New ‘landscape’ hotel to open in stunning west of Scotland location
A new hotel and restaurant is set to open this winter in a beautiful lochside location.
Following the success of its three acclaimed off-grid bothies on Loch Nell, Inverlonan is restoring the historic Ballygowan Farm steading to create a unique nine-bedroom landscape hotel and 24-cover restaurant.
On the shores of Loch Nell, four miles east of Oban, Inverlonan is known for its three off-grid bothies which opened in 2020 as a luxury reimagining of the traditional Scottish bothy.
Now, Inverlonan is restoring the crumbling Ballygowan Farm to create a unique nine-bedroom landscape hotel and restaurant, opening in November 2026. This next chapter builds on the philosophy and spirit of the bothies, combining the comforts of a hotel with the same complete immersion in the land. Its design, food and experience will be shaped by Scotland’s landscape, farming, materials and makers.
The design follows Inverlonan’s guiding principle, “of the hill”, inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s belief that a house should belong to the hill rather than simply sit upon it.
Rather than replacing the farm’s old stone buildings, Inverlonan is meticulously restoring and adapting them, working closely with architect Kirsten Mackenzie, formerly of RMJM Architecture.
The aim throughout has been to retain the character of the Scottish vernacular while working as authentically and honestly as possible, using local craftspeople, local materials and ecological building techniques.
The original farmhouse will become home to three bedrooms - Moth, Crab and Red Zebra - while a further five rooms - Earth, Straw, Moss, Clay and Sun – will sit within the former Byre. A restored 16th-century stone bothy, the Blackhouse, will become a standalone suite.
Each bedroom will have a super-king bed and en-suite bathroom, with three of the Byre rooms featuring stone baths alongside limecrete wet rooms. Glencraft mattresses, duck down duvets and Piglet in Bed linen will complete the beds, while hand coffee grinders and kettles are provided in each room. Moth and Crab in the Farmhouse will also have additional bed decks for children, with the Farmhouse sleeping up to ten when taken exclusively.
Original stone and lime walls, press cupboards and period features are retained alongside carefully considered additions in oak, corten, zinc, copper and shou sugi ban. Materials include hemp insulation, wood fibre board and lime plaster throughout; Caithness flagstones from Norse Stone; lime paints from local producer Fudar; local olive ash, wych elm and oak worked by local craftsman Michael Acey. Each of the five Byre bedrooms will have distinctive walls by Clayworks, while three boreholes and two geothermal heat pumps will provide underfloor heating sourced from the hill.
Food is already a central part of the Inverlonan experience. Alongside the bothies, chef Tim Kensett has built an acclaimed Wild Dining experience, serving an eight-course menu cooked over open fire in a secret location on the estate. It is considered one of Scotland’s most unique dining experiences.
The new restaurant is the next evolution of this story. Tim, whose career includes five years at The River Cafe as well as Storico in New York, GoldenEye in Jamaica, The Star at Alfriston and The Fife Arms in Braemar, will move into a new 24-cover, open-plan wood-fire restaurant within the restored steading. The space will feature bespoke dining tables from local slabs of burr oak crafted by Michael Acey; ‘undulation’ lighting by Orfeo Quagliata; antique brass wall candle sconces; handcrafted copper counters.
Dinner will remain a single sitting at 7pm, with an eight-course menu described simply as “of the hill”. More than 90% of what appears on the plate will come either from Inverlonan itself - its farm, hill, market garden and forage - or from Scotland’s west coast waters. Expect Inverlonan’s own grass-fed Luing cattle and native-breed sheep, vegetables, fruit, herbs and honey from the farm, alongside hand-dived scallops, creel-caught prawns, Loch Creran oysters and Kames trout.
Inverlonan is not simply a hotel with a kitchen garden attached, but rather a working farm where the hotel and restaurant are directly connected to the produce of the land. Following a three-year conversion process, Inverlonan was certified organic by the Scottish Organic Producers Association on 10 September 2026, with all livestock sold from that date certified organic. Its market garden is also expanding to supply the restaurant, alongside 150 fruit trees and eight producing beehives.
The three original bothies will continue operating as before: off-grid, immersive and embedded in raw nature. The hotel will offer more comfort, but the experience will remain immersive and closely connected to the estate.
Inverlonan will also be available for exclusive-use hire, sleeping up to 30, on a fully serviced basis - or as required.
Inverlonan landscape hotel and restaurant will open in November 2026 and rooms from £360 per night including breakfast. Dinner at Inverlonan: £110 per person for eight courses.
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