From the Guest House
Our News and Top Tips
If you’re the kind of person who likes to read and research your holiday, the area and all the things there are to do, this section is for you! We love exploring and discovering just how much the Scottish Highlands has to offer. There is literally so much to do whatever your interests – unless it’s hard core high street fashion shopping!
We want you to get the best out of your time in and around Spean Bridge, so we’re writing some articles based on our own thoughts and experiences, some suggestions for cracking days out and any insider hints and tips that we think might be useful to you. We’ll be adding more articles all the time, so if there’s something in particular you’d like us to cover, please get in touch.
How to experience the beautiful Isle of Skye in one Day
Some would say that the Isle of Skye is the jewel in the crown of the Scottish Highlands, and with the opening of the bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh over to Skye in 1995, it has become a popular tourist hotspot. To explore the island fully, you need 3 days at least;...
2 Places to Spot a Highland Cow Near Spean Bridge
When you think of Scotland, there are certain things that come to mind: thistles, whisky, castles, haggis and the Highland cow. These majestic, auburn-coloured beasts with their long, uniquely shaped horns are a magnificent sight to behold and lots of visitors seek...
Sea Kayaking with Seals
Prior to moving to Distant Hills Guest House in Spean Bridge, when we thought of the Scottish Highlands, our minds conjured up images of moody mountains, shaded pine forests and the odd dark loch dotted here and there. Never did we consider the miles and miles of...
Walking Breaks in the Scottish Highlands
Escape to Scotland for a stress-free walking holiday with our all-inclusive package. Stay at the charming Distant Hills Guest House in Spean Bridge near Fort William and experience the best of Scottish landscapes on our 4 guided day walks. Enjoy 6 nights of bed,...
Haggis Explained
We have recently celebrated Burn’s Night in Scotland and this got us thinking about haggis. If you’re visiting Scotland for the first time, it might be the first time you have heard of haggis. What is haggis? Many of our bed and breakfast guests have heard of haggis...
Distant Hills January Newsletter
The latest scoop from Distant Hills The New Year is always a time for reflection and 2022 presented lots of positive change for both Distant Hills, Spean Bridge and the surrounding area. Above all, it felt fantastic to return to a greater degree of normality as we saw...
A View of Distant Hills… Walking Holidays
‘A guest perspective’ Rain of biblical intensity fell from the sky. I sat in a lay-by in Glencoe and stared out of the window. It was a dismal sight. I turned the engine back on for the fifty minute drive left to reach the Distant Hills Bed and Breakfast in Spean...
Celebrating 3 Years at Distant Hills Guest House
On Saturday 16th July we celebrated our 3rd anniversary of taking over Distant Hills Guest House, and what a ride it’s been! Always looking on the sunnier side of life, we’ll gloss over the ‘P’ word and focus on the positives. Above all, we’d like to say a huge thank...
How to Do a Day Trip Around Loch Ness
There are so many options for things to see and do, here are some of our favourites. Firstly, we suggest driving around Loch Ness in an anti-clockwise direction. As you drive into the pretty and popular village of Fort Augustus, turn right onto the B862 road. The road...
Our Spring Newsletter from the Scottish Highlands
Spring is in the air and we’re looking forward to welcoming you back to Distant Hills Guest House in the stunning Scottish Highlands. To celebrate Easter week, we are opening a week earlier than anticipated and are introducing a limited Special Offer – stay for 3...
Jacobite Steam Train
Many of our guests book to stay at Distant Hills Guest House to take a trip of a lifetime on the nearby Jacobite Steam Train. The train journey starts in Fort William and travels on an 84-mile round trip through breathtaking scenery past the UK’s most westerly train...
Distant Hills Guest House – Winners of Four in a Bed
Thank you for all you messages, emails, calls and support! We Won!!! What a competition and what a finale!! We could not be happier and more proud of the result. The competition was so close in every way – in our eyes we are all winners! We had so much fun doing the...
Distant Hills Guest House on Four in a Bed
We always said we’d never do it… Go on Four in a Bed that is! We’d watched the Channel 4 TV show once or twice before, but if we’re honest, we didn’t like how catty some of the competitors could be and neither of us enjoy conflict. Then late one Friday afternoon in...
Walking Holidays at Distant Hills
Walking Holidays & Adventure in the West Scottish Highlands If want to know a little more about our Distant Hills Walking Holidays and what’s involved, this blog article will give you a useful overview. It tells the story of our moderate level walking holiday...
Five Places You Must Visit When You Stay in Spean Bridge
So much to see and do in the Central Highlands If you do a simple Google search on places to visit in Spean Bridge, you get a great choice of different activities that you can do such as take a ride on the Jacobite Steam Train or the Nevis Mountain gondola, kayak,...
Buachaille Etive Beag
A fabulous ridge walk in Glen Coe with superlative views With fewer guests to look after towards the end of the season, Cameron and I will head out into the hills at any given opportunity. With Glencoe being less than a 40-minute drive away from Distant...
Why you should visit Spean Bridge in 2021!
A Picture Paints a Thousand Words When you fall in love with a place, it can be difficult to describe to others what makes it so special. It is the same for us when we try to convey to potential visitors the sheer beauty and magic of the Scottish Highlands. We...
The Commando Memorial & High Bridge Trail
Discover Spean Bridge's fascinating history and visit its most popular attraction! Whether you are staying in Spean Bridge, or simply passing through, a visit to the iconic Commando Memorial is an absolute must. You don’t have to have any military connections to feel...
The Mighty Stob Ban and Mullach nan Coirean
Walking in the Highlands The Mighty Stob Ban and Mullach nan Coirean – a fantastic alternative to the ‘Ring of Steall’ walk With our re-opening date of 15th July looming ever closer, Cameron and I were eager to squeeze in another new hill walk amidst all...
The Heart of Glen Nevis
Walking in the Highlands The 18th June 2020 marked another day of lockdown for us in the Scottish Highlands but instead of waiting for Nicola Sturgeon’s live announcement to move into Phase 2 of her recovery plan, we chose to pack our rucksacks and head to the...
Our Story
FROM A SEA OF GRIEF TO A LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE MOUNTAINS… We have met so many wonderful people in recent years and they often ask how we came to doing what we do, so here’s a little more about us and our story. Our love affair with the mountains evolved from every...
Skiing Nevis Range
Time to get our skis on... Having been cooped up indoors for what seems like weeks on end, sheltering from Storms Ciara and Dennis, we decided enough was enough and it was time to try out the Nevis Range Ski Centre and hit the slopes for some skiing. Being...
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About the Author
Dani Mackinnon is the author of this blog and the lucky co-owner of Distant Hills Guest House in the glorious Scottish Highlands. She loves sharing my passion for life, the mountains and the great outdoors.