A HOTEL in the Highlands has reopened following a two-year revamp.
Glenfinnan House Hotel was built as an inn between 1752 and 1755 by Alexander MacDonald VII of Glenaladale who was wounded at Culloden fighting Prince Charles Edward Stuart.
The house was in an advanced state of disrepair when it was bought in 1971 by the Macfarlane family who worked steadily to restore the building and transform it into a four-star hotel.
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Maintenance of the building on the shores of Loch Shiel is a concern although it has now undergone a two-year renovation under new management by hotel management consultancy company ICMI.
The refurbishment includes a ramp of the hotel’s 14 bedrooms along with a new bar and restaurant concept and outdoor seating.
Owner Jane MacFarlane secured up to £175,900 investment from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) towards the works.
The renovation also included getting the building ready for the winter, including the installation of double-glazing, re-routing pipework and upgrading insulation to allow the hotel to open all year round.
Group operations manager at ICMI Niki Gillies commented: “The design has been really in keeping with the views of Glenfinnan so the lock views, the pattern of the wallpaper, the colour system – it feels like the room is an extension of what you see when you look out the window.
“The reservation system has been open since October when we took over and we are practically full until September. Bookings have been really strong.
“I’d say we are the highest calibre hotel within a 20-mile radius.”
Glenfinnan attracts around 500,000 visitors a year thanks to its proximity to the famous viaduct featured in the Harry Potter films.
Gillies added: “We are very close to the Glenfinnan Monument so we’ve been getting a lot of passing trade.”
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