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| Worldwide > Europe > UK > Highland > Fort William > Birchfield Bed and Breakfast | Facilities & Pricing | ||
| Birchfield is a large modern guest house, which was designed specifically to cater for guests requiring quality bed and breakfast accommodation in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland. Surrounded by extensive garden grounds and having adequate private parking space, it is located within the small rural community of Torlundy, but only 3 miles from the centre of Fort William which is the largest town in the Scottish Highlands providing a good range of shops and an extensive choice of restaurants and cafes.  From within the guest house there are uninterrupted views to the spectacular north face of Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain (4409 feet) and to the slopes of Aonach Mor (4006 feet) on which is located Nevis Range, Scotland's most recent ski development. The gondola which is open year-round is popular among people who enjoy snowboarding, skiing and walking. |
| Rooms The entire house is centrally heated each room having its own radiator(s) capable of being individually controlled.  The letting bedrooms, separate guest's dining room and separate guest's bathroom are all situated on the ground floor which is particularly suitable for elderly guests.There is in addition a separate guest's lounge located on the first floor. To protect the security of their belongings, we issue all our guests with bedroom keys.  All bedrooms are fully furnished and fitted with a wash hand basin, colour television (including satellite), bedside light(s) and contain a hostess tray providing facilities for making tea/coffee at any time.Summer or winter bedding is used depending on season and extra woollen blankets are always available. |
| Our current rates per person per night for bed and a full cooked breakfast are as follows: | ||||
| Low season Oct - Mar (excluding Easter) | High season April - Sept | |||
| Standard accommodation (Bedrooms 1 and 2) | £18.00 (twin / double / triple) | £24.00 (single) | £22.00 (twin / double / triple) | £27.00 (single) |
| En-suite accommodation (Bedrooms 3 and 4) | £22.00 (twin / double) | ----- | £25.00 (twin / double) | ----- |
| We do not take children under five years of age. A Child 5-10 years of age pays 50% of the adult rate provided it shares a room with two adults, otherwise adult rates apply. Children 11 years of age and over pay the appropriate adult rate. Conditions
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| Guest Dining Room This is a large room containing two dining tables, whichoffers guests the choice of either dining together as one group oralternatively remaining discreetly apart should they so wish. The wide picture window facing south east gives a spectacular uninterrupted view towards the majestic cliffs on the north face of BenNevis with a summit height of 4409 feet, which is the highest in Britain. Atbreakfast time there is always competition for the seats nearest the window,the view being particularly impressive on a sunny morning in late winter or early spring when the cliffs are encased in snow and ice and sometimes overhung by large cornices threatening to engulf any rock or ice climbers below.  Being a bed and breakfast establishment we offer accommodation and a morning breakfast. Normally we serve breakfast starting at 07.45 but those guests who wish to make an early departure can negotiate an earlier time. Guests have the choice of continental or a full cooked 'Scottish' breakfast. · Fruit juice · Cereal (range available) or porridge · Bread/toast, preserves and tea/coffee can be supplemented with any or all of the following according to individual choice - · Egg(s) - boiled, fried, poached or scrambled · Bacon · Sausage(s) · Tomato · Mushrooms · Potato fritters For vegetarians an alternative is always available. |
| Guests Lounge Another large room, which is exclusively for the use of ourguests, it faces northeast with extensive views towards the NevisRange ski development on Aonach Mor (4006ft). Equipped withadequate comfortable seating, it contains a colour television and a bookcase holding a range of interesting books. Also provided here for the enjoyment of our guests are a number of bothadult and child board games and a selection of children's toys. Guests who are staying on for further nights can usually have access to this room at any time of the day.  We will provide hair dryers and ironing facilities on request. Laundry facilities are not provided but there are two public laundries in town (3 miles). Cycles and motorcycles can normally be parked in our garage overnight if desired. |
Directions By Private Transport Coming from the south take the A82 trunk road and continue 3 miles beyond Fort William heading towards Inverness. Pass the A830 junction to Mallaig, pass the main entrance to Inverlochy Castle Hotel and then take the next left turn at the Factor's Inn and follow the Birchfield signs.Coming from the north continue on the A82 trunk road for 6 miles beyond Spean Bridge until you reach Torlundy. Immediately after crossing the bridge turn right at the Factor's Inn and follow the Birchfield signs. By Bus Scottish Citylink operates regular daily services from Glasgow - Fort William - Isle of Skye and from Oban - Fort William - Inverness, with connecting onward services from Glasgow to Edinburgh. During the summer months there is also a direct daily service between Edinburgh and Fort William. The Fort William - Isle of Skye and Fort William - Inverness buses pass within 1/4 mile of Birchfield. By Air There are airports at Glasgow (GLA), Edinburgh (EDI), Prestwick (PIK) and Inverness (INV). Both Glasgow and Edinburgh handle scheduled international services as well as regular domestic flights from London and other UK destinations. Prestwick currently deals mainly with cut-price airline services to and from other UK airports and some major centres in continental Europe. Inverness handles regular flights to other UK destinations. By Rail Scotrailprovides a regular daytime service between Fort William and Glasgow (Queen Street) from where there are connecting rail and bus services to all major U.K. destinations.The rail sleeper service from London to Fort William is a comfortable and stylish way to arrive in the heart of the Highlands. |
| Places to Go: Glenfinnan Situated at the head of Loch Shiel this is where the youngpretender, Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) raisedhis standard on 19th August 1745 to signal the start of the Jacobite risingwith the aim of returning a Stuart king to the throne. There is now a visitor centre here and on the shore of the loch stands a memorial to commemorate the Highland Soldiers who gallantly followedthe prince. Some miles further west by the shore of Loch nan Uamph a memorial cairn marks the spot where the defeated prince left Scottish soil for the last time on the 20th September 1746 to board a French frigate bound for exile in France. Culloden Battlefield Here on Drummossie Muir just outside Inverness is the siteof the last major battle to be fought on British soil. This is where the Stuart cause finally ended on 16th April 1746 when Prince Charlie's Army of some 5000 Highlanders was defeated by superior Hanovarian forces commanded by the Duke of Cumberland. In addition to experiencing an audio-visual presentationin the visitor centre, one can see the various 'Graves of the Clans', the 'Well of the Dead' and 'Cumberland's Stone' from where he directed his forces. Urquhart Castle Set on a prominent site overlooking Loch Ness of 'Nessie Monster' fame, but now a ruin, this was once one of Scotland's largest castles. It was blown up by government forces in 1692 to prevent its being occupied by the Jacobites. The Commando Memorial This impressive memorial located by the A82 roadside just north of Spean Bridge holds a prominent position overlooking the Great Glen. It commemorates the commando soldiers who trained in this district before going off to do battle in the Second World War. Old Inverlochy Castle Dating from probably the 15th century and now a ruin, this was the site of a battle in 1431. In another battle near here in 1645 the legendary Marquis of Montrose of Clan Graham defeated the Covenanters. Glencoe This was the location of the infamous massacre on 13th February 1692 when soldiers under the command of Campbell of Glenlyon on a pre-arranged signal rose in the middle of the night and turned on their hosts. More than 40 Macdonalds were slain, others escaped among the surrounding hills, some to die and all the hamlets in the glen were burned down. There is now a visitor centre nearby. Skye and Mull Both of these scenic inner Hebridean Islands lievery close to the west coast of the Scottish mainland and eachcan be visited on a day trip either by private car or by public transport. Skye is particularly noted for it's spectacular Cuillin range of mountains and a circular trip using the bridge and car ferryis possible by private transport. Mull can also be visited in a circular tour by utilising private transport and two ferries. From Mull tourists can extend their trip to the small island of Iona on whichnow stands an Abbey commemorating the introduction of Christianity to Scotland by Saint Columba in 563. This was the burial place of the early Scottish Kings and Chieftains. Glen Nevis Distillery This was one of the first legalised distilleries in the country having being founded in 1825. Now Japanese owned, it is still operational and offers a visitor centre and guided tours. Treasures of the Earth Open all year, in nearby Corpach, the Treasures of the Earth exhibition displays stunning crystal gemstones and fossils set in simulated cave and cavern scenes. |
| Things to do in the Area Walk / Cycle There is an extensive network of more than22 miles of sign-posted forest roads and paths in the LeanachanForest commencing only 1/2 mile from Birchfield. There are also paths in Glen Nevis and along the bank of the Caledonian Canal, each just 3 miles distant. The tracks available to mountain bikers range from family fun routes to those which are suitable only for the expert. An extreme 'downhill' track operates in the summer from the ski centre and is accessed by the mountain gondola lift. Mountain bikes can be hired locally. Climb Apart from the rough but well-trodden mountain path from Fort William to the summit of Britain's highest mountain, there are several other 'Munros' (mountains over 3000ft) within easy reach. The precipitous north face of Ben Nevis, which is within easy walking distance of Birchfield, affords experienced rock and ice climbers numerous classified climbs with various grades of technical difficulty. Ski / Snowboard Scotland's most recent ski development - The Nevis Range - on the slopes of Aonach Mor is only 3 miles away and is accessed by Scotland's only mountain gondola to a height of 2150ft. Skiing and snowboarding equipment can be hired locally. The gondola also runs throughout the summer season. From the upper station there are signposted paths to mountain viewpoints. Golf Fort William golf course which welcomes visitors is less than 1 mile distant on the main road into town. Clubs can be hired at the course. Fish Three stocked ponds for fly-fishing only are close by at the Torlundy Trout Fishery.Other fishing locations also exist within a short travelling distance. Journey by Steam Train The Jacobite Steam Train runs between Fort William and Mallaig some 42 miles west during the period Mid May - Mid October providing a scenic journey by loch, mountainside and seashore along the 'Road to the Isles'. |
| Your Hosts We are Jean and James Weir, both native Scots who previously had lecturing careers in further education. Jean gave up teaching after our marriage and subsequently became a playgroup leader dealing with pre-school children for a number of years. James continued lecturing until his age-enforced retirement. We moved here to Birchfield in 1994 after an extensive search throughout the Scottish Highlands for a desirable place to live where we could operate a quality bed and breakfast enterprise catering for the discerning tourist.We have never regretted this decision and for a number of years now we have derived considerable pleasure and satisfaction from meeting and attending to the varied needs of our numerous guests from many countries worldwide as well as from within the United Kingdom. In addition to catering for our guests, Jean's main interests are baking and handcrafting at which she has achieved considerable success in competitions. Besides maintaining a tidy and colourful garden, James's other interests include hill-walking and photography. We rely to a significant extent on personal recommendation by satisfied customers for the success of our business and we are very aware that only by extending a warm welcome to our guests when they arrive and by providing them with a quality service in a desirable environment while they are here will this success continue. The fact that a considerable number of our guests make return visits to Birchfield gives us particular satisfaction. |
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