Nestled against the southeast shores of Loch Ness, in the western Highlands of Scotland, is a small village called Foyers known primarily for its waterfall. Outside of that small village is one of the most idyllic, thoughtfully and tastefully renovated small hotels or guest houses you’ll find anywhere: Foyers Lodge.
An inn of some sort has been located here since the mid-1600s, when it would have been used primarily by cattle drovers. The building was extended in 1863 and was formally known as “The Foyers Hotel” which is still visible as you cross today’s threshold.
There are some places where you can feel the residual energy of a building’s history, but sadly more often than not, the more renovation that is carried out on a place, the more that historic energy feels depleted. Interiors can become unimaginative, predictable, and too contemporary for the history and architecture of the building. Under the remarkable care and good taste of owners Anna and Phil, here the original and surviving dignity of the building has been amplified, stripping away years of dated decor and modernizing it for the luxury comforts we demand today. Rarely have I see that balancing act achieved more perfectly—and without the hand of professional designers.
Foyers Lodge feels uniquely Scottish, but not contrived or clichéd. It’s rich and lush, with hints of the various decades the building has seen along the way. The mix of Victorian with Art Deco in the drawing room and library—in the soft furnishings, the wallpapers, and the color palette—works, the vintage (Anna evidently spent years haunting obscure Scottish auction houses) and the new melding together seamlessly.
Featuring a mere eight ensuite guest rooms and a single, lavish apartment, Foyers Lodge wraps itself around you with the enthusiasm and comfort of a long lost relation welcoming you home with a sense of recognition and memory, even if you are a stranger here at first. Embodying Scotland’s renowned spirit, hospitality, and warmth, the fact that just beyond its walls lies the remarkable beauty of Loch Ness far below adds to the magical sense of arrival and place that Anna and Phil have achieved.
