Are your heading to the Scottish Highlands and ticking off Loch Ness? Have you heard of The Highland Club in Fort Augustus?
As a Scottish person advocating for small tour companies and local guides, I’m probably not supposed to say this, but I don’t think there’s enough time to do Edinburgh (or Glasgow … or anywhere in the Central Belt for that matter) to Loch Ness in a day trip!
As a rule, I really recommend you plot in at least two nights if you want to see a bit of the area around Loch Ness without spending the entire day getting sore in the car.
And, with that in mind, did you know you can stay in a former 18th century abbey on the tip of Scotland’s most famous Loch?
Nestled on its shores, a former Benedictine monastery has been transformed into luxury self-catering apartments (now known as The Highland Club) – and they’ve worked their damnedest to blend the old buildings historic detials with modern comfort.
I stayed here in March 2025, and in this review, I’ll share my experience, insights into the history of Fort Augustus Abbey, and whether this accommodation lives up to its reputation.
A brief history of The Highland Club in Fort Augustus
Before diving into the stay itself, it’s worth appreciating the history behind The Highland Club goes waaaay back. The site was originally a military fort built in 1716 by the British government to suppress Jacobite uprisings. It later became a Benedictine monastery in 1876, known as Fort Augustus Abbey, where monks lived and worked for over a century.
Due to dwindling numbers, the abbey closed in 1998, and the building was eventually transformed into the luxury holiday apartments we see today. While the interiors now boast high-end finishes, much of the original architecture remains. One of the key features for me (and I’m assuming, for most visitors) was the original cloisters, still hosting the buildings old carvings and glowing like some kind of old-time fairy-tale during the day’s golden hours. More about that later!
The Highland Club Fort Augustus accommodation – What to expect from their luxury apartments
Each apartment at The Highland Club is individually designed, and so I can only highlight the features from our visit. We stayed in Abbey Church 15 – which sits on the 2nd floor and provides a bit of extra height for that coveted view across the loch.
What I loved about their website was that you could take a full 360 virtual tour of your apartment before your visit/booking. The apartment I stayed in spanned both the newly built extension of the Abbey Church and part of the original Pugin-designed church. As an added bonus, it is also in the same part of the grounds as the swimming pool and spa facilities.
I took the Master Suite, with views towards Loch Ness and an impressive en-suite that had both a bath and a shower. Our second bedroom came with twin beds, leaning on the main bathroom off the main hallway. There were 5 in our party, and the remaining guests took a pull-out bed in the lounge.
My only note in this was that, despite making the team aware of this before our visit, bed linen for the pull-out bed etc. was not provided – as a result, on the first night, that couple slept without sheets or duvets. I’d recommend reiterating your needs before your visit.
From the lounge, our apartment had uninterrupted views over the abbey’s gardens and Loch Ness, making morning coffee an absolute delight. In the mornings, the ducks from the loch would waddle up the steps and cross the ground to say good morning to all the guests – adorable!
Our large kitchen also had an internal building window that looked into the original monastery, with its huge ceiling, exposed beams and stained-glass windows.
Self-Catering Facilities in Inverness
If you love the flexibility of self-catering apartments, The Highland Club really is ideal. My apartment came with a fully equipped kitchen, allowing me to cook- though it’s worth noting that grocery store facilities in the area are extremely limited (so be sure to pack everything you need!)
The team at The Highland Club have thought of everything when it comes to those ‘little conveniences’ – alongside all the ‘expected’ appliances and cooking equipment, our cupboards were stocked with oils and condiments.
Note: There’s no on-site restaurant. While The Highland Club’s website notes a few restaurants in Fort Augustus (and beyond), none of them were open in the evening when we were there (and 2 were listed as permanently closed.) We were more than happy to self-cater, so it wasn’t a problem, but it’s another point to be mindful of.
Amenities and facilities at The Highland Club
One of the loveliest parts of staying at the old abbey is the range of amenities available exclusively to guests:
Luxury check-in: The ‘Sanctuary Reception’ is an exclusive check-in for guests who have booked a stay in specific apartments, like ours. It’s like walking into a first-class airport lounge, with freshly ground coffee, hot and cold drinks, and snacks.
Indoor swimming pool, steam room and sauna – Located in the old chapel: The new owners have been particularly sensitive to the features of the old building here, and it was a highlight of my stay.
Club lounge & games room – Featuring an enormous snooker table and seating: This was another room that the owners had built around the building’s impressive original features. While I loved the room, I must note, it was way too cold for us to spend any time in. However, this didn’t really matter as we were so busy enjoying the rest of the monastery and the wider Loch Ness area.
Private Loch Ness access: You can stroll right down to the loch’s edge for breathtaking views (or some Nessie-spotting!).
The location … Why stay in Fort Augustus?
Confession time! before this trip, I’d never actually stayed in Fort Augustus’ it was always somewhere I skipped through en route to other places. But, after a couple of nights there, I discovered it’s a good base for so many surrounding attractions (especially if you love old castles and Scottish hidden gems like I do!)
The little Highland village is situated right at the southern tip of Loch Ness. Some nearby highlights include:
- Urquhart Castle – One of the most popular and famous ruins in the area, perched dramatically on the loch.
- Plodda Falls – One of the tallest waterfalls in Scotland, its waters drop 46m to the river below. It offers a visit a walk-out platform over the tip of the falls, alongside a viewpoint from the bottom too. One of my favourite waterfalls in Scotland!
- Invergarry Castle – Only a 15-minunte drive from The Highland Club. I actually prefer this one to Urquhart Castle! While there’s a lot less to see and explore, I love an old, crumbling building and enjoy the fact that your can often find the site to yourself.
- Neptune’s Staircase – The longest staircase lock in Scotland, built in 1803 on the Caledonian Canal.
- Pepper Pot Lighthouse – Built in1840, this dainty little lighthouse at the edge of The Highland Club grounds marks the entrance to the Caledonian Canal from South Loch Ness.
Overall, The Highland Club was an excellent base for us to explore Loch Ness and some of the tourist highlights around it. I recommend at least 2 nights here to make the most of the area, and get a true feeling for this part of the Highlands.
