Loch Ness Inn

About Loch Ness Inn

The Loch Ness Inn stands in the hamlet of Lewiston, just outside Drumnadrochit and a mile and a half from Urquhart Castle. The building dates from 1838 and has been brought up to date carefully, keeping the stonework, low ceilings and open fires while adding modern bathrooms and proper heating. It is a genuine village inn rather than a hotel dressed up as one, and locals use the bar, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Accommodation splits into two parts. The Inn's bedrooms are individually designed, using muted colours and original artwork by the Scottish painter Dot Walker, with en suite bathrooms and good beds. Next door, the Bunk Inn provides nine simpler rooms aimed at walkers, cyclists and families, which keeps the price sensible for anyone tackling the Great Glen Way or cycling the loch. Parking is on site, drying space is available and some rooms take dogs.

The Lewiston restaurant serves seasonal Highland produce, with venison, beef, west coast seafood and local game appearing regularly alongside pub staples done properly. The Brewery Bar carries award-winning real ales and a long list of Scottish whiskies, and the fire is lit for most of the year. Breakfast is substantial, which matters if you are heading out on the hill. The inn holds a three-star Scottish Tourist Board rating and is recognised in the Michelin Guide for its cooking.

The setting is the main appeal. Loch Ness is a short walk away, Urquhart Castle guards the shoreline nearby, and the Great Glen Way passes through the village. Divach Falls, Glen Affric and the trails around Balmacaan Wood are all close, boat trips leave from Drumnadrochit, and Inverness is fifteen miles up the road. It suits walkers, road-trippers on the North Coast 500 and families who want somewhere unfussy and well run near the loch.