The Oak Tree Inn

About The Oak Tree Inn

The Oak Tree Inn has anchored the village of Balmaha since 1997 and has become the natural stop for anyone walking the West Highland Way, which passes the door, or climbing Conic Hill, which starts just up the road. It has grown to 42 bedrooms spread across the original inn and a set of nearby cottages, so there is a reasonable choice of room size and style for a village this small.

Food is a serious part of the operation. The restaurant serves Scottish pub cooking and has taken Gastropub of the Year and Scotland's Best Pub, the latter three times, while the adjoining St Mocha Coffee Shop and Ice Cream Parlour roasts its own beans on site and does a brisk trade with walkers and day visitors. The inn also has its own beers. Over 300 solar panels supply a good share of its power.

The location is the reason to book. Balmaha sits exactly on the Highland Boundary Fault, with the Inchcailloch ferry from the boatyard, the Conic Hill path a few minutes away and Rowardennan and Ben Lomond a short drive north. It is a walkers' and outdoors base rather than a luxury stay, and it fills months ahead through the spring and summer walking season.