture further you also have many beautiful and iconic places to explore.
Relatively nearby there are Glencoe, Glengarry, Glenfinnan, and the Cairngorm mountains for example, while a little farther south lies Loch Lomond. Farther north there is of course the infamous Loch Ness.
To get to the castle just take the A82 road from Glasgow to Inverness or the A9 from Perth or Edinburgh and follow the signs at Fort William.
Airport transfers can also be organized from any airport in Scotland, including, for ultimate style and panache, transfers by Rolls Royce Phantom. Just let the hotel know at least a day before arrival if possible.
Any interesting history I should know about?
- History: Scottish Highlands became a favorite for rich and powerful in the 19th century.
- Estate origins: 42,000-acre Inverlochy Estate bought by Hon. William Scarlett, 3rd Baron Abinger.
- Construction: Mansion built in the 1860s, completed in 1870, Scarlett family moved in with four children.
- Hotel transformation: Sold in 1944, converted to luxury hotel, first guests in 1969, named UK’s number-one hotel in 1971.
During the 19th century, the Scottish Highlands became a very favored place for the rich and powerful from England and southern Scotland to visit and buy or construct what we would now refer to as summer houses or holiday homes.
An accompanying estate was also obligatory for the most wealthy, especially where it allowed opportunities for deer hunting, fishing, and grouse shooting.
Inverlochy Estate, 42,000 acres of moors, mountains, croft, and farmland, was one such property, which the original owner, the Marquis of Huntly, was forced by impending bankruptcy into selling.
It was bought by the Hon. William Scarlett, 3rd Baron Abinger for 76,000 sterling, a very large fortune in those days, and was initially used for summer holidays where the Scarlett family would stay at Torlundie, a manor house that was originally the main building of the estate.
And what about the reviews? What did other guests like?
“It is the totality of elegance and charm. Good, decoration, ambiance, service, I have never experienced anything even vaguely similar. It was an experience. Honestly I felt like I was in an episode of Downton Abbey….”
Read all the reviews here at Booking.com
