Richmond House Hotel

This is an unusual place to stay. Firstly, you are staying above a Chinese takeaway. You can smell the food in your room and overhear the noise from downstairs. I don’t think this place should be called a ‘hotel’. There is no lobby and some bedrooms have separate ‘shower rooms’ across the corridor. Our room was basic for the price paid and no breakfast available. We stayed on the second floor, which was a tough climb with our bags. The stairs were very narrow and steep and you would need to be very mobile to make your way up and down them. Our bedroom window was a sight to behold. It featured the very clear outline of where a bird flew straight into the window. In the dirt you could clearly make out its feet and toes, beak, body and wings. This window needs to be washed. We were lucky to have our own en-suite. In the bathroom, the toilet is between the bathtub and the wall. This space is just as wide as the toilet itself, making it a tight squeeze. What blew our minds the most was getting a knock on our door at 10.40pm from the hotel owner demanding payment. This should have been taken care of when we spoke to her at check in/check out. On a positive note, there is a TV in the room and good speed wifi. The room itself and the bathroom were very clean. The location is great and Fort Augustus is a lovely town. However, I would advise staying elsewhere if possible.

No warm welcome from the staff, we just got asked for payment. The room was too small for two that we had to climb over each other to go to the toilet. The toilet was so narrow and only one person could be in the bathroom. The whole hotel smelled like food from the kitchen, even in the room, and was not very comfortable to be in. Also, to get to the room was challenging because the steps were small and narrow.

Good location, friendly staff, slightly tired room though. I was transferred to this hotel as my original hotel had to close for the week. I was slightly worried seeing some of the reviews but I had a small side flat to myself with en-suite bathroom and fridge. The room was clean and the bed was comfortable but the room was slightly tired so don’t expect the ritz. The location was fabulous, right next to the Caledonian canal locks and a couple of minutes walk to the edge of loch ness. Although they don’t offer breakfast there is the lovely Cobbs Cafe just around the corner that opens at 9am and does a lovely breakfast. Overall I was happy with my stay

We recently stayed here, mid-week, as part of a longer Scotland stay. Its very difficult to adequately describe this hotel. I'm still not sure what I think about it. The hotel is very central, with free parking around the corner. And in that regard it is ideal. It is overhead a Chinese restaurant (run by the same family) and you do encounter some smells and noise. When I arrived, I was shown the room, before I paid. And the very nice lady explained to me that it was quiet, because it was on the 2nd floor. The stairs to the second floor is very steep and the steps are narrow, so you'd need to be mobile enough to use them. The room is very small. There is only room for a bedside locker on one side - so I had to get out of bed to check my phone or watch in the morning. There isn't a wardrobe, but there is a rail where you can hang clothing. The ensuite bathroom is dated and extremely small. If you were any way overweight you would struggle to use the toilet. The toilet is between the bath and a wall and the gap is only about two feet wide, perhaps a couple of inches more. Tea and coffee are provided. The room, for the most part, is spotlessly clean. However when I opened the top of the dressing table it looked as if nobody had cleaned inside it for a very long time. Not all the rooms have ensuite bathrooms, but there are separate bathrooms unique to each room. And the walls are thin. So if people need to leave their rooms to go to the bathroom at night you can hear the doors slamming, despite people's best efforts. We did not book or eat breakfast in the hotel, but we did go out to two of the lovely cafes which are only a couple of minutes walk away. And it was lovely to sit by the canal locks and watch the boats going through. We absolutely loved Fort Augustus. The town is small but has bags of character and is very pretty. Its a great base for the surrounding area - we drove to Fort William to see Neptune's Staircase in Fort William and on to Glen Nevis for a lovely walk. Both evenings we were there, we ate in The Moorings Restaurant - which is really nice. The main attraction of this "Hotel" is that it is so central and has its own parking. However I think calling it a hotel might be a bit grandiose. But it is situated in a really lovely location. Would we return? I'm not 100% sure. We absolutely loved the location and will certainly return to Fort Augustus and we might be persuaded to stay again, if we couldn't find somewhere as central. Its certainly not the place for a romantic romp away as even the smallest of whispers carried to all the other rooms!!