Soaking my sore muscles in the tub while gazing out at the mist-covered mountains after hiking in the Scottish Highlands. Laughing while playing card games with my family in our cozy living room. Sitting down to a three-course, gourmet dinner by candlelight in our personal dining room. Taking a mother-daughter walk around the Glencoe Lochan, watching the ducks gather and listening to the babbling brook running through the pine forest. These are the moments that I remember most about our stay at the fabulous Glencoe House.
While Glencoe House in the Scottish Highlands may present like a hoity-toity luxury hotel, it feels more like home once you have arrived. If you can call a place that irons your dining room’s table cloth unpretentious, Glencoe House is it. You may be greeted and told about the house’s history by James, the kilted Guest Relations Manager, but it will feel like a Highland Laird is welcoming you to his family home.
It is no surprise that it feels homey, since Glencoe House was built as a family home for Donald Alexander Smith, Lord Strathcona, in 1895 and has been described as, “a grand love letter from Donald to Bella in celebration of their life together.” Today, it has been converted into a luxury hotel with eight suites in the main house and six luxury lodges on the grounds.
I fell in love with Glencoe on my first Scottish road trip, so when my daughter requested a trip to Scotland as a college graduation present, I knew our itinerary needed to include a stay in this area. While I found the remoteness of our later stay at The Torridon in the Northern Highlands exceptional because it was a full Scottish resort-style experience, Glencoe has some of the most dramatic landscapes and amazing hiking in the Highlands. It is one of the most popular areas in the Scottish Highlands, and it earns it. So for someone seeking slow travel, time spent in nature, soft adventure, and incredible views, a stop in Glencoe was a must.
When searching for where to stay in Glencoe, I was drawn to the stately granite and sandstone facade of Glencoe House, the elegant and historic decor, and its prime location just off the A82 and the most iconic viewpoints in the area. Also, when traveling with my now young adult daughter, we prefer to take two rooms for comfort and privacy and the availability of a two-bedroom suite was just perfect. We could spent quality time together as a family in a private setting, but still retreat into our separate rooms for downtime and sleeping.
A quick tip before you keep reading: hotels in Glencoe book up fast, this one especially. If you have specific dates or want a particular suite, don’t wait to reserve.
Do you need help planning your trip? If you’re feeling overwhelmed and don’t have the time to sort through all the options, I help clients plan custom itineraries tailored to their travel style. Learn more about my Travel Advisor and trip planning services.
Getting to Glencoe House
If you are visiting the Scottish Highlands, you are going to want to rent a car (or hire a driver.) From Glasgow to Glencoe, it’s about a 2 hour drive. From Edinburgh, closer to 2.5 hours. Just keep in mind that as you get closer to Glencoe, past Rannoch Moor, the scenery gets more dramatic and the road gets narrower and busier. Leave extra time for pulling off at scenic viewpoints (and watch out for crater-like potholes in some of those parking lots) and despite how pretty it is, the driver needs to keep eyes on the road.
We took most of the day to drive from Edinburgh to Glencoe. After picking up our rental car at the Edinburgh airport, we made some stops to see The Kelpies in Falkirk and to have lunch and a wander in the adorable village of Luss on Loch Lomond.
What Makes Glencoe House Unique?
While Glencoe House feels like a luxury, boutique hotel, it doesn’t have some of what you might expect from a 5-star hotel, but that’s ok because it has a uniqueness that is unrivaled. Instead of an in-house restaurant, breakfast is served in your room, at your private dining table. You choose the time, the starters, and the entrees and it is delivered with a smile and cleared after you have left for the day.
Dinner can also be served in your room and this is not your standard room service. It is a three-course, gourmet meal. Just let the team know your dining preferences and select from the menus of the day by late afternoon. While we only had dinner at Glencoe House one night, I wish we had done more because it was so relaxing to get into your comfy clothes, eat when you want without leaving your room, but also enjoy a delicious meal.
There also is not a bar at the Glencoe House. Instead, there is a generous in-room “maxi bar” stocked with whiskies, gins, wine, mixers, and more. You can also enjoy complimentary tea, Nespresso coffee, water, and a choice of snacks (love those Scottish shortbread biscuits!)
And while there may not be a spa, wellness is all around you. From nature trails to soaking tubs or hot tubs with scenic views, it is a great location to relax and enjoy nature — or just chill out after a day climbing mountains.
Glencoe House Review
We stayed in Suite 4 at Glencoe House, a two bedroom suite with its own living room, dining room, and 1.5 baths. It was honestly massive at 1227 square feet, larger than even I had anticipated. We loved that it was big enough that our family of three to have the together time we were seeking but also the privacy and downtime that we all needed. It didn’t feel like a hotel room. It felt like an apartment we got to borrow for a few days.
The living room turned into our nightly hangout, cards most evenings, and views over the loch and mountains that kept pulling my attention. My husband took a couple of work calls from the desk in the suite and didn’t seem to mind one bit, given what he was looking at while he worked.
One of the bedrooms has its own soaking tub facing straight out at the mountains, and after a long day of hiking, that tub (plus the bath salts they leave for you) was exactly what my legs needed. The lodges also come with private hot tubs on a terrace and the website does a great job of describing the different room features.
Nothing about the suite felt stiff or overdone. Just spacious yet cozy. It isn’t going to be for the modern design seekers, but if you are looking for character and something different, Glencoe House has it. One of my favorite features is the cute Hairy Coo that you put outside your door instead of a “do not disturb” sign — only in Scotland.
Who Should Book a Stay at Glencoe House?
This hotel is a great fit for couples and families who want privacy and a bit of that estate feeling, your own suite, meals on your schedule, and quiet evenings looking out at the loch.
It’s not the top pick if you’re a serious hiker who wants to be based right in the middle of it, boots by the door, up before dawn. For that, I’d point you to the Clachaig Inn, a Glencoe institution for climbers and hikers.
Plan on 3 to 4 nights. That’s enough time to enjoy some hiking and nearby day trips to Oban or Fort William.
Glencoe House belongs to the Perle Hotels group, which also has properties in Oban and Isle of Skye. I’ve stayed at two of their other hotels on the Isle of Skye, Brackenhide and the Bosville Inn, and each one has its own personality despite the shared ownership. If you’re building a Highlands and Skye itinerary, don’t assume a Perle property will feel like the last one you stayed at, but you won’t be disappointed by the service at any of them.
If you are ready to plan your trip to Scotland, I’d love to help. I offer both complimentary hotel booking, with VIP amenities added when possible, and full itinerary planning services. Click here to learn more or fill out a trip inquiry form to start a conversation.
Tamara Gruber is an award-winning travel writer and the founder of Your Time to Fly. With more than a decade of professional writing experience across two travel publications and hundreds of destination guides, she specializes in crafting practical, detailed itineraries that help travelers explore the world with confidence. Her work reflects years of on-the-ground research across the globe. Tamara is a member of SATW and serves on the Board of Directors of the Family Travel Association.
