Holly Tree Hotel FAQs

Right on the shores of Loch Linnhe at Kentallen Pier, Appin, Argyll PA38 4BY, on the A828 about four miles south of the Ballachulish bridge. Glencoe is ten minutes up the road, Fort William about 25 minutes, and every bedroom looks out over the loch to the Morvern hills.

Close to it, but not in the glen itself. Glencoe village is about seven miles away, ten minutes in the car, and the viewpoints below the Three Sisters are another ten minutes up the glen. We sit a few miles south on the shores of Loch Linnhe, which is why every room has a view over the water.

Fort William is about 17 miles north, roughly 25 minutes, and it is a lovely drive. The Ben Nevis Visitor Centre in Glen Nevis, where most people start up the Ben, is about 30 minutes from us, and Nevis Range is a little further on.

About two and a half hours from Glasgow, just over three hours from Edinburgh and about two and a quarter hours from Inverness. If you did not come through Glencoe on the way up, it is worth a drive up the glen.

Yes. The 918 Oban to Fort William bus stops right outside the hotel in both directions, and so do Ember's electric coaches on the E14 between Inverness and Oban. Ember is a request stop, so book at least ten minutes before departure in the Ember app or at ember.to, or the coach will not pull in. The nearest train stations are Oban and Fort William.

It was. The building opened in 1903 as Kentallen Station on the Ballachulish branch line, and the hotel still stands on the old platform. The last train left in 1966, and in 1996 the old station hotel was renamed the Holly Tree, after the Appin Murder of 1752, the story Robert Louis Stevenson turned into Kidnapped. You can still spot the railway past if you know where to look. The full story is on our history page.

Every one of them. All twenty rooms look out over Loch Linnhe to the Morvern hills. The beds, the breakfast and the view are the same in all of them.

There are three kinds. The six Captain's Rooms are our best, and the only ones with a private balcony, plus a bath and a separate walk-in shower. The four Admiral's Rooms are on the ground floor with patio doors onto your own small terrace. The ten Deluxe Rooms have the loch in front of you and a shower over the bath, and they are the ones most likely to have space at short notice. Every bed can be made up as an extra-large double or as twins. See all three on our rooms page.

Yes. The four Admiral's Rooms are on the ground floor, with no stairs to climb and a walk-in shower. The patio doors open onto your own terrace.

Of course. Every room takes up to two adults and two children, with the children in pull-out beds, and we have a cot if you need one. There is a children's menu in the Captain's Bar.

Breakfast, the pool and the hot tub spa, WiFi, parking and daily housekeeping are all included. In the room you will find a kettle with tea, coffee, milk and biscuits, complimentary toiletries, soft, fluffy towels, a hairdryer, a TV, and an iron and ironing board.

Check in is from 3pm and check out is by 11am. Reception is open from 7.30am till 10pm. We do not have a night porter, so if you are going to be later than 10pm, phone us on 01631 740 292 before you set off.

Yes. The seafood restaurant and the Captain's Bar both look out over Loch Linnhe. Lunch runs from 12 till 4 in the Captain's Bar and on the Seaview Terrace, and dinner starts at 5.30 in the bar and the restaurant, finishing around 8.30 depending on the season. Have a look at the menus.

It is worth it, especially for dinner in season. Phone us on 01631 740 292 or email stay@hollytreehotel.co.uk.

Yes. Breakfast is served in the restaurant, and it comes with every room.

Yes, when the weather plays along. The Seaview Terrace runs along the front of the hotel, glass-fronted and looking out over Loch Linnhe. Coffee, a drink or a full meal from the Captain's Bar menu, just order inside at the bar. The beer garden is for drinks.

Yes, and it is free to every hotel guest. The heated indoor pool is open from 9am till 10pm with no need to book, though hours can vary with the season, so check with reception when you arrive. There are changing rooms at the pool, and swimming towels are £1 to hire.

Yes. The hot tub spa looks out over the loch, and it comes with every room, keeping the same hours as the pool. There is more on our leisure page.

Very. Dogs are welcome in every room at £15 per dog per night, so just let us know when you book. We do ask that you keep them off the furniture and beds, and on a lead around the hotel, as the main road is close by. There is more on our dog-friendly page.

Well-behaved dogs are welcome in the Captain's Bar, on the Seaview Terrace and in the beer garden, and you can eat with them in the bar and out on the terrace. Dogs cannot come into the seafood restaurant itself. For breakfast with the dog, we can set you up in the Railway Lounge if you let us know the night before.

The Caledonia Way runs right past the hotel, level and quiet in both directions. Glen Duror forest is five minutes away in the car, with about three miles of waymarked track and a bothy along the way, and the flat trails round Glencoe Lochan are ten minutes up the road.

Crown Vets in Fort William, about 25 minutes away.

Yes, always. Booking on our own website means no booking fees and our best rate, and you are dealing directly with us. If you would rather talk it through, phone 01631 740 292.

Yes. Booking more than four rooms, or a whole party? Email stay@hollytreehotel.co.uk and we will sort it out with you. If your group would rather have its own front door, our lodges and beach houses along the same shores sleep five to nine, each with its own hot tub.

The hotel, bar, restaurant and pool close on 24, 25 and 26 December to give our team a well-earned break, and we are open as normal for the rest of the festive season. Hogmanay is the Hoolie: two nights over 31 December and 1 January, dinner both evenings, breakfast both mornings, and a traditional Highland ceilidh to bring in the bells.

Plenty. Glencoe Lochan is ten minutes away, the Pap of Glencoe 15 and the Lost Valley 20. Fort William and Ben Nevis are 25 to 30 minutes north, and Oban, with the ferry to Mull, is 40 minutes south. From the door there is the Caledonia Way for walking and cycling, sailing and kayaking on the loch, the Kentallen wall dive, and seals and sunsets over the water. There are more ideas on our explore page.