We are a 37 bedroom, 3 star hotel in the Scottish Highlands. We are 11 miles from Fort William, 7 miles from Glencoe, 3 miles from Ballachulish and 17 miles from Oban, which means we can take coach and individual bookings for both the Oban and Fort William areas.
In 2009, we spent around £195,373.40 on refurbishing the hotel. In January 2011 at an estimated cost of a further £140,000 we finished the refurbishment. We have added 12 new bedrooms, a new office and reception area, new carpets, painted all the bedrooms and hung new pictures. We have also installed nine crystal chandeliers and totally redone the garden, which is almost 5.5 acres.
Other improvements:
1. Every single bathroom floor has brand new tiles
2. Every single bathtub has been replaced with new ones
3. Thermostatic shower and bath for all rooms and brand new showers
4. Replaced toilet and bath units
5. New lights on both the hallways, top and bottom
6. New carpets in the hallway and more than 12 bed-rooms
7. Installed pressure pumps to increase the guests rooms’ water pressure
8. Installed new Commercial Laundry in-house facility with a new laundry shed
9. Armoured Cables dug under the ground throughout the property
10. Installed 26-bollard lights on both sides of the path
11. Installed CCTV Camera throughout the property
12. Changed the signs of the Stewart Hotel (Installed reflective signs)
The great Scottish novelist Robert Louise Stevenson's novel "Kidnapped" is about James Stewart whom Stewart Hotel is named after. The Harry Potter film crew have stayed in this hotel over the last three years whilst filming around Glencoe, and the Bollywood film crew of "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" stayed in this hotel for six weeks during filming.
We have received planning permission to build a 140 seater restaurant and four 4 poster bedrooms, perfect for wedding receptions. We are waiting planning permission for:
- Swimming pool
- Sauna
- Gym & jacuzzi
- Gift shop
- 66 more bedrooms
- Two passenger lifts
We feel if you have any bookings for 2011 we will be able to accommodate you and be your business partner. Our aim is to make our guests happy because "The Stewart Hotel is your home in the Highlands".
I believe together we can make a difference.
The History of the Stewart Hotel
Historically the Stewart family appears to be descended from an ancient family who were senechals of Dol in Brittany. They acquired lands in England after the Norman Conquest and moved to Scotland when David I ascended to the throne. The family was granted extensive estates in Renfrewshire and East Lothian and the office of High Steward was made hereditary in the family.
It is through marriage with the daughter of Robert the Bruce that we can begin to trace the descent of the Royal House of Stewart. The royal line of male Stewarts continued uninterrupted until the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots.
As a family, the Royal Stewarts held the throne of Scotland, and later that of England, in the direct line until the death of Queen Anne in 1714. The present Royal family still has Stewart blood links.
The Stewart tartan is worn by the regimental pipers of the Scots Guards and was referred to by King George V as "my personal tartan". Also known as the "Royal Tartan", it is still traditionally the official tartan of the Royal House of Scotland.
The Stewarts of Appin form the West Highland branch of the Royal family of Stewart, a branch which has become one of considerable importance. Through marriage with the family of Lorne they became firstly Lords of Lorne, then subsequently received a grant of lands at Appin. It was at Appin that the family seat of the Stewarts of Appin, Castle Stalker, was built, on the Cormorant's Rock at Loch Linnhe. It is from this location that the rallying cry of the clan 'Creag an Sgairbh', or in English 'Cormorant's Rock', was derived.
Castle Stalker was built as a seat for royal hunting and fowling expeditions and is still one of Scotland's finest sights. The Stewarts of Appin were staunchly Jacobite and in the aftermath of the 1745 rising, the famous Appin murder took place. This incident is immortalized by Robert Louis Stevenson in his novel 'Kidnapped'.
The chief of clan Appin, Allan Breck Stewart, was the main suspect for the killing of Colin Campbell. He escaped justice however, and his half brother was arrested and tried by jury composed entirely of Campbell men. Not surprisingly, he was convicted and was later hanged. Today a cairn marks the place of his execution.
Another famous branch are the Stewarts of Atholl, who are directly descended from one of the most notorious Stewarts of the fourteenth century, Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, more commonly known as 'The Wolf of Badenoch'. Alexander is most widely known for leading the raid which led to the burning of Elgin Cathedral in 1391. Later he built his stronghold the Castle of Garth and settled there. The descendants of Alexander Stewart became known as Athollmen and gave their allegiance to the new Murray Earls of Atholl. In 1822 an estimate was recorded that there were upwards of 4,000 Stewarts living in the province of Atholl, all descended from this one individual.
The Atholl Stewarts were renowned for their fighting strength, and were able to raise a fighting force of 1,500 men during the reign of William of Orange.
They were also present in force at the Battle of Killiecrankie. This prowess in battle is celebrated by the fact that the present Duke of Atholl maintains the Atholl Highlanders as the only private army in the kingdom.
Origin : Stewart of Appin
Clay, Combich, Combie, Conlay, Donlevy, Leay, Levac, Livingston(e), Lorne, MacColl, MacCombe, McCombich, MacDonLeavy, Maclae, Maclay, Maclea, MacLeay, MacLew, MacNairn, MacNucator, MacRob, Mitchell, Mitchelson, Robb, Walker
Origin: Stewart of Appin, Galloway
Carmichael, MacMichael
Origin : Stewart of Atholl or Garth
Conacher, Cruickshank(s), Duilach, Garrow, Gray, Larnach, MacGarrow, MacGlashan
Origin : Stewart of Bute
Ballantyne, Caw, Fullerton, Glass, Hunter, Jameson, Jamieson, Lewis, Loy, MacCamie, MacCaw, MacCloy, McCurdie, MacElheran, MacKerron, MacLewis, MacLoy, MacMunn, MacMurtrie, Malloy, Milloy, Munn, Neilson, Sharpe, Sept
Origin: Stewart
Boyd, Denniston, France, Francis, Lennox, Lisle, Lombard, Lyle, Mentieth, Moodie, Stuart