Erica finds fine dining, even for a three-year-old, spectacular views and a beach you can have all to yourself on a visit to an Inverness country hotel. And she even found time to video the room. Thanks Erica! (See more gorgeous pictures here.)
IT has been said before but I'll say it again, Scotland is as beautiful a place as anywhere on a fine day, writes Erica Douglas
And a fine day is exactly what we had when we headed for Bunchrew House, Inverness.
Known as the capital of the Highlands, Inverness is the most northerly point I've ever been to, but boy has it whetted my appetite to explore further.
A three-hour drive from Edinburgh took us through some of the most stunning scenery, much of it completely unspoiled.
Bunchrew House is on the Beauly Firth, and I don't think it's any coincidence that the word Beauly sounds like beautiful!
The view is breathtaking and I reckon you could skim stones from the window of the hotel.
The building has been here, in a form, since 1505. It has been added to over the years until, in its present state it became a hotel in 1986.
I'm relieved to say that the whole place oozes Scottish charm, there is nothing worse than entering a building with as rich a history as Bunchrew House only to find that it has been modernised to a point that it looks like every other hotel chain going.
Scottish art, tartan, and huge stag heads let you know that you're in the heart of Scotland, and the Scottish tablet (like fudge) was one of many extra touches that made our stay memorable.
Our welcome was hearty and our room much larger than we'd ever require, in fact quite large enough to accommodate a family of five. Here's a quick video, above.
The staff at Bunchrew are all helpful and pleasant, they took time to talk and made my daughter Erin feel very welcome. Although I wouldn't consider Bunchrew House a typically family oriented hotel, they can certainly accommodate families.
There are picnic tables outside, lovely country walks and a wooded area where one little boy played Robin Hood, complete with homemade bow and arrows.
This was a picture of exactly how a childhood should look. There's also a completely accessible beach and we had it to ourselves, which wouldn't be uncommon as Bunchrew only has 16 rooms, meaning that you'll never feel crowded.
The drawing room was our favourite place in the hotel it really invites you to spend some time. The open fire is like a big hug on a cold day (as it was on our second day) and come rain or shine there are games, magazines and lovely Bunchrew wedding pictures with which to pass the time.
My favourite place was also where I felt they were missing a trick, a few children's games and some pencils and paper would go a long way in helping families feel more welcome, although when we asked for a special child-friendly lunch for Erin they were all to ready to oblige.
However the main attraction at Bunchrew is surely the food.
From our very reasonably priced sandwiches at lunchtime (isn't it nice when something just does what it says on the tin? Not that they came in a tin of course!) to the homemade shortbread in the afternoon, and then the exquisite meal we enjoyed in the evening, everything is prepared with great care and seasonality and locality are evident in all the dishes.
Walter the chef, along with his son in law sous chef, are a credit to Bunchrew House. The restaurant proudly holds two AA Rosettes, so expect fine dining.
We enjoyed pigeon breast, goat's cheese, lamb loin, seabass and white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake.
Home-baked bread and an amuse-bouche of sweet potato and butternut squash soup were a few of those extra touches that made it so very special.
Children are equally well catered for with a three-course menu including starter options of melon cocktail and tomato soup, main course choices ranging from pasta to homemade burger and Erin's staple, chicken nuggets.
Desserts were banana split, meringue and berries or the classic ice-cream and flake.
Breakfast was unfussy and hearty. It included Scottish classics such as salmon, kippers or our choice, a traditional Scottish breakfast complete with what looked like homemade potato scones.
We had a lovely time at Bunchrew House and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone who's heading for a jaunt into the Highlands.
Pictures show the hotel and some nearby scenery.
* Big thanks to the team at Bunchrew House who offered www.havealovelytime.com a complimentary overnight stay for a blogger and their family.
Factbox
Price: Ranging from £186 – £254 per room peak season.
Website: (And just look at some of the celebs who've stayed there…)
Things to Do: Ski-ing, walking, fishing, horse-riding and Jacobite cruises.
Many other outdoor activities within a couple of hours' drive.
Inverness city centre is around 15 minutes drive
Tip: Take your own games, and perhaps a bucket and spade for the beach.
Find it on a map:
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