Hillview Guesthouse

About Hillview Guesthouse

Hillview Guesthouse occupies a 17th-century crofter's cottage on Achintore Road, about a mile and a half south of Fort William town centre and set above the shore of Loch Linnhe. The old building has been extended and modernised over the years but keeps its thick walls and cottage proportions. The position is what sells it: the loch lies directly in front and the Ardgour hills rise on the far shore, which makes for a good view from breakfast onwards.

Rooms are en suite and let on a bed and breakfast basis. They are decorated simply and kept immaculately, with comfortable beds, tea and coffee trays, televisions and free wi-fi. The best rooms face the water, and several have space for a small family. Off-street parking is provided, which matters a great deal in Fort William during the summer, and the owners are used to guests coming and going at odd hours for the hills.

Breakfast is cooked to order and served in a dining room with the same loch view, offering a full Scottish, porridge, smoked fish and local produce. There is no restaurant or bar on site, but Fort William's pubs and restaurants are a short drive or a twenty-minute walk along the loch-side path, and the owners are a reliable source of advice on which ones are worth the trip.

The guesthouse works well as a base for Lochaber. Ben Nevis, the Nevis Range gondola and the Glen Nevis walks are minutes away; Glencoe, Glenfinnan and the Jacobite steam train are within half an hour. The West Highland Way finishes in Fort William, so walkers completing the route often stay here, as do climbers, cyclists and people driving the Road to the Isles towards Mallaig and the Skye ferry. It suits guests who want a well-run, personally hosted small place rather than a chain hotel.