Inverness · Hotel
A four-star hotel in a quiet residential part of Inverness with an indoor pool, spa and gardens, about a mile from the city centre.
Kingsmills sits on Culcabock Road on the south-eastern edge of Inverness, next to the golf course and around a mile from the castle and the river. The oldest part of the building dates from the eighteenth century and has been extended repeatedly, so the property now runs to well over a hundred bedrooms across the original house, a garden wing and the separate, more contemporary Kingsclub block.
Rooms vary accordingly. Standard doubles in the older sections are traditional and comfortable; Kingsclub rooms are larger and more modern, with better bathrooms and access to a private lounge. There are garden rooms with terraces and a handful of suites. Parking is free and plentiful, which is not a given in Inverness.
Facilities are the main draw for the price. There is a 20-metre indoor pool, a jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, gym and a treatment spa, plus four acres of gardens. The Inglis restaurant does modern Scottish cooking with Highland beef and local seafood, and there is a lounge bar for lighter meals. Breakfast is a substantial buffet with cooked options.
It works well for families who want a pool, for couples on a short break, and for anyone using Inverness as a touring base — the A9 and the airport road are both close, and the city centre is a twenty-minute walk or a short taxi. It is not in the middle of things, so if you want to step straight out into bars and restaurants, a riverside hotel would suit you better. Rates drop noticeably outside July and August.