The Highland Hotel’s Refurbishment Journey
The Highland Hotel was purchased by Lochs and Glens Holidays in November 2006 and work soon began to refurbish the hotel and bring it up to the Lochs and Glens standard. A repairs and refurbishment budget of £3 million and a timescale of 18 months completed the renovation and the hotel welcomed its first guests in January 2008.
The Station Hotel Era
The Highland was initially built as a railway hotel and was first called the ‘Station Hotel’ which is interesting considering its distance from the station. Unfortunately, there was fierce competition between railway companies in the late nineteenth century and records show plans for another high level station immediately in front of the hotel. It can only be assumed the hotel was commissioned on this expectation. This miscalculation in the hotel’s location meant that horse and carriage were sent to convey guests to and from the train station. Perhaps unsurprisingly The Fort William Station Hotel Company failed and in 1910 it was sold.
The Highland Hotel Through the Years
For nearly 100 years the hotel had various purposes. The building was used primarily as a hotel but spent a brief period in the 1920s as a diamond works. During the Second World War the hotel was also extremely instrumental and became part of HMS St Christopher – a Coastal Force Training Base.
The Highland Hotel was the sixth hotel to enter the Lochs and Glens fold and is ideally suited to our company. Built on a grand scale in 1896, it retains many of its original features including open fireplaces, wood panelling and elaborate plasterwork. Fort William is also an excellent centre for touring the West of Scotland, with Loch Ness, Fort Augustus, the Isle of Skye and the Great Glen all within easy reach.