Common Questions about The Highland Club

The check-in time for our apartments is between 4pm and 8pm. However please do let us know if you would like us to store your luggage if you plan to arrive earlier in the day. Make the most of the day and explore the village, squeeze in a cruise on Loch Ness or stop for a coffee at The Boathouse. Earlier check in times may be possible, please request this in your notes at the time of booking and we will confirm on the day. Arrivals after 8pm must be made by prior arrangement, and are subject to a surcharge payable online of £25.00. Arrivals after 10pm cannot be accommodated and guests will have to check in the following morning. Check-out time is 10am for reservations made through a travel agent. Check-out time is 11am for direct bookings made on www.thehighlandclub.co.uk For guests who have booked through an online travel agent, we may be able to accommodate your request and a surcharge will apply. Please enquire upon arrival.

The Highland Club is a unique collection of self catered apartments that have been carved out of the Fort at Fort Augustus (one of the three Forts that originally protected Scotland from invasion) and many of which have retained original architectural features. The Highland Club is not a hotel, however the apartments available through this website offer daily servicing, have a manned reception between 8am and 8pm daily and can offer advice and assistance with organising your vacation.

The Highland Club is not a hotel, rather it is a combination of private residences made up of individual apartments and cottages. Some of the luxury apartments are available to let for self-catering holidays, whilst some are kept solely for private use by their owners. Although not a hotel, we do offer services that are EXCLUSIVELY available to guests who have booked to stay in one of the apartments that we manage. You'll find our friendly team In the Sanctuary Reception area where you can stop for a coffee, get local advice or arrange for your apartment to be serviced and fresh pool towels to be delivered to your room whilst you are out enjoying all that the Highlands have to offer. Book with confidence knowing that we only manage apartments that have either a 4 or 5 star grading awarded by Visit Scotland and that we are regularly shortlisted as providing outstanding self catering accommodation.

We love welcoming families to The Highland Club. Children under the age of 12 receive a gift pack which includes a drawstring cotton bag with a children's book, organic children's toiletries and small gift. Our apartments come with family board games, cards and books. Cots and high chairs are available on request and a couple of our apartments have a small sofa bed or space for a pop up bed for a child. Please contact us if you would like advice.

Children under the age of 18 cannot be booked to stay overnight in an apartment without an adult. Every apartment booking that includes children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by at least one adult.

When you book your private apartment, it includes your bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, a furnished sitting room with a television, bathrooms with baths and showers, and a hair dryer. The apartments will also have a dishwasher, a combination washing machine/tumble dryer, an iron and an ironing board, as well as cleaning equipment such as a hoover, brush and mop. There is no need to bring any towels or linen, as both will be provided. There will be a towel and dressing gown provided for each guest in the apartment, beds will have fresh linen and swimming pool towels. Heating, lighting and taxes are also included in the price. A welcome hamper is provided on arrival and children receive their own personal goody bag. In addition to your apartment, as guests you will have access to all of the facilities on site which includes The Highland Club lounge and swimming pool, as well as the on-site amenities within the grounds such as a barbecue area, giant chess set, tennis courts, cricket net, adventure playground, boules court and croquet. For more information about the facilities please visit our on-site activities page. It is important to note that meals are not provided. Your stay includes free wifi, bed linen, towels, welcome bag with a selection of goodies (milk, biscuits, selection of snacks, fruit, sparkling water, wine) heating, electricity costs, access to Club Lounge, use of on site facilities (may require booking on arrival).

Our cancellation policy is as follows: • Bookings can be cancelled up to 6 week(s) before 21:30 on the day of check in free of charge. • Bookings cancelled less than 6 week(s) before 21:30 on the day of check in will incur a charge of 50% of the booking total. • Bookings cancelled less than 3 week(s) before 21:30 on the day of check in will incur a charge of 100% of the booking total. Holiday cancellation insurance is not provided by us and is not included in the price of the holiday. All holidaymakers are recommended to take independent advice on appropriate holiday insurance. Due to unforeseen circumstances the proprietor reserves the right, up to four weeks prior to your arrival, to cancel the booking and in this event will offer equal or better accommodation at The Highland Club or refund all booking payments. The proprietor is not liable for any additional cost of any alternative accommodation or liquidated damages, which must be paid by the guest.

We have our own dedicated reception, The Sanctuary, which is part of The Abbey Church building. Here you will be welcomed on arrival, checked in, collect keys and be shown to your apartment. Reception will be open daily from 8am to 8pm should you wish to speak to a member of the team, or would like ideas to help in planning your day. More details of how and where to collect keys will be sent to you approximately 4 weeks prior to your arrival. Please note The Sanctuary is not a 24 hour manned reception, you must let us know your estimated time of arrival as apartment check in is between 4pm-8pm unless an earlier check in has been agreed in advance.

The Highland Club facilities are all private and may only be used by owners, their guests and self catering visitors who are booked to stay in an apartment at the Highland Club. You will be given details on how to access the available facilities on your arrival. To see what facilities are available to guests staying at The Highland Club please click here.

No, guests are not permitted to bring any pets to apartments at The Highland Club. Pets may be accepted in privately owned cottages.

It is illegal to smoke in public spaces indoors and we have a strict no smoking policy in all of our apartments and we ask our guests to adhere to this.

It is advisable to bring food for your breakfast if you are arriving in the evening as The Boathouse restaurant does not offer breakfast. You will find a selection of cereals and a fruit plate (subject to availability) provided in your apartment, other food items can be purchased locally in the village. If you are planning on going on walks, it is advisable to bring hiking boots with you. It is a good idea to bring clothes for different weather as the weather can quickly change in the UK. However, check the forecast for Fort Augustus before your holiday to get a better idea. If you are travelling to The Highland Club from abroad, it is important to bring an adaptor with you as the UK has 3 point sockets. You do not need to bring towels, linen, kitchen utensils or a hairdryer with you.

It is expected that the property is left clean and tidy on departure. Cleaning, such as linens, will be taken care of on your departure. We kindly request that all rubbish and recycling has been taken to the designated bins in the grounds at the end of your stay.

The Highland Club is very easily reached by car as it is just off the A82, which connects Glasgow to Inverness. The easiest way to reach The Highland Club is by car. Whether it's your own car, one you've hired after arriving in the Scottish highlands by train, plane or coach, or a taxi you've arranged from the airport or railway station. Chauffeur tour services are also available in the area for the duration of your holiday. These should be booked before arrival as they are in high demand. For more detailed directions please have a look at our Travel Information page.

You can fill up your car in the village at the petrol station outside The Londis convenience store which is 200 yards from our entrance gate.

We have one private charging point on site. Availability is not guaranteed, however please let us know in the notes section when you make your booking if you would like to use it and we will try our best to accommodate you. This service is availble only for guests staying in apartments booked directly through this website and is subject to availability. There is no additional payment for this service. There is no public charging point on site at the moment but there are a few in the village. For more details on where to find the nearest charging points in the area please look at https://chargeplacescotland.org/live-map/ and select Fort Augustus from the search menu.

Fort Augustus is a compact village and the Highland Club is on the outskirts of the main village high street. The shops start perhaps 200 yards from our entrance gate and even closer from the canal footpath from The Highland Club. To see more information about local shops please click here.

Self catering, also known as holiday rentals or vacation rentals, is an increasingly popular way to book holiday accommodation, particularly when trying to ensure a Covid safe holiday. The accommodation includes a fully fitted kitchen with equipment of the highest quality for your use to prepare your own meals rather than ordering from a menu as you would in a hotel. Of course you need not cook at all - you can go out to eat at The Boathouse restaurant located on The Estate, - restaurants in the village are all just a short walk away. Self catering holidays give your party the freedom to come and go as you please and enjoy the great outdoors but still cook and eat in the safety of your own kitchen, allowing you to keep your distance from anyone else.

You can make a holiday reservation with us online using this website and the "Book Now' button. If you have any queries please feel free to email or call us. Payments should be made in GBP(£). Payment can be made online. Please note all prices are subject to change and may vary by season.

On The Highland Club’s estate is a fantastic restaurant called The Boathouse, the only restaurant on the south shores of Loch Ness. There are many other restaurants in Fort Augustus, such as The Lovat Hotel which is the white building located opposite the entrance to The Highland Club. The Inch Hotel is 1.5 miles outside of the village on the left hand side of the A82 when heading towards Inverness which is a quality option for lunch and dinner. To see information on more local restaurants please click here.

The Bothy Public House is both a bar and a restaurant located in the centre of Fort Augustus, near the Caledonian Canal and Swing Bridge. They offer takes on traditional Scottish dishses such a Cock-a-Leekie soup and venison. The Lock Inn is also a bar and a restaurant, which offers good, non-complicated food with good portions and reasonable prices. They are located next to the canal. To see more local pubs and restaurants please click through here.

There are many activities offered within the area, from the very popular cruises on Loch Ness and fishing to gorge walking and archery. For more detail please view our blog where there is information on different activities or click through here to find out more about the local attractions.

Yes, there is a bike hire facility in Fort Augustus. If you are bringing your own bike, we have a padlocked container to store your bikes on site, however you must bring your own lock to secure your bikes to the stands within the container. For more information on bike hire in Fort Augustus, please see below: Trek mountain bikes for hire locally from: Email: erraidcanalside@gmail.com Phone: 07730 045499 (Jimmy) 07763 575725 (Heather) Please contact them directly for rates.

There is a swimming pool at Fort William in Fort William Leisure Centre. For more information, please visit https://www.highlifehighland.com/lochaber-lesiure-centre/ In Inverness, there is The Inverness Aquadome Leisure Waters. The facilities include a restaurant, a wave pool as well as 3 flumes. The leisure pool has an area dedicated to children and babies. For more information, please visit https://www.highlifehighland.com/il/swimming-pool/

We have high chairs and cots available on request and each kitchen is equipped with unbreakable plates, cups, bowls and cutlery especially for use by children. We also have a small supply of spares such as nappy sacks, baby wipes and disposable bibs should you run out, please ask in reception and these will be delivered to your apartment.. We supply blankets and sheets for the cots so you do not need to bring your own.

We strongly recommend that all guests book travel insurance for their stay.

Weddings can be held all year round at The Highland Club, subject to availability. You can find out more information about weddings at www.thehighlandclub.co.uk/weddings-loch-ness

The starting point for the iconic Loch Ness Marathon is approximately 10 miles from Fort Augustus Abbey, ideally located for runners and their families alike. The organisers have arranged for transportation from Fort Augustus car park (pre-booking is essential) which is a 3 minute stroll from our grounds. If you require pick-up from Fort Augustus or please email info@lochnessmarathon.com by 21 September 2021. More details can be found on their FAQ page: https://www.lochnessmarathon.com/event/loch-ness-marathon/

no - the pool complex (pool/sauna/steam room) are closed every year on the following dates: 25th December 26th December 1st January 2nd December