Are you looking for a magical stay in a Scottish hotel full of character? Knockderry house will make you feel like you’ve stepped straight into a novel. This hotel is situated on the picturesque banks of Loch Long, in the region of Argyle & Bute.
We booked Knockderry house for a one night stay, during a road trip to the Scottish Highlands in September 2023. You can read about the Inverness portion of the trip here. As we were traveling with our dog, we had to find a dog friendly hotel. We were really keen to make the journey to the Highlands an enjoyable part of the holiday – Knockderry house ended up being my highlight of the whole trip.
First Impressions at Knockderry House
Upon arrival at Knockderry house, the warmest welcome was received. It feels like stepping back in time, entering into the reception furnished with tartan carpets, dark wood paneling, and other grand touches. Within 2 minutes of standing in the lobby while my husband retrieved bags from the car, 5 members of staff had appeared to fuss over the dog. One of them was down on the floor and letting her lick his face. It isn’t a hotel that tolerates your dog – it’s a hotel that welcomes your furry member of the family as it would any guest!
From the reception, you can see into the bar area & dining room to your left. Then there is a homely lounge to the right, where we enjoyed an after dinner drink. There was always a fire burning in the fireplace when we were there.
Knockderry House is on the banks of Loch Long
Although it was raining when we arrived, as we had spent most of the day in the car we headed out for a walk to the Loch. There was a rocky beach area where we could let the dog off the lead to explore. The views were so beautiful, and the location is so remote that it felt like my real life melted away behind me and I was immersed in enjoying the experience.
It was a misty and foggy evening which added to the mystical atmosphere of the location. There are many beautiful houses overlooking the Loch to be admired, including the stunning glass fronted house used in the BBC series The Nest, starring Martin Compston from Line of Duty.
Loch Long is a salt water Loch, so you may need to rinse off your dog if they take a dip.
Your Dog is a Guest too at Knockderry House
As mentioned, Knockderry House is very dog friendly. In fact, they state on their website that they were awarded Pet-Friendly Hotel of the Year, for Argyll and Lomond in the Scottish Hotel awards.
The hotel has 5 dog-friendly rooms to choose from. We stayed in the Loch Linnhe room, which had a grand four poster bed and views over Loch Long. The hotel had left a welcome letter addressed to the dog, dog bowls, and treats waiting for us there. There was also a towel for the dog, which was needed after she’d had a dip in the Loch.
There was space in the room for the dog’s crate which is important to us – You can read more about my essentials for traveling with the dog here.
The dog was welcome around the hotel with us. We took her into the dining room when we went down for dinner, and the waitress brought her out a sausage in a bowl. When we went down for breakfast we had left her in the hotel room, and the staff we all disappointed she wasn’t with us! We also took her into the lounge for drinks.
Knockderry House has plenty of recommendations for dog walks and dog friendly activities on their website, however as we were only staying 1 night and had to get back on the road the next morning, we didn’t get to do more than walk along Loch Long.
They have a page dedicated to dog friendly details here.
5 Star Dining
The dining at Knockderry house was exceptional – they have an award winning restaurant. All the food is seasonal and locally sourced, and beautifully presented. They brought out some canapes (on the house) at the start of our meal, another lovely touch making us feel so valued during the stay.
For the main course I had lamb, and for dessert I had a Tiramisu with a Scottish twist – it was made with Drambuie, a Scottish Whisky liqueur. We finished the evening with a night cap in the lounge. The lounge does feel like you are in someone’s living room – it is very cosy and homely, and we got chatting to a lot of the other guests in there.
I cannot wait to return to Knockderry house, for a proper stay instead of just a flying visit. It is one of the best dog friendly hotels around. You won’t regret booking a stay here!
