The Wife had received a recommendation for The Highland Club, and noting that it was only 100 miles or so from Edinburgh, I figured why not, let's go see if we can find Nessie. Well, I guess the only downside to the Highland Club is the drive there because while it is only 100 miles, it's through the Scottish Highlands (the name gives it away) and much of the route is rather narrow and tortuous. However, I was eager to earn my Left Side Driving wings, and it was manageable. There is a lot of communication from the staff prior to arriving and it was very smooth to get to the gate and get on the absolutely beautiful property. Bunnies the size of small pigs hop along the luscious carpet-like lawn. The tennis court, soccer field and other amenities were visible from the drive. We were greeted warmly and given snacks and tea. The building itself is an old abbey converted to relatively modern apartments--definitely a mix of the old and the new. There are a lot of cool amenities that don't normally show up in chain hotels like outdoor chess, sauna, steam room, table tennis, as well as the tennis court. Hiking paths, as well as the town and locks, are a short walking distance away. The rooms are more like well-stocked apartments; we had a two bedroom with separate bathrooms and a well-equipped kitchen and a nice living room with television. Having the washer/dryer unit was definitely a plus. Athletic equipment for the various fields was present in the room. I note that the rooms weren't air-conditioned, but normally that isn't an issue as the windows open, but we were there during uncharacteristically warm weather. We had a view of the lake, and the restaurant at the dock had some great local fare. Unfortunately our stay was limited to a couple of days, but we certainly had a grand time and we'd definitely plan to stay longer the next time. read more

We wound up getting a bit bored of Edinburgh a few days before the end of our planned week-long stay there at the beginning of our trip to Scotland and lucked into finding a 3-bedroom apartment here on AirBnB for two nights and wound up having a fantastic full-day here where we never got in the car. The grounds were stunning to walk around with views of Loch Ness, but also a well-equipped playground (entertaining enough for our 7 year old, but safe for our 4 year old), ducks, rabbits, and a giant chess set in the courtyard that we played several games with the kids on. Beyond that, the really short walk into town along the locks between Loch Ness and the next loch had a wonderful vibe, still gorgeous views and a few nice pubs to grab a pint and a bite to eat. read more

We got a suite with two huge bedrooms, two full baths, a full kitchen, and a large sitting area for just about 400 pounds, for three nights! Plus we are RIGHT on the shore of Loch Ness, in an ancient monastery, with a gym, pool, sauna, steam room, snooker table, ancient monkish graveyard, giant chess set, wild rabbits everywhere, and within walking distance of everywhere in Fort Augustus. It's amazing. Stay here. read more

This place is so completely unique and well thought out. The Abbey has been repurposed to hold 49 or so apartments, some for purchase, and some rented. We stayed at the apartment called the Fairlie in late March. We caught two sunny days to enjoy the grounds, walk to St. Augustus and take a boat tour on Loch Ness, all walkable. Our suite overlooked Loch Ness from the second floor. This property is hard to describe, but if you can imagine living in a castle you would come close. Our apartment was a two bedroom, huge kitchen and living room. Ultra modern and high quality finishing with all amenities. There is no food on site, and almost nothing I. Terms of groceries, in the village, so other than bringing our own food we had very little to worry about. The indoor pool, spa and steam room are the height of luxury, however they close nightly at 7. I can't imagine any age wouldn't find this place amazing, however if you have mobility issues, stay in a main floor suite. It doesn't get more interesting than this. read more

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