A fairytale location
Former hunting lodge has stunning lochside setting,
STRONTIAN may be a little off the beaten track but, with heavenly views of the hills above Loch Sunart, it is well worth the effort getting to the village – whose name in Gaelic translates as ‘Nose of the Fairy Hill’.
Getting there involves making the short crossing on the Corran Ferry, just off the main A82, around nine miles south of Fort William, in the magnificent West Highlands.
Another 14 miles on and you encounter Kilcamb Lodge, blessed with a particularly romantic setting on the edge of Loch Sunart, surrounded by meadow and woodland.
Understood to date to the 1700s, the former hunting lodge has been run as a boutique hotel for 18 years by its present owners.
There are 11 bedrooms, with four public rooms and another 11 bathrooms. The selling agent says that Kilcamb Lodge presents a ‘unique opportunity to purchase a charming country house hotel or lifestyle business’.
You can see why a procession of guests – some of them described as ‘high-profile’ individuals – would make the journey to this idyllic spot. Accessed by a private tarmac driveway, the historic property is surrounded by 17.8 lush acres, including almost 1,400ft of loch foreshore.
The coronavirus pandemic has hit the hospitality industry particularly badly and no one can be sure what kind of business model will emerge once we return to ‘normal’.
However, what will probably result in two years of going without a trip abroad may persuade many that the ‘staycation’ could become the holiday of the future. Kilcamb Lodge certainly offers an exceptional opportunity for developing this four-star venue as a tourist hotspot.
There is a former Victorian bathing house on the south-west boundary, presenting the chance of restoring it to its former glory.
Planning permission has been obtained in the past to extend the hotel, together with the creation of three self-catered units within the woodland.
Unfortunately, the permission has lapsed but it does demonstrate the principle of further expansion has been established. Of course, a prospective purchaser may wish to retain it as a private residence.
The layout of the building is such that very little alteration would be necessary.
The bar area could do with a tweak but many homeowners now favour their own domestic liquor lounge – although there may be scant requirement for the big bell on the counter.
A sitting room has a roaring natural fire, with big surround and two lovely alcoves either side. The formal dining room is decorated in crimson, which will create an intimate atmosphere at night.
And everywhere are the views. There are rhododendrons and proud, ancient, trees in the gardens but it must be a privilege to watch the bracken on the mountains change to dark brown in the winter months.