Back To Glenfinnan

By Alexa Bourne:

Last month I introduced you to my "happy place" Glenfinnan, Scotland. This month we're going back there for a deeper look into the Glenfinnan House Hotel.

I first saw this hotel in 1997 on a short stop during a Highland tour. I was so inspired by the scenery I decided to email the hotel with some questions about the village for a writing project. I figured, why not? I had nothing to lose. If no one responded I would be no worse off. To my delight, Manja Gibson responded to my email (and several more over the years!) It was that kindness that had me purposely making reservations there when I went back to Scotland in 2007.

Glenfinnan House Hotel is located on the shore of Loch Shiel. The building was built between 1752 and 1755 by Alexander MacDonald VII, who was wounded at Culloden fighting for Bonnie Prince Charlie. The current owners, the MacFarlane family, bought the house in 1971. Unfortunately at that time it was in a great state of disrepair. The family decided to renovate it and convert it into a hotel. They did take care to retain as much of the old flavor of the house as they could. The hotel is currently managed by Manja and her award-winning chef husband Duncan. They took over in 2002 and since then, the hotel has won several awards including Bar Food Medal 2010, Child-Friendly Award 2010, Small Country Hotel of the Year 2009, and the Rising Star Hotel of the Year 2009.

The hotel is 2 floors and there is no elevator. I know because I had to haul my suitcase up the stairs! There are several types of rooms ranging from suites to singles. Something that struck me odd was they had no locks on the doors. At first, this made me a bit nervous about leaving anything of value in the room, but then it felt right. The place is peaceful and beautiful and stepping into the hotel almost makes you feel like you’ve returned to another time in history when you could trust people. It didn’t take me long to adapt! The guest rooms are on the second floor. When you walk in the front door you enter the lobby. Situated in the center of the room is a fireplace with some chairs. When I went, a fire crackled there even though it was summer. Also on the first floor are the dining room, a common room with comfortable chairs, books and games, and the bar. All three have big windows with a gorgeous view of the front lawn and the loch. For more stunning pictures of the hotel, the rooms and the scenery, visit their website here.

 The hotel rate isn’t cheap, but it’s absolutely worth every penny you spend. The staff is genuinely interested in your comfort, and they are happy to answer questions and tell you stories. Glenfinnan is about 3 hours from Edinburgh (roughly 154 miles). I’ve only ever taken the train and let me tell you I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to quite a few beautiful places in the world, but this train ride is my absolute favorite trip. In rain or shine, the scenery inspires and haunts me. If you ever have a chance to stay here or even just pop into the bar for a snack, please do so. You won’t be disappointed. And if you happen to talk to Manja, tell her Alexa says hi!

A Visit to My Happy Place- Glenfinnan, Scotland

By Alexa Bourne

Most people have a "happy place", a place they can go to when the harsh realities of life become too difficult to bear. Some have a physical place they can visit and some can only travel there in their minds. Today I'd like to take you on a virtual tour of my happy place, Glenfinnan, Scotland.

Glenfinnan is a small village in the Highlands of Scotland. The population averages around 120 people at any one time. The village is about 17 miles from Fort William and it's a stop along the Road to the Isles, or the trip toward Mallaig on the west coast. The village has a rich history and is absolutely gorgeous. It sits on the edge of Loch Shiel. I first heard of this place as the birthplace of one of my favorite movie characters, Connor MacLeod of the 1986 movie Highlander. It has also been used in scenes of Harry Potter movies.

I first explored this place for myself in 1997 while on a 3-day tour of the Scottish Highlands that started in Edinburgh. We only spent a few hours in Glenfinnan, but it was enough for the peacefulness and the beauty to find its way into my heart.The next time I visited, my mom and I spent an overnight there. We stayed at the Prince's House. It is a quaint little B & B where the staff treated you as if you were a friend coming back from a long trip away. I remember we sat in the restaurant/bar room for dinner and the owner talked one of her other guests into pulling out his fiddle and playing some music for us. It was an amazing experience. I remember walking outside the hotel at 11 pm to take a picture because it was still quite light out, an experience I hadn't had before.

My next trip to Glenfinnan was on my own. I stayed in a different hotel, the Glenfinnan House Hotel, closer to the loch. It was quite a bit bigger than my 1st hotel, but the staff was just as friendly. I chose to stay 2 nights this time so I could explore a bit more of the grounds while I was there. I sat in the lobby next to the crackling fire and wrote. I moved into the bar for afternoon tea and sat by the window to look out over the front yard and the loch. I ate an exquisite dinner in the dining room that even now leaves my mouth watering as I think about it, and then I went back to the bar to listen to local music and stories.

Even though I haven't been back in five years, I still think of Glenfinnan often. When my own life gets too out of control, I just shut my eyes, take a deep breath and remember how I felt when I stayed there. Over my next few blog posts here, I will be taking you further into the depths of my "happy place" to show you why I love it so much. We'll explore the hotels, the monument and the church. I'm looking forward to bringing you more information in the coming months. Maybe, just maybe I can convince some of you to visit next time you're in Scotland!