Smithton Hotel

What can I say about a hotel where the owner is so cool he drove us to Culloden Battlefield, picked us up on the way back, took us to a local pub, bought rounds of drinks, and gave me four fingers of the finest Scotch in the place on check-out?! Fantastic! The Smithton is a 16-room, family-run hotel near Culloden Battlefield and it has a warm, informal atmosphere. The Smithon is actually on the outskirts of Inverness and although Culloden is close-by (a ten-minute drive), it is not within easy walking distance of the city centre or the lochs. The local bus has a stop directly across from the hotel and we enjoyed the 15-minute ride from town to get there. Due to booking problems, which were not the fault of the Smithton but of the online agent, I ended up having to pay more at the last minute for the "deluxe suite" instead of a regular room. However, our suite was immaculate--the carpets were new, the furniture looked like it just came out of a box, and the bathroom was absolutely pristine. Our room had a stunning view of rolling hills, with Loch Ness in the background. Views from rooms on the other side the hotel were equally fantastic of Moray Firth (a big lake).
The Smithon has a resturant and a bar. The menu includes traditional Scottish fare, prime beef, salmon, and locally grown vegetables. You can try your palette on many different types of Scotch at the bar; it's also a popular hangout for the locals. The bar closed fairly early at night (about 11:00 PM) but that would be so that the hotel tenants could sleep.
A full Scottish breakfast (eggs, sausage, ham, toast, coffee, tomato, and black pudding), was served early in the morning (from 7:00 to 9:00 AM) and was included with our stay. A great meal--filling and served hot.
I wish I’d had the time to explore their two-acre garden.
I'm definitely going to stay at the Smithon again on my next tour of Scotland. And if you see Norry, the coolest hotel owner in the Highlands, please make sure you say "Hi", for me.

Directions: From Inverness town centre via the Raigmore interchange and the A96 Aberdeen trunk route. Pass Tesco superstore, take first right to Smithton and first right again.