We stayed one night at The Lovat and had dinner, in late-July, 2026. The hotel is in a good…read morelocation, an easy walk into Fort Augustus to see the locks on the river, enjoy the lake, and to go shopping. We also went for a swim off the pier and walked to the field / beach just to the East, which afforded great views of the Great Glen (Loch Ness, hills) and was the tent location of the Lochdown episode of The Grand Tour. A couple has owned and operated The Lovat for many years now, and also runs the restaurant (chef & manager). We stayed in "The Apartment", which is spacious.
We were greeted on our arrival with complimentary bag service and iced toddies, in a lovely sitting room. The Apartment was nice, with modern and clean bathroom. As with most hotels in the UK, there's no air conditioning, but The Apartment had several windows. The furnishings seemed a little dated, and the refrigerator (the only room with one) reeked of fish and needed cleaning, but the rooms were fine. The Apartment had a clothes washer (again possibly the only one with it), with a note not to use it in the evening hours. For stays in the other rooms, if laundry service is needed, there's a mini launderette at the gas station down the hill. Scenery from the huge bay windows was very nice; see attached.
For dinner we had the 3-course Mion menu, which was very unique with local ingredients in amazing presentations. It really showcased a fine-dining Scottish experience and was tasty. Service was generally good, with the exception of one entry-level hostess who was nice enough, but had significant behavioral problems and should be let go. We got the impression that the owner / manager knew the server needed to be fired, but was lacking backup seasonal staff, as the owner herself was the main server. The breakfast had very impressive options; a huge buffet with kitchen service options also, and good service.
Unfortunately my wife became ill overnight. I was granted a late checkout for a fee.
Overall, The Lovat is a lovely historic hotel in an amazing location, with good food. There seemed to be several minor issues linked to staffing and management issues, such as the dated furnishings, dirty fridge, and one problematic employee. It cannot be easy or profitable running a hotel these days. We enjoyed our stay and very much enjoyed Fort Augustus; our only stop in Invernesshire.