Balcarres Guest House

05/01/2025

Stunning sunset this evening 😍

11/12/2024

Our latest refurb at Balcarres, this is Loch View apartment bedroom. We’ve built a new wardrobe and bedside shelf, wired in 2 bedside sockets with usb &usb c charging points, installed new oak furniture and done a redec. We are open for bookings - come and stay over Christmas and New Year for a relaxing Highland Break

05/12/2024

2025 tickets are now on sale, don't miss out on the most beautiful railway journey in the world

🎉The Jacobite 2025 season is now open for bookings!🎉

We are delighted to announce the launch of our 2025 Jacobite season.

The greatest railway journey in the world will head out of Fort William on Monday 7th April till the 24th October 2025.

Book your seats today.

https://westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/steam-train-trip

Image courtesy of Dave Collier

19/10/2024

Just purchased my favourite gins from our VERY local distiller -
The oak aged tastes exceptional and unique, while the Highland is fruity and the White Rose light and fragrant, both being refreshing.
If you want to remember your stay in Fort William, look them up and have a try!

25/09/2024

A beautiful morning here in Fort William 😍

17/09/2024

If Carlsberg did benches this would be 1 of them. A lovely walk today with Douglas to find the marble bench up the hill to the NE of Kinlochleven. Passing over the Alt Coire na Ba that feeds the Grey Mares Tail waterfall lower down and the disused Mamore Lodge Hotel we finally got to the bench and were rewarded with a stunning view down Loch Leven. The cloud was a bit low and wouldn't shift from the summit of the Pap of Glencoe until we'd made our way back down

12/09/2024

What a wonderful surprise! A parcel arrived, sent from America by guests who stayed with us earlier in the year. We had enjoyed lovely conversations and a few giggles too, and they have sent us gifts and a card in thanks! Andy is now the proud owner of a Ge**er Multitool and I have a beautiful bracelet 😍 As for the 'chicks sat in eggshells' cruet set - I am in LOVE!! 🥰

12/09/2024

Winter is coming, we have snow on the summit of Ben Nevis now, a small rain shower today, but otherwise a lovely sunny day

25/08/2024

We've had a lot of rain recently, to say the least!! but on the plus side Glen Nevis is stunning at the moment with the river raging through and the waterfalls looking fantastic 😍

12/08/2024

After a very wet morning and thunderstorm we're rewarded by this beautiful evening 🥰

10/07/2024

This is one of the first breath-taking vistas to greet you as you officially enter the Highlands from the South on the A82 over the top of Rannoch Moor. I took it at 0700 on my way down to Glasgow a couple of weeks ago. It's Lochan Na H'Achlaise.

09/07/2024

What a beautiful surprise this morning! Sent from recent guests who we were fortunate to be in a position to be able to help a little after an incident near Stob Ban. We wish them a speedy recovery x

04/07/2024

A busy time on the bird feeders today 🥰

01/07/2024

A lovely lunchtime wander along the river at Glen Nevis with the doggies yesterday. Up at the very top right of the pic you can see the summit of Stob Ban. A munro at 3278 ft and a great walk.

01/07/2024

A great place to visit when you're in Fort William

This week's object of the week is a sporran cantle from our Jacobite collection believed to have belonged to the notorious outlaw and Jacobite Rob Roy MacGregor.

MacGregor (1671 - 1734) was a noted soldier, businessman, and cattle rustler. He was best known as a Highland outlaw whose reputation as a Scottish Robin Hood was first fictionalised by Daniel Defoe in the biography "Highland Rogue" which led to his Royal pardon in 1726. His story was further exaggerated in Sir Walter Scott’s novel "Rob Roy"(1818).

17/06/2024

Our Guest House complimentary bathroom products are now sourced from The Highland Soap Company Visitor Centre & Larder Cafe. The Highland Soap Company are a family-run maker of soap and skincare products based in Fort William, only a couple of miles from our guest house. They use organic ingredients and sustainable packaging, and by using their products we are reducing our carbon footprint substantially too. Their workshop is open to the public and has a wonderful café and shop. Enjoying views of Ben Nevis and being close to the ruins of Inverlochy Castle, it is a must-visit when you are in the area!

26/05/2024

The Waverley visiting Fort William this evening, the last ocean going paddle steamer in the world😍