When I was little, my parents took me on a holiday to Scotland on a coach. I have fond memories of this trip and I was captivated by all the history and myths, particularly surrounding the Loch Ness Monster! So when the opportunity came up, I couldn’t say no to visiting Scotland once more with the boys!
ABBEY HOLIDAYS LOCH NESS
Our Scottish adventures began with flying from London Luton to Inverness Airport. We rented a car with Hertz (around £80 for 4 days, which I thought was a pretty good price!) and drove an hour to Abbey Holidays Loch Ness. The drive was easy and very scenic, with incredible views of Loch Ness.
Abbey Holidays Loch Ness is a collection of self-catering apartments based within The Highland Club development of Fort Augustus Abbey. This place is steeped in history and dare I say, a little bit of magic. Fort Augustus was originally a military fort, built in the 18th-century in the wake of Jacobite rebellions. It was then acquired by the Lovats family, who gifted the land to Benedictine monks to use as a monastery in 1867. It was later converted into a school, and finally, apartments.
The rich history of this place is evident throughout the Gothic-style architecture. The renovation also included the old school pool, the additions of sauna, steam room and a gym. You can’t help but feel like you are in a Harry Potter movie set when you are there!
OUR APARTMENT
Abbey Holidays Loch Ness rents out 16 apartments within the Highland Club Development. We were lucky enough to stay in a spacious 2 bedroom apartment called Glen Affric. This apartment sleeps up to 4 and it’s located on the 3rd floor of the Abbey.
It has a fully equipped, open-planned kitchen. They provide all of the basic cooking utensils, tea, coffee, milk salt and sugar. It was so easy and so coinvent to cook our home-comforts there. There is a TV and a DVD player in the living room. There is even a drawer full of books, DVDs and board games!
The boys slept in the twin room with 2 single beds and a beautiful view of the mountains, while we slept in the en-suite master bedroom across the hall. The apartment is spacious and I loved the high ceilings and the arches that run through the place. It had everything we needed and it was spotless throughout!
FACILITIES
We spent the first day exploring the grounds of Fort Augustus and just soaked in all the beauty surrounding us. We spent a lot of time roaming corridors that reminded us of Hogwarts and playing They giant chess in the courtyard (which we called Wizard Chess!). You are also given access to the club lounge where you can play pool, snooker or just relax on the sofas with a good book.
We made the most of the heated Chapel Pool and swam everyday! You can to book a slot online for your free access. The pool is absolutely wonderful and warm. There is also a sauna (sadly was out of order when we were there) and a steam room.
It was incredible to be able to walk out of the building and be greeted by the beautiful Loch Ness each day. I recommend spending time by the lake and experience the peace that it brings! Unfortunately, it rained most of the time we were there and so we weren’t able to make the most of the outdoor facilities like the playground, tennis court or football field.
FOOD
Like I mentioned, we actually cooked most of our meals while we were there and we bought most of our food from Inverness. If you don’t fancy cooking on holiday, there is The Boathouse just a short walk away from the accommodation. The restaurant has incredible views of Loch Ness and their food is excellent!
Click HERE to see some more food recommendations around the area.
THINGS TO DO WITH KIDS
VISIT INVERNESS
The City Centre is only 10 mins away from the airport and we stopped there for some breakfast after our early morning flight. The town is beautiful and charming and a good place to pick up all you need for your trip. Be sure to visit the Leakey’s Bookshop because it’s one of the most unique bookshops we have ever seen!
URQUHART CASTLE
Urquhart Castle’s ruins is one of the largest in Scotland. It is situated on a headland with panoramic views overlooking Loch Ness – it’s iconic and there is simply nothing quite like it. The boys had a great time exploring the ruins.
INVERMORISTON BRIDGE
We made a little stop at Invermoriston to take a look at the waterfall and the old bridge. We were so lucky to be visiting in Autumn, just look at all colours!! It was a brief stop but one I am glad we did!
THE LOCH NESS CENTRE
We are fascinated by the Loch Ness Monster and had been keeping an eye out during our holiday. We visited the Loch Ness Centre to learn more about its origin. This is an immersive tour through different rooms, journeying through the history and science around Loch Ness. I really recommend this place because it is educational and very fun!
LOCAL VILLAGE
Fort Augustus is a great place to walk around. There are many shops in the local area and you can even take a boat tour along Loch Ness. You can see the Caledonian Canal and admire the Neptune’s Staircase (a series of locks on the Canal) or shop locally-made souvenirs.
OUR THOUGHTS
This was one of the most memorable holiday we have had this year. The Highland continues to intrigue and fascinates me. Abbey Holidays Loch Ness is a breath taking place to stay. We are impressed by the cleanliness of our apartment and the amenities they provided. Even though it rained a lot during our stay, there were plenty of indoor activities to do there. Not to mention, it is a real treat for Harry Potter fans!
BOOK YOUR STAY HERE
We were guest at Abbey Holidays Loch Ness for the purpose of this review, but all opinions and photos are our own.
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