Hidden Scotland
Sign in
The Lovat at dusk: white front, slate roof and dormers, lit lamps and the glowing bay window, a planter on the drive.
Inverness

The Lovat Hotel

With a restaurant, breakfast and room for the dog. From £118 a night. Arrive from 4pm, leave by 12 noon.

Book on their website

Welcome

The Lovat is a family-run hotel in Fort Augustus, at the southern tip of Loch Ness.

Visited and photographed by Hidden Scotland

It began in 1869 as an inn on the site of Kilwhimen Barracks, the fort built in 1718 after the first Jacobite rising. Part of the old fort's west curtain wall still stands in the grounds. When the railway reached the village in 1903 the inn became The Lovat Arms & Station Hotel, and in time it dropped the word Station. Today it's run by a husband and wife, Sean Kelly, the head chef, and Caroline, whose family bought it in 2005.

Some of the bedrooms look out over Loch Ness, and each one is furnished differently, with touches that change with the seasons. Downstairs there are open fires in the lounges, the Waypoint bar, and Station Road, the restaurant, which holds three AA Rosettes and a place in the Michelin Guide.

Coftie is what you feel when you're warm by the fire but the mountains are right there through the glass.
Sean and Caroline

Stayed here? Tell Sean and Caroline how it was. Your words go to them, and with your yes they can put a line of them on this page.

Review your stay

What is here

Every bedroom has its own bathroom with a hairdryer, a Nespresso machine, tea and coffee, a flat-screen television, an iron and ironing board and good toiletries, and the Garden Rooms, on the ground floor in their own quarters beside the hotel, each have a private wooden enclosure for a dog.

Fireplace
EV charging point
Accessible rooms
Bar
Bike hire
Breakfast available
Dog friendly
Lift
Pet bowls
Restaurant
TV
Wifi

Good to know

Rooms
Twenty-nine, from loft rooms to the Grand Master and an apartment with a log fire.
Dogs
In the Garden and Deluxe rooms; not in Station Road or the green lounge.
Access
The Garden Rooms are on the ground floor and fully accessible; there is a lift in the hotel.
Breakfast
7.30 to 9.30am every day; not in every rate, so check when you book.
Dinner
Station Road, 6.30 to 8.30pm, Tuesday to Sunday. A room does not hold a table: book ahead.
Bikes
Four mountain bikes to hire, with a helmet and a lock.
Parking
Free, with free charging for electric cars and e-bikes.
Winter
The hotel closes on Sundays and Mondays from early November, and shuts from early January to mid-February.
Heat
A biomass boiler on local wood chip since 2006.

Where it is

Fort Augustus sits at the southern tip of Loch Ness, where the Caledonian Canal climbs through its flight of locks.

The Lovat is a five-minute walk from the loch shore and about two minutes from the locks, and a few steps from the Great Glen Way. Inverness is 35 miles away, about 45 minutes by car, and its airport 42 miles; Fort William is 32 miles and Aviemore 55. The nearest railway station is Spean Bridge, and buses run out to Fort Augustus from Inverness, Aviemore and Fort William.

Getting hereBy the A82, which runs along the western shore of Loch Ness from Inverness to Fort Augustus. Walkers on the Great Glen Way pass a few steps from the door.

Close byWhere the owners send their guests, nearest first.
  1. Green tart with edible flowers and herbs, plated on artificial grassStation RoadThe hotel's own restaurant: three AA Rosettes and a place in the Michelin Guide. Book ahead, especially in summer.In the hotel downstairs
  2. Water cascades through canal lock gates towards a white cottage beyondThe Caledonian CanalThe locks at Fort Augustus, and a flat towpath walk beside them, one of the hotel's own walks from the door.Minutes away on foot
  3. Aerial view of Fort William's river with a tour boat moored beside a parkCruise Loch NessA family-run boat company with day and evening cruises on the loch, and fast trips in power boats.Five minutes' walk on foot
  4. Winding hill track above forestry and a distant loch under cloudy skiesSuidhe ViewpointA short hill walk to sweeping views over the loch and the Great Glen.2 miles 4 min by road
  5. Ruined stone tower of Urquhart Castle seen through autumn foliage on Loch NessUrquhart CastleOne of the most recognised castles in Scotland, sixteen miles up the loch.17 miles 23 min by road
  6. Scots pine stands above woodland with snow-capped mountains behindGlen AffricMore than thirty miles of native woods, lochs and wild moorland to explore.37 miles 52 min by road
  7. A train of maroon carriages crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct above autumn trees.Glenfinnan ViaductThe railway to Glenfinnan, 100 feet up, seen in the Harry Potter films, with the Jacobite monument nearby.45 miles 66 min by road
  8. Cannons line the fort's ramparts overlooking the coastline and clock towerFort GeorgeThe mightiest artillery fort in Britain, built after Culloden, on the way to the beach at Nairn.47 miles 73 min by road
Walks from here
  1. Fort AugustusFort Augustus3 miles, about an hour and 20 minutesFrom the door
  2. Allt na CricheAllt na Criche1¾ miles, about an hour2 miles away
  3. InvermoristonInvermoristonA mile, about half an hour6 miles away
  4. GlengarryGlengarry3 miles, about three hours9 miles away
  5. Falls of FoyersFalls of FoyersA walk13 miles away
Directions
A yacht moored on a pontoon where the Caledonian Canal meets Loch Ness at Fort Augustus, trees and hills beyond.AttractionsFort Augustus0.2 miles
A sign reading Loch Ness, Welcome to Fort Augustus on the stony shore, the loch running north between wooded hills.AttractionsLoch Ness Viewpoint0.5 miles
River cascading over rocky falls through a wooded gorgeAttractionsInvermoriston Falls6.3 miles
Café counter with espresso machine, blue tiled wall and world map muralCafeGlen Rowan Cafe6.6 miles
The tall roofless stone walls of Invergarry Castle among trees under a bright sky.AttractionsInvergarry Castle8.0 miles
AttractionsWell of the Seven Heads8.8 miles
Wooden building with sign reading "The Camerons Tea Room & Farm ShopCafeThe Camerons Tea Room13 miles
Lichen-covered gravestone inscribed "Sacred to the memory of Jane, spouse of Thomas Fraser of BalnainAttractionsBoleskine Burial Ground15 miles
The board at the Roderick MacKenzie cairn, a map of Glenmoriston with a painted Jacobite officer holding a sword.AttractionsRoderick Mackenzie's Cairn20 miles

Recommend to a friend

Days out from The Lovat HotelAll days out from here
  1. A canal walk at Fort Augustus to Loch Ness and the PepperpotA canal walk at Fort Augustus to Loch Ness and the PepperpotUnder half a mile away A few hours
  2. Loch Ness by RIB to Urquhart CastleLoch Ness by RIB to Urquhart CastleUnder half a mile away A few hours
  3. Spending a Whole Day Around Loch NessSpending a Whole Day Around Loch NessUnder half a mile away A day out
  4. The Allt na Criche Trail walk above Fort AugustusThe Allt na Criche Trail walk above Fort Augustus1 mile away A few hours
  5. Dundreggan Rewilding Centre and its woodland pathsDundreggan Rewilding Centre and its woodland paths5 miles away A few hours
  6. A walk to Invermoriston Falls and Telford's old bridgeA walk to Invermoriston Falls and Telford's old bridge5 miles away A few hours
  7. A walk to the Allt na Cailliche waterfall in GlengarryA walk to the Allt na Cailliche waterfall in Glengarry8 miles away A few hours
  8. A walk to the Falls of Foyers and lunch at the CameronsA walk to the Falls of Foyers and lunch at the Camerons10 miles away A few hours
  9. Corrimony Chambered Cairn in Glen UrquhartCorrimony Chambered Cairn in Glen Urquhart13 miles away A few hours
  10. A walk to the Coire Loch from Dog FallsA walk to the Coire Loch from Dog Falls13 miles away A few hours
  11. A picnic at the end of the road in Glen AffricA picnic at the end of the road in Glen Affric14 miles away A few hours
  12. A walk round Loch AffricA walk round Loch Affric14 miles away A few hours
  13. A walk to Plodda Falls by TomichA walk to Plodda Falls by Tomich14 miles away A few hours
  14. Carn Liath from AberarderCarn Liath from Aberarder15 miles away A day out
  15. A walk to Divach Falls from DrumnadrochitA walk to Divach Falls from Drumnadrochit15 miles away A few hours
  16. The Road to the Isle of SkyeThe Road to the Isle of Skye16 miles away A day out
  17. Travelling Scotland’s Great GlenTravelling Scotland’s Great Glen16 miles away A day out
  18. A walk from Pattack Falls to the township of Druim an AirdA walk from Pattack Falls to the township of Druim an Aird17 miles away A few hours
  19. A walk by Loch Arkaig from the Chia-aig fallsA walk by Loch Arkaig from the Chia-aig falls18 miles away A few hours
  20. From Fort William to Skye via GlenelgFrom Fort William to Skye via Glenelg18 miles away A day out
  21. A' Chraileag from Loch CluanieA' Chraileag from Loch Cluanie18 miles away A day out
  22. Aonach Meadhoin from the Cluanie InnAonach Meadhoin from the Cluanie Inn19 miles away A day out
  23. Chno Dearg from FersitChno Dearg from Fersit19 miles away A day out
  24. Stob Coire Sgriodain from FersitStob Coire Sgriodain from Fersit19 miles away A day out
Hidden Scotland, the magazine

Scotland, in print.

We want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.

Get Issue 13Read it here