Intro

Bridge of Orchy's only hotel sits in Glen Orchy beside the A82, the main road from Loch Lomond to Fort William, running through the west central Highlands. For the motorist heading north the village is little more than a collection of mostly white-painted buildings grouped around the hotel, and for most it's only briefly glimpsed in passing... as thoughts start to leap ahead to the surreal landscape of nearby Rannoch Moor and the majesty of Glen Coe beyond.

The area is also popular thanks to the use of the River Orchy by daring canoeists and white water rafters; other significant attractions are climbs of nearby summits Beinn Dorain and Beinn an Dothaidh. These two ‘Munros’ at 3,524' and 3,267' respectively tower over the village and lie immediately to its east.

The story of Bridge of Orchy is a story of travel and travellers. To the average motorist on the A82 the reason for the name isn't at all obvious... but just turn west at the small crossroads by the hotel and you'll move from the 'new' A82, built in the first half of the 1900s, to its highway predecessor complete with arched bridge, dating back to 1751.

A wee bit of history

In the years after the 1715 Jacobite uprising (and again after the '45) the government put a huge amount of effort into building roads and bridges the length and breadth of the Highlands. Until then only drove routes had existed to move cattle to the lowland markets, but most travel took place by sea, and most significant settlements hugged coasts of major rivers. This bout of road building was intended to provide a means of moving troops quickly around the interior to supress rebellion. These were the military roads built by General Wade and later by Major Caulfield. They built some 1,200 miles of road and 700 bridges in the years from 1725 and 1767 and in doing so they transformed the Highlands.

The old military road here crosses the A82 at the crossroads in the centre of Bridge of Orchy, before descending past the hotel to the 1751 bridge over the Orchy. In many ways the nearby West Highland Way (link below) can be seen as the most recent route to be developed through Bridge of Orchy and it certainly brings a steady stream of travellers to and through the village at a pace slow enough to appreciate its setting and scenic district.

The hotel

was rebuit in 1952 and the architecture is typical of the postwar 'fifties' style; it is white painted, has a turret affair and features attractively leaded windows with small panes. It's built on the banks of the River Orchy in an area where the osprey, or fish eagle, happily returned to nest after a period of extinction in Scotland, also in the '50s. Nearby Loch Awe now has several mating pairs of these majestic birds.

The hotel is graded 4 stars by VisitScotland but as an 'inn' so many would feel it more a 3-star hotel in terms of facilities. It has 10 nicely renovated bedrooms of various styles and prices, all with en suite bathrooms. It also has a Bunkhouse adjacent with 15 rooms which is particularly popular with walkers and climbers alike: it's a good deal at £13 per night with fresh bed linen thrown in!

But we were here to check out the hotel, of course. On arrival we recieved a warm welcome from Lexie, the assistant manager who settled us in with a smile. The Foyer is welcoming and decorated in neutral tones of brown and cream. The hotel has its own post box in the reception area where there are a couple of old wooden armchairs covered in tartan fabric along with an old, wood and glass cabinet displaying beauty products manufactured by a local herbal cosmetic company.

A huge Lounge, just off the reception foyer, offers a mixture of beige and red sofas (10 in all!) with a warm red carpet and red and cream drapes. There are five large windows with beautiful views up and across the valley and the chandelier style lighting compliments the overall look of this comfy room.

Walk through to the other side of reception you'll come across the Bar which is decorated throughout in warm shades of red and is immediately comforting, not because of the wide range of malt whiskies on offer, nor the excellent real ales (though some may beg to differ), but thanks to the delicious aroma of the wood burning stove situated off to the left of the bar in the small 'snug' or lounge. Bar snacks and tasty bar meals are available throughout the day.

The hotel's open-plan Dining Room area is to the right of the bar and also decorated in the warmly welcoming red tones. This area continues the trad look as throughout the hotel and when we stayed had fresh flowers atop a dark wooden dresser, and has dark wooden tables and chairs.

In the summer you can enjoy the decked Terrace balcony immediately outside the dining room, situated through large sliding windows which span the width and height of the room. Relax outdoors after a meal, a hearty bar lunch perhaps, maybe sipping a dram or two whilst admiring the scenery and enjoying the gurgle of the river.

Plus+Point

Touring the Highlands and islands can be easily undertaken from Bridge of Orchy as it has regular bus and train services to Skye, Fort William, Oban, Mull and Glasgow, with daily trains to London.

Bedrooms

The Guide stayed in one of the Superior Rooms situated to the back of the hotel and we fell asleep to the sound of the River Orchy meandering its way through the valley. The hotel has 10 bedrooms including the Superior Suite, three Superior Rooms, 4 Standard Doubles and 2 Standard Twin rooms.

All have flatscreen TVs, hairdryers and tea / coffee facilities. A nice touch was the vacuum flask of chilled water on a tray with glasses. All bedrooms and bathrooms have recently been refurbished and are dedcorated in the neutral colours of brown and beige with burgundy drapes, with matching carpeting complimenting the traditional style dark wood furniture.

Armchairs covered in a warm red fabric add to the overall comfort of the rooms. Crisp white bed linen was a joy to sleep on, with plentiful comfortable plump pillows. Bathrooms, en suite, have over-bath showers. The attractive toiletries are supplied by a local manufacturer of herbal soaps, shampoos, lotion and potions. This, and plenty of white fluffy towels, add to the whole bathing / showering experience.

The Superior Suite has a fold-down sofa bed which can accommodate a family if neccessary. It's a little more spacious, with the bathroom situated up a small staircase off the main room.

Tip: we recommend rooms to the back of the hotel as traffic on the road to the front can disturb light sleepers; it's not a big issue here as the road is quiet at night.

Dining

On offer when we last stayed for dinner were a choice of eight starters, nine main courses and three desserts. For our first course we selected Pan Seared West Coast Scallops with Pear Slices, Bacon and Chicory Leaves. The scallops came large and succulent and the whole combination was really quite mouthwatering.

A main course of Pan-fried Fillet of Salmon, Skirlie Potato and Broccoli Gratin with Chowder Cream Sauce was enjoyable and was washed down with a glass of Pinot Grigio from the hotel's adequate wine list.

We followed this with a dessert of Rasberry Purée and White Chocolate Brûlée with Mulled Fruits and Shortbread... an all too calorific gastronomic delight. Whilst chatting to some other guests over dinner we learned that the hotel has recently been gaining quite a reputation for its food and chef Mathew Varty is the man responsible. We couldn't fault the quality of informal food on offer and were pleased when hotel manager Eileen Pearce explained that most of the produce is locally sourced whenever possible. For 2007 a SilverPlate™ has been awarded.

Note: at present the hotel owners are refurbishing a larger room downstairs that they hope to re-open soon as a bigger, more exclusive dining area where the quality and standard of food will be "moved up a notch or two". As the Bunkhouse often has walkers and climbers looking hungrily for food after a day on the hills and who often come to the existing dining room rather more, shall we say, casually dressed than the hotel's guests and (although many enjoy the mix) a plusher setting would suit many and give choice. We'll keep you posted!

Breakfast

is served from 8 through until 9.30am in the dining room by the bar. A breakfast buffet of cereals and various fruit juices is to hand but you may also opt for the cooked options available. The choice for breakfast is quite extensive, ranging from poached egg on toast to a full cooked Scottish breakfast of egg, bacon, sausage, black pudding, tomato and mushrooms, hash brown and potato scone. A lighter Continental choice was also available on request. After a bowl of delicious porridge with honey we then had the smoked haddock and poached egg, all served with a round of toast and freshly ground coffee.

Links

We hope that you find the following local links helpful:

Glen Coe

Glencoe Mountain Resort

West Highland Way

St. Conan’s Kirk

Leisure

As mentioned previously the hotel has a small beat on the River Orchy where guests can fish. Walks in the local area are plentiful and for the rather more adventurous the two Munros nearby are there for the climbing. White water rafting and canoeing are also available and can be arranged through the hotel staff. The nearby forest features magnificent Scots pines and the walk to Loch Tulla is a joy.

Attractions nearby include:

Kilchurn Castle (10 miles): a square tower built by Colin Campbell of Glenorchy c1550, enlarged in 1693, incorporating the first purpose-built barracks in Scotland.

Glencoe (14miles): the breathtaking peaks and spectacular waterfalls of Glencoe bear silent witness to the origin, history and wildlife of this atmospheric glen. The steep sided mountains and views are popular for climbing and walking alike.

Moirlanich Longhouse (16miles): an outstanding example of a traditional cruck-frame cottage and byre, dating back to the mid 19th century.

Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve (17miles): Perthshire's highest mountain (3,984') with views from the Atlantic to the North.

Ben Lomond (22miles): rising from the east shores of Loch Lomond to a height of 3,194', the ben offers exhilarating walking and spectacular views all around.

Receptions / Events

The intimate nature of the hotel makes it well suited for small private or commercial gatherings with meeting space and private dining available. Bespoke weddings can be arranged in the neighbouring Church of Scotland. Private house parties, something of a speciality here, can be catered for at the hotel and activities can easily be arranged.

The Reviewer's View Arthur Mc Gough

"The Bridge of Orchy Hotel is a pleasant place, one that's ideally situated to stop off at whilst maybe planning your further trip north... or indeed south. It's easily reached from Glasgow - including by train - and is close by to major attractions in the region. I found it to be a comfortable, clean and friendly hotel where the staff are courteous and the informal mood encourages relaxation and conviviality!"

Readers' Reviews

To follow here.

Awards / Look & Book Box™ status This hotel was awarded a listing by HotelReview™ | Scotland and has been fully reviewed by the Guide; this includes a full overnight stay followed up by quarterly quality control checks and ongoing feedback from readers. As a reviewed hotel, its Look & Book Box™ features are ONLINE and any awards made by the Guide are published above. The star grading has been awarded by the Scottish Tourist Board, VisitScotland.

Your opinion? There’s a link to a Reader’s Review form at the top and left side of this page. It only takes a moment to send the Guide your views via the small panel that will pop-up. You can be as brief or as fulsome as you wish! Your views go to the Editor, who will acknowledge your response within a few days. He may edit feedback. Reports do not go directly online. You can be named or remain anonymous. At Scotland’s most-read hotel guide we greatly value the tremendous feedback we have from our readers. Thanks!

Disability Information: Bedrooms are situated upstairs; there is no lift.

Ghàidhlig: Bidh Ghàidhlig ri fhaighinn an seo a dh’aithghearr! Tapa leibh.

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