Welcome to Distant Hills Guest House
Peter & Lesley McIntosh welcome you to their AA Four Star Gold Highland Guest House in the village of Spean Bridge. Together they have 40 years experience of the Lochaber area and their aims are to give you, great food, stylish rooms and the inside knowledge of the local area.
Distant Hills has a peaceful setting amidst some of the most spectacular scenery in the Highlands of Scotland. It provides perfect Bed and Breakfast accommodation whether you are interested in touring, walking, climbing, cycling, bird watching, fishing or just relaxing.
The village of Spean Bridge offers two restaurants (Russells restaurant has two AA Rosettes, the Old Station brings live music & real ale to the village), one woollen mill shop with restaurant/coffee shop (9 to 5 only), the intoxicating Highland Soap handmade soap shop, a Spar convenience store, two pubs and four hotels in the surrounding area for even more evening meal choices.
We are situated just three miles from the Nevis Range Mountain Experience which includes the mountain gondola with its fantastic views, forest walks and mountain bike trails to suit everyone. Ben Nevis and Loch Ness are each a short drive from Spean Bridge and the village is a good starting point for the North 500. For walkers the Great Glen Way and East Highland Way are nearby.
Spean Bridge is also an ideal base for day trips to:
- Fort William
- Oban
- Glenfinnan
- Skye
- Fort Augustus and Loch Ness
- Eilean Donan Castle
- Inverness
- Aviemore and Cairngorm mountain
Book your Distant Hills Guest House accommodation Direct!
Guests are encouraged to book with us direct by telephone (01397 712452) or email. This way you can be assured of our personal attention to your bed and breakfast reservation, and can benefit from special and long stay discounts (which might not be available on online bookings). Alternatively if it is more convenient try our availability checker below.
Sorry no children under 12 years of age.
Aonach Mor
Welcome to Distant Hills Guest House
Why come to our Spean Bridge accommodation?
Distant Hills is an established family run guest house, set in extensive grounds and located at the edge of the quiet Highland village Spean Bridge. There are walks from the door of our Spean Bridge accommodation through the village to the surrounding countryside and beyond to the Caledonian Canal. Take a packed lunch and enjoy the peace and quiet in a secluded picnic spot.
We have been delighted to be finalists in:
- AA Friendliest B&B award
- Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards for Best B&B or Guest House and
- the winner of the inaugural Lochaber Leisure and Hospitality Reward.
We have also received a Breakfast Award from the AA which they give for a very special breakfast with an emphasis on freshly prepared local ingredients. There are only 43 establishments with this award in Scotland. We are also included in the Michelin Guide.
Don't need breakfast? Are you heading off to climb Ben Nevis early or want to get some touring miles under your belt before stopping at a café on the shores of Loch Ness – we now offer Room Only rates as well.
In an average year 15% of our guests have stayed with us before – we think this means they have a great stay!
We aim to keep finding new places and activities for you to enjoy so check out our Facebook page for up to date ideas such as the Jacobite steam train trips, coffee and cake in Roy Bridge or walks near Ben Nevis.
Areas to explore around Spean Bridge
Roy Bridge
Our accommodation is convenient for the neighbouring village of Roy Bridge which is just two miles away. There you can discover Glen Roy's geological parallel roads a rare hillside feature formed by a glacial lake. Charles Darwin visited in 1838 and wrote an article about what he thought was an ancient marine shoreline. Glen Roy itself is two miles from Distant Hills, signposted from the middle of Roy Bridge. The single track road gives a spectacular drive up into the heart of a beautiful high glen passing ancient crofts with the option of short or hill top walks. Also keep your eyes open for the chalice stone or at the side of the road which is a large flat topped stone with a carving of a communion cup on the side. It is said to date from when Roman Catholic people were persecuted so they came to the stone in secret to celebrate Mass. Glen Roy is also the site of the last inter clan battle in 1688 when the MacDonells (or MacDonalds) defeated our poor old clan the MacKintoshes. A cairn marks the site of the battle.
One mile further East of Roy Bridge there is a small road on the left just after the Glenspean Hotel. Here you will find Cille Choirill a very sacred site with a 15th century church and burial ground. The church sits on top of a hill which gives beautiful views down the glen. In more recent times the site doubled as "Glenbogle Church" in the BBC series "Monarch of the Glen".
Roy Bridge is also well known for its connections with Australia's first saint Mary MacKillop. Mary's mother and father both lived in the Roy Bridge area prior to emigrating to Australia. Her mother lived at a now abandoned farm called Cranachan in Glen Roy and her father at Murlaggan. Mary returned to the area in 1873 and was delighted to meet so many relatives. She was made a saint in 2010 mainly for her good work for the children of Australia. St Margaret's church in Roy Bridge has a shrine to her.
Fort William
Fort William is only 10 miles away and it is the only town in the district of Lochaber. It has a range of shops, numerous places to eat, remnants of the old fort, the ruin of Old Inverlochy Castle, the West Highland history museum (with new commando exhibition), a library with internet access and an indoor ten pin bowling centre. It is located at the foot of Ben Nevis and for the less adventurous there are numerous lower level walks in Glen Nevis. For those planning to climb Ben Nevis it generally takes between 7 and 9 hours to complete. You may reach Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe otherwise known as "Half way lochan" after approximately three hours with the summit reachable after another hour We can advise you what to expect and pretty importantly where to start.
Fort Augustus
Fort Augustus and the southern tip of Loch Ness are just 30 minutes' drive. Have a walk around the pretty village including the former abbey and watch the boats navigate the series of locks on the Caledonian Canal which dissects the village.
The Accommodation
Unlike some hotels Distant Hills offers individually designed modern bedrooms with quality linens and lots of little extras. There is a choice of double or twin bedded en-suite rooms all at ground floor level.
There is no "family room" in Distant Hills so we have decided to focus on creating a relaxed and peaceful place for singles, couples and older families. We therefore do not accept children under 12 years of age.
At the end of an enjoyable day
To help you relax and unwind there is a large bright guest lounge with comfy sofas and armchairs overlooking the garden.
The spacious and colourful garden offers an opportunity to wander beside the stream in the peaceful surroundings with a pleasant outlook to the distant hills of the Grey Corries and Aonach Mor. You can also sit under the shady arbour and enjoy the quiet and tranquillity.
Distant Hills is non-smoking throughout.
If you would like to check emails or discover the area on the internet we have free wifi throughout the building.
