Email Benleva Hotel enquiries & reservations: bookscotland@madbookings.com
Other places to stay in and around Drumnadrochit
The
Benleva Hotel, Loch Ness, is over 300 years old and is a former Church
Manse (Minister's residence).
Benleva House Accommodation
We also have 6 recently refurbished en-suite bedrooms including a family room and a four-poster double bedroom with views of the Hotel grounds and surrounding area.
The Hotel is open all year round for food, drinks and accommodation.
A wide range of activities can be found in the Drumnadrochit area such
as walking, fishing, golfing, horse riding and of course Monster Hunting!
Some of Scotland's finest glens are close at hand and the City of Inverness
is just a 20 minute drive away.
Room 1 - A double room with views to the side of the Hotel.
Room 2 - A family room, with a double bed and 2 single beds, with views
to the side and front of the Hotel. This room is the only one with a bath
as well as a shower.
Room 4 - A double room, with a view of the "Hanging Tree" at
the front of the Hotel
click for more photos
Room 5 - double room with a view to the side of the Hotel, and a four-poster
bed.
Room 8 - A twin bedded room with views to the rear and side of the Hotel
Room 9 - A twin bedded room with views to the rear of the Hotel.
Benleva Hotel Facilities
The Benleva is open all year and has 6 letting bedrooms, all non-smoking
and with en-suite facilities. All the rooms also have televisions, tea/coffee
making facilities and free WiFi access.
An ironing board and hair dryer can also be provided. Since the Benleva
was purchased in 2001 extensive improvements have been carried out to
all the bedrooms and public areas.
A brand new fire alarm system was also installed in 2007 for extra security
and peace of mind.
A Full Scottish Breakfast is served for residents from 8am – 9am,
including options for vegetarians.
The food and drink available at Benleva is what we believe makes a visit here truly special - top quality food accompanied by award winning cask ales and over 50 malt whiskies.
Dining:
At Benleva we aim to offer the finest fresh food together with
a fine selection of wines, Scottish real ales and malt whiskies all served
in a homely, warm and welcoming atmosphere.
We specialise in selling the finest cask conditioned ales from the many local Highland breweries and are proud to have the finest selection in the Loch Ness area. Our many CAMRA awards, including our District Pub of the Year for 2009, show the consistent quality of our ales.
Our menu incorporates traditional pub favourites complemented by changing
daily specials which can be anything from Scallops and Langoustines to
Venison and Lamb, depending on what our local suppliers can provide. We
take great pride in using local fresh ingredients wherever possible –
you can really taste the difference when a Steak & Ale pie is prepared
with top quality fresh cask ale. We also have a specialist pizza oven
which we use to cook the finest fresh pizzas with our own secret ingredients.
When it comes to drink we believe that what we offer is unrivalled anywhere
in the local area. We have 4 handpulls on our bar dispensing Real Ale,
mainly from local Highland breweries but with regular guest beers from
further afield – from Shetland in the North to St Austell in the
South! If you want to know more about Real Ale visit the CAMRA (Campaign
for Real Ale).
Whilst we believe that selling local real ale is better for the environment as well as the local economy, it also has the advantage of tasting better than the alternative! We have a fifth handpump serving quality cider from Westons as well as Carlsberg, San Miguel and Guinness on tap.
Wine fans are not forgotten as we have a good selection of wines from around the world to choose from, as well as the usual range of bottled beers, ciders, perry, fruit juice and other soft drinks.
Our range of single malt whiskies currently stands at over 50 with something to suit every palate. We have our own whisky menu which provides more information on the distinctive regions and individual whiskies to assist you. The owners and staff also carry out as much tasting of the whiskies as possible, purely in order to provide better information for guests and customers.
Location:
We are situated just ½ mile from the centre of Drumnadrochit village,
just a short walk from the shores of Loch Ness in approximately an acre
of grounds. We have a beautiful tree-lined driveway - including a 400-year-old
former hanging-tree - and a beer garden to the rear.
Drumnadrochit (Scottish Gaelic, Druim na Droichaid) is a village lying
on the north shore of Loch Ness at the foot of Glen Urquhart.
The settlement grew up around a bridge over the River Enrick and the name
Drumnadrochit is thought to be derived from the Scottish Gaelic and mean
the Ridge of the Bridge. There are a vast array of activities to choose
from in Drumnadrochit and the surrounding area.
Things to do:
· Walking
· Mountain Biking
· Fishing
· Golfing
· Skiing
· Horse Riding
· Historic Attractions
· Caledonian Canal
· Monster Hunting
Walking
Some of Scotland's finest walks are just a short distance from Benleva.
Glen Affric, Glen Urquhart and indeed the Great Glen Way are close at
hand along with numerous woodland walks. From the hotel itself it is also
possible to follow the path through a fantastic area of natural woodland
right down Loch Ness itself or climb up along the numerous forest trails
to many viewpoints overlooking Drumnadrochit and Loch Ness.
For munro baggers there are over 50 munros within an hours drive from
the hotel.
Mountain Biking
There are numerous biking trails for all abilities in the hills and forests
around Drumnadrochit including a specialised bike park at Balnain (5 miles
away). This is for experienced riders only however.
Fishing
The area around Benleva offers outstanding fishing opportunities for all
types of angler and we would be pleased to point you in the right direction
to find the best local places.
Loch Ness is easily accessible along the shore and for those wishing to
venture out on the water, boat hire can be arranged.
Wild brown trout, sea trout and salmon are abundant and in the murky
depths lie some extremely large ferox trout and the rare arctic char.
Coarse anglers can try to tempt the large pike which inhabit the reedy
bays.
Those looking to explore the surrounding area for a more secluded spot
will find dozens of smaller lochs many of which are easily accessible
from the road but for those wishing to venture further into the hills
the rewards are fabulous. Dozens of remote hill lochs full with hard fighting
wild brown trout amidst the most beautiful scenery.
There is plenty of river fishing available, including the River Enrick
which flows past the Benleva. Here though you will have to compete with
the local otter family for your fish! Whether your day's fishing is successful
or not, you will be guaranteed an enjoyable day in spectacular surroundings.
The brown trout season runs from 15th March till 6th October and the salmon
season generally runs between February and November (variable between
rivers). There is no close season for coarse fishing.
Skiing
Fantastic skiing is available within an hours drive of the hotel. Both
the Nevis Range near Fort William and Cairngorm Mountain near Aviemore
offer excellent skiing for all abilities.
A further 30 mins beyond the Nevis Range is Glencoe Ski Centre which also
offers superb skiing in dramatic surroundings. Ski/Snowboard hire and
tuition are available at all the ski centres.
Golfing
Within half an hour of Benleva you can play at four 18 hole courses (Inverness
GC, Loch Ness GC, Torvean and Muir of Ord)and two picturesque 9 hole courses
(Aigas and Fort Augustus). All have fabulous settings and will challenge
any standard of golfer.
Travelling only slightly further a field will enable a visit to the championship
course at Nairn or Royal Dornoch and dozens Scotland best, and quietest,
courses.
All of the proprietors are keen, if technically challenged, golfers and
will be able to advise you on the best courses to play, organise tee-off
times and perhaps even loan you a set of golf clubs for the day.
Horse Riding
Drumnadrochit has a fine riding centre just a 5-minute stroll from Benleva.
They cater for all riders from novice to expert and we will gladly help
you to arrange a day with the horses.
Cougie - Highland Trekking & Trail Riding is situated at the remote
settlement of Cougie, ten miles from the village of Cannich, close to
the Glen Affric Nature Reserve. It is set amidst stunning scenery assuring
visitors of a memorable and tranquil experience
Historic Attractions
Urquhart Castle is one of Scotland's most popular visitor attractions
and is situated just a few minutes drive or walk from Benleva. It has
a rich history and is well worth a visit. Also close by are the remains
of an Iron Age Hill Fort, an ancient burial cairn at Corrimony, Stone
circles of the Clava Cairns and Culloden Battle Field on the outskirts
of Inverness.
Caledonian Canal
Stretching from Fort William to Inverness, the Caledonian Canal is 60
miles long. 22 miles are man-made: the rest are natural lochs, namely
Loch Lochy, Loch Oich, Loch Ness and Loch Dochfour.
Widely considered a masterpiece of canal engineering, the Caledonian is
on a scale incomparable with almost anything else in Britain. It has survived
in part due to its continuing importance in the Highland economy, and
partly because it is quite simply spectacular.
Monster Hunting
Those seeking Nessie can look for assistance at one of the two Monster
Exhibition Centres in Drumnadrochit, or simply take a boat trip on Loch
Ness to seek her out for yourself. Several companies can be found in the
area who operate cruises and we will guide you in the right direction
to maximise your chances of a sighting!
Other suggestions
Within an hour's drive or bus journey from Benleva you can find several
whisky distilleries, woollen mills, museums, art galleries, watersports
centres - something for everyone. Further information will of course be
available on arrival at Benleva, and we will try our best to help you
plan your holiday.
Directions:
If you are travelling by car, Drumnadrochit is equally easy to find right
on the main A82 road which links Inverness to both Skye and Fort William,
and just a mile from Urquhart Castle.
If you require any further advice on the best way to get to Benleva please
do not hesitate to contact us.
From Inverness or Fort william follow the A82 to Drumnadrochit
Loch Ness Hotel - History:
The Benleva Hotel was built around 300 years ago, and was originally used
as a church manse - where the local minister lived. The building was converted
for use as a hotel in the 1950's - although many locals are convinced
that the ghost of a former minister still resides in the building today.
The Spanish chestnut tree at the front of the Hotel was originally used
as the local hanging tree and is the second oldest of its type in the
UK at over 400 years old.
The name 'Benleva' was given to the house during the 1950's. One of the
previous owners came from the island of Berneray, in the Hebrides. The
highest point of that island is a hill known as Beinn Sleibhe (Moor Hill)
which is pronounced Ben Leva.
The current proprietors purchased the Benleva in November 2001 at which
time it was in a fairly sorry state. Since then they have carried out
substantial improvements throughout the property. Initially the new bar
had to be constructed, along with a complete refurbishment of the kitchen.
New carpets have been installed and, most recently, a complete refurbishment
of the en-suite bathrooms has been carried out during the winter of 2006/7.
One of the most important decisions was to sell real ale. Back in 2001 there were no establishments around Loch Ness selling any cask-conditioned ale from the local breweries. From the first day of opening the Benleva has always had cask ale available. The first Loch Ness Beer Festival was held in 2002, at which time there were no other Beer Festivals in the Highlands, and still takes place every September.
The Benleva has won numerous awards from CAMRA (The Campaign For Real
Ale) including the overall Highlands Pub of the Year on two occasions,
and the 2009 Inverness & District (North) Pub of the Year.
Drumnadrochit is just 13 miles from the city of Inverness, which has excellent
transport links with the rest of the UK, including direct air, rail and
coach links with London.
Using the internet you can book air tickets on-line with Easyjet, rail
tickets at The Trainline or view bus timetables with Scottish Citylink.
Whilst there is no train station in Drumnadrochit, there are regular buses
from Skye, Fort William, Inverness and Glasgow.
Email Benleva Hotel enquiries & reservations: bookscotland@madbookings.com
