Smithy House

The restaurant was the highlight for me, especially the pie, which was the best I’ve had in a long while. We really enjoyed our stay at Ben Loyal, with friendly staff and comfortable rooms. One bed in our room had an issue, so they moved us to a better room at no extra cost.

We had a lovely stay, and would gladly have stayed for a few more nights. The pod views are spectacular, and the rooms were immaculately clean. Staff were friendly, and the food was well prepared. It had everything I’d expect from a three star hotel.

The food was tasty pub fare each evening, with a few specials, and service was attentive. Our construction project was fairly close by, so the team and I booked a fortnight at this family run hotel in the beautiful Highlands. Some of us had rooms and others stayed in pods, and the accommodation worked well for everyone. A hidden gem, 10/10. Special thanks to Catherine, a real asset to the hotel 👍

The room, bar meal, and breakfast were all OK. What went badly was the welcome and check-in. We arrived cold and soaked from cycling, and even though the receptionist met us outside, there was no flexibility about checking in early. We shivered for 30 minutes until check-in opened. Then the queue had to wait while the receptionist dealt with an unrelated phone call, making an already slow process drag on. It left us feeling like unwanted visitors. The hotel is a long way from anywhere, with only a small choice of places to stay, but the Ben Loyal could do with better customer care.