Inverlochy Castle Hotel

This place is gorgeous! We recently stayed at this luxurious hotel. The grounds are stunning, the castle itself is right out of a fairy tale. The rooms are well appointed, the food is delicious, and I highly recommend booking Afternoon Tea. The staff we encountered went above and beyond, with one exception. We went into a beautiful grand room with a roaring fire and a pianist playing. There were a few people on luxurious couches and lush chairs. We were immediately approached by William, who, by the way, was the same gentleman that checked us in. He asked us if we would like to see the menu to order some food. We told him we weren't quite ready. Some time passed and we were ready to place a food order but no one came by. I got up and walked to a tall, dark headed gentleman wearing glasses ( I never got his name, but he was quite recognizable for his height). I asked him if I could get a menu and he said yes. I also asked him if it was alright if we could eat where we were sitting or if we had to go to the other room where our afternoon tea had been previously served. He asked me where I was sitting and he said that was fine. I was about to leave him and he looked at me and, with a tone, told me to go sit down. I was so taken aback by the gruffness, I must have expressed it on my face. Not only did he mimic my expression, but cocked his head back as if to say, yea, I just said that. I went back to my family and told them about the interaction and they were shocked. In hindsight, I should have reported him to William immediately, but was enjoying my time at the castle, and with my family way too much to have the action of a bully spoil it. I would highly recommend Inverlochy Castle Hotel. It's amazingly beautiful.

We enjoyed a superb stay at the Inverlochy Castle Hotel. Our spacious, well-furnished suite featured an expansive patio with a view of the Walled Garden and Ben Nevis. Queen Victoria once stated she had never seen a lovelier spot. I agree! It is beautiful. The hotel staff graciously attended to our needs during our stay. We received a warm welcome upon arrival, including a bottle of champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries, and a selection of fine chocolates. The household staff ensured that our stay was comfortable with nightly turndown service and a fan. One of the highlights of our stay was the formal dinner. When we arrived, the hotel staff ushered us to a lovely traditional reception room and offered predinner drinks with light snacks. The chef perfectly executed each course. Our evening concluded with after dinner drinks and light desserts in the main room, where we listened to a talented pianist play a selection of classic and contemporary pieces. I will never forget hearing the Downton Abbey theme song such a lovely evening. We appreciated the variety of activities that are available to guests at the hotel and the area. We opted to take a scenic road trip to the Isle of Skye. The scenery was stunningly beautiful and mind-blowing. The highlight of our trip was stopping at a scenic spot and hearing a bagpiper play the "Skye Boat Song." We enjoyed the warm Scottish welcome from the friendly hotel staff, the excellent cuisine, and our well-appointed suite. Our stay at the Castle Inverlochy Hotel was truly memorable.

We have just returned home after another great stay. We last visited last year and it was great to see some of the familiar faces from them. It was almost like a catch up with friends. As ever, an attentive service where the staff are always to hand but not in your face. Food remains to a high level and since you actually get to meet some of the Chefs through the night, it was again good to see they have retained the brigade. For the room, it turns out we were in the same room as last year but it has been heavily refurbished and this just elevated our stay yet again. A great breakfast after our 1 night visit got us on the road to go meet up with family. Looking forward to our return next year for what is becoming our regular must stay.

Not a 5-Star Experience Inverlochy Castle may look the part, but our stay fell far short of luxury. Despite arriving after check-in time, we had to wait for our room — which was already infested with insects and over 95°F inside, with no A/C and ineffective fans. It was genuinely unlivable, especially with a child and medical concerns. Advertised amenities like concierge, room service, laundry, and turn-down service were entirely absent. The bathroom was dirty, furnishings were worn, and the lobby restroom often lacked basic supplies. Even our “welcome drinks” were added to the bill. We raised these issues with staff — including medical concerns — and were told no changes could be made, simply because it would “upgrade” another guest. Staff also spoke about guests openly in public areas, reflecting a troubling culture. Locals later confirmed the property’s reputation for poor service and high turnover. Inflexible dining hours, dismissive responses, and lack of accountability made this a deeply disappointing experience. Inverlochy Castle is not a five-star stay — it’s style over substance.

The castle and grounds are fantastic but the experience is let down by the inconsistent level of service. We have stayed there times at Inverlochy, once in a standard room, in the Queens Suite and the Princes’s Suite. The rooms, especially the suites are great and the castle itself is a very pleasant place to be. On our first stay I was running an 80km ultra and on returning at 10.30pm the staff offered to help me to my room, had given me extra bath salts and left a plate of strawberries dipped in chocolate in my room. That is five star service. Our second and third trips (in the much more expensive rooms) were pretty standard service wise. The staff seem generally unequipped to deal with anything slightly out of the ordinary (the antithesis of what a five start hotel should be aiming for). Trying to explain that bringing food to our room or walking in for turn down didn’t work for us as our dogs felt like such an inconvenience. Dogs are allowed but they are not really welcome; not one bin on the grounds for poo bags so you have to take them all with you. Fonab Castle give you a dog goody bag, bowls and beds, Inverlochy offered nothing on our last stay, other than to remind us that dogs are not allowed in the foyer. Breakfast on day 1 was great, day 2 we may as well have not been there as that’s how we were treated. No menus, no water, no pastries, had to go and pour coffee ourselves. On departure I told the member of staff and he mumbled an apology and that was that. The main reason I don’t think we will return is the over £100 bag of Highland Soap (Inverlochy neighbour) products we left in our room. When I called I was told it hadn’t been found. I know what happened to it and I’m pretty sure the person on the phone knew, if that’s how staff behave in any hotel let alone a 5 star that’s not somewhere I want to stay. It is far too expensive a hotel to be gambling on which staff will be working when you stay which ultimately determines how positive the stay is. I read the book left in our suite about the history of the castle and its owner, and whilst what was written may have been true back then about the level of service and quality that he wanted, it sadly isn’t anymore.