Scotland - Inverlochy Castle
Queen Victoria, Mel Gibson, Liam Neeson, Charlie Chaplin stayed here
Stay in a luxurious historic castle, surrounded by beautiful unspoilt scenery in and around Fort William and Perthshire.
Inverlochy Castle looks more like a 19th-century baronial pile than a castle. The original 13th-century building was one of the few that escaped destruction by Robert the Bruce in the 14th century and is now a picturesque ruin which lies just a couple of miles down the road from its present namesake.
It was a private residence for over a hundred years until 1969 when it was converted from a family home to one of Scotland's finest country house hotels, located amongst the glens, lochs and mountains of the West Highlands.
Royal Praise
In September 1873 during a trip to Balmoral, Queen Victoria spent a week at Inverlochy, sketching and painting. She wrote in her diaries 'I never saw a lovelier or more romantic spot'.
Other Famous Guests
Today's Inverlochy is is regularly patronised by equally famous figures who look for the best that money can buy, and they get it here. Mel Gibson stayed for three months when making Braveheart at nearby Glen Nevis, and Liam Neeson did the same when making Rob Roy. Charlie Chaplin was one of the first superstars to wend his way up here and since then many have followed.
This kind of luxury doesn't come cheap but it's worth every penny. The superb service and attention to detail is what you pay for - not to mention the food. As befits one of the world's best hotels, Inverlochy’s restaurant offers top quality cuisine: salmon, lobsters, west-coast prawns, oysters and mussels, plus much more. It was voted "Best hotel in Europe" by Travel and Leisure Magazine in 2006.
Beautiful locations are sites of ancient battles
Built in 1863, the castle is uniquely situated between two of Scotland's most famous landmarks - Ben Nevis and Loch Ness, and is surrounded bt some of the most magnificent scenery in the Highlands.
About 12 miles south of Inverlochy is Glen Coe, famous for its notorious massacre in February 1692 where the Campbell Clan butchered the MacDonald Clan - women, children and all. This is known to be one of Scotland's finest glens and the A82 road runs right through it. Inverlochy Castle has a car available for day-touring and this would be an ideal spot to park and do some exploring. The visitor centre has information on walks and trails.
Things to do
There's lot do in and around Inverlochy itself. Try the ancient art of falconry, enjoy traditional Scottish pursuits such as salmon fishing (in season), grouse shooting and deer stalking. Some of the best skiing in Scotland is on the nearby mountain of Aonach Mor only four miles from Inverlochy Castle, where the country's only gondola was installed in 1989.
There are numerous other activities and attractions available to guests:
* Golf at Fort William’s 18-hole Golf Course
* Whitewater Rafting
* Mountain Biking
* Clay Pigeon Shooting
* Off Road Driving
* Climbing at the Ice Factor
* Fishing and Boating
* Tennis
* Pony trekking
