Interlochy Castle Hotel, our comfy home for a couple days
Fort William is a town on Loch Linnhe near the foot of Ben Nevis, which is the tallest peak in all of the British Isles. Given the proximity to Ben Nevis and a variety of other beautiful lakes, First William is considered a major destination for outdoor enthusiasts from all over the UK.
To be honest we did not come for those reasons. Our destination here was really Inverlochy Castle Hotel, a Victorian era baronial mansion turned hotel, where residents can lead a genteel life for a night or two. And it’s just as well that we weren’t hellbent on views of Ben Nevis, since the fog and clouds kept it pretty well hidden for the duration of our two-night stay.
This grand home was built in 1863 by William Scarlett, 3rd Baron Abinger, just a few miles from the original Inverlochy Castle, a 13th century castle that now lies in ruins. Ten years later, Queen Victoria spent a week here, declaring, “I never saw a lovelier or more romantic spot.” In 1944 the place was purchased by the Canadian entrepreneur who had founded the nearby Ben Nevis distillery. His son inherited the mansion and turned it into a hotel in 1969.
We did a bit of hiking here but mostly savored the special thrill of staying in a glorious estate and enjoying its beautiful drawing rooms and dining rooms. It was a very pleasant way to break up a fairly long journey from Skye to Glasgow.
The hiking trails led to places where one might have seen the peak of Ben Nevis but for the clouds
Super tall woods on parts of the path
The main lounge at the castle, a nice please to have tea and read
Jim enjoys feeling like lord of the manor for a bit
Hiking through the woods
Watching the sheep from our room
Lovely moody weather keeps the mountain peak a mystery
Jim checks out the menu for our fancy dinner at the castle
We don’t do dessert much, but here at the castle it’s pretty nice
A big pile of mussels and lobster at a more casual lunch place in town
Part of the castle glows in the very late sunset here
Animal pic!