Description: THE ISLES of GLENCOE is a modern hotel which is not quite actually ON an island, but sits on a peninsula which stretches into Loch Leven. The setting is truly fantastic, on the shores of a sea loch and surrounded by dark, brooding mountains. The hotel is just off the main A82 Glasgow to Fort William Road just past Glencoe at the village of Ballachulish, (pronounced : bal-a-hoo-lish) in Argyllshire. It is well signposted.
Although this is a relaxed and informal hotel the service is of a very high standard and is quietly efficient. Checking into our pre-booked room took literally seconds. The reception area is large and bright and the lounge-bar and conservatory restaurant lead off from here.
Our room, a standard room, was situated on the ground floor, just a few metres from the waters edge and with a beautiful view over Loch Leven to the Paps of Glencoe. French doors lead directly to the water's edge.
It was decorated in a modern style with ash furniture and finishes, and bold colours throughout. We had twin beds, table and chairs, and a dressing table. There were lovely pictures on the walls, fresh flowers on the table and there was cable TV, radio and coffee maker.
The bathroom, with tub and quality shower, was well-lit with a double sink, large mirror and a large shelf for storage. Thick, soft towels hung on the heated towel rack and there were plenty of luxury toiletries and a hairdrier.
Everything was spotlessly clean.
The hotel has a leisure centre which has a heated pool with an adjoining jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, fitness room and a solarium. A recent addition to the facilities is an aromatherapy and massage studio.
The hotel has nearly 2 miles of waterfront and there are many walking trails around the grounds.
The dining facilities are housed in a conservatory with magnificent views to the mountains. Breakfast can either be a traditional Scottish cooked breakfast or a more continental buffet style. As with all Scottish hotel breakfasts, this is substantial and will keep you sustained for most of the day.
After breakfast, the restaurant does 'bistro' style meals until 6.30 when they change to fine dining.
When we stayed here we dined in the hotel in the evening and it was very good, but there are a lot of opportunities for dining in this area and in actual fact I would recommend another hotel's restaurant.
The hotel in question is a few miles further along the road towards Fort William called the Onich Hotel. The food here is absolutely fabulous.
The Isles of Glencoe is a hotel that tries to attract families and may be more suited to couples with children rather than someone looking for a romantic interlude.
This is a very scenic part of Scotland and the opportunities for sightseeing are endless. Among the places within a short drive are; Ben Nevis, Oban and Loch Ness.
Outdoor enthusiasts will not be disappointed here either with some of the most demanding mountain ridge walks in the country being literally on the hotel's doorstep.
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