News and updates
A little taste of life in the Highlands to keep you up-to-date!
IAs we are in such a lovely area, we love to inspire our visitors to make the most of it and also like to update our guests on anything new since their last visit, so enjoy the read and we hope it will put you in the mood to visit us soon!
Why Hogmanay is so special in Scotland - a land of legend and traditions!
Hogmanay in Scotland is a vibrant celebration steeped in ancient customs, with the tradition of "first-footing" at its heart—a ritual believed to bring luck and prosperity for the year ahead.
🎉 What Is Hogmanay? Hogmanay is the Scottish term for New Year's Eve, and it’s celebrated with more gusto than Christmas historically was in Scotland. Rooted in Norse and Gaelic winter solstice festivals, Hogmanay became the main winter celebration due to the Protestant Reformation’s suppression of Christmas, which wasn’t officially recognized as a public holiday in Scotland until 1958.
🧹 Out With the Old Before the festivities begin, many Scots engage in a thorough house cleaning—especially sweeping the hearth—to symbolically cast out the old year’s misfortunes. This ritual, known as "redding," prepares the home for a fresh start and good fortune.
🥃 The Bells and Beyond As midnight strikes—known as "the bells"—celebrants raise a dram of whisky and sing Robert Burns’ “Auld Lang Syne” while linking arms.
🚪 First-Footing: A Knock of Luck One of the most cherished Hogmanay customs is first-footing, where the first person to cross a home’s threshold after midnight is believed to influence the household’s luck for the coming year. Tradition favors a tall, dark-haired man as the ideal first-footer, a preference that may date back to Viking times when fair-haired strangers were seen as ominous.
🎁 Gifts of Good Fortune First-footers don’t arrive empty-handed. They bring symbolic gifts such as:
Coal: for warmth and prosperity
Shortbread: for sweetness in life
Salt: for flavor and preservation
Whisky: for cheer and celebration
These tokens are meant to ensure the household enjoys abundance, warmth, and happiness throughout the year.
🔥 Fire Festivals and Folklore In some parts of Scotland, Hogmanay includes fire-centric rituals. Stonehaven hosts a fireball ceremony where locals swing flaming balls overhead to ward off evil spirits. These fiery spectacles echo ancient pagan rites celebrating the sun’s return.
📅 A Two-Day Affair Scots take Hogmanay seriously—so much so that January 2nd is also a public holiday in Scotland, giving people time to recover from the revelry and continue visiting friends and family.
Hogmanay is more than a party—it’s a cultural cornerstone that blends ancient beliefs with modern merriment. Whether you're singing “Auld Lang Syne” or welcoming a lucky first-footer, Scotland’s New Year traditions offer a warm, spirited start to the year.
Hogmanay at Kilcamb Lodge: A Highland New Year to Remember
Kilcamb Lodge pulls out all the stops for a Hogmanay celebration you’ll remember. Here’s what you can expect:
The package runs 30th & 31st December through 1st January — three nights of festive stay.
Each morning you have a Full Scottish Breakfast.
Each day there is afternoon tea (with cakes, mince pies & mulled wine) to warm you and usher in festive cheer.
Evenings are especially elegant: candlelit dinners in their 3 AA Rosette Restaurant, including a special New Year’s Eve black-tie 6-course dinner.
On New Year’s Day, there’s more celebration: a candlelit dinner with live music and dancing.
Kilcamb Lodge provides the setting and the style — but the Highlands bring something else: raw beauty, tradition, solitude and soul. Here are reasons why Hogmanay in the Highlands feels more real, more stirring:
Authentic Silence & Natural Spectacle
Far from city crowds, the darkness and quiet of winter in the Highlands means fewer distractions. Snow or frost, moonlight or stars, loch reflections, mountain silhouettes — these are the backdrop to your midnight moments. When you step outside to watch in the New Year, you’re likely to hear nothing but the wind, maybe wildlife, or distant bells. It makes that first moment of midnight feel much more profound.
Traditional Gaelic & Scottish Heritage
Hogmanay in the Highlands isn’t just about fireworks – there’s a living tradition of “first-footing”, bagpipes, hearty food, whisky, ceilidh music, the sharing of hospitality in remote homes. Even if you stay in a hotel like Kilcamb Lodge, that sense of tradition pervades: food prepared with local ingredients (venison, beef, fish), perhaps live music or dancing, warm fires, locally inspired hospitality.
Landscape & Weather That Deepens the Experience
Crisp winter air, shorter daylight hours, long twilights — all these intensify the senses. The cold makes the warmth of fire, food, and company feel deeper. Winter walks in the crisp air, sightings of wildlife, dramatic views over a loch at dusk or dawn: these are priceless parts of the Hogmanay Highland experience.
Seclusion That Brings People Together
In places like Kilcamb, visitors are fewer and more dispersed. This means more privacy, more intimacy. Whether with family, friends, or even other guests, the social moments—communal dinners, dancing—feel more connected. You’re not lost in crowds; you notice the person beside you, you feel more present.
The Magic of Change
The Highlands are a place where natural change is evident — seasons shift, snow comes & melts, wild weather cycles through. That sense of natural rhythm makes the turning of the year feel grounded. You see light returning, perhaps the hint of longer days ahead. It feels like more than a calendar change: it feels elemental.
Twixmas at Kilcamb Lodge - treat yourself to a total rest after Christmas!
Once Christmas is done, but the New Year’s fanfare still feels a little way off, there’s a sweet spot in the calendar that deserves its own celebration: Twixmas. And there’s nowhere more enchanting to spend those in between days than Kilcamb Lodge, on the serene shores of Loch Sunart in the Scottish Highlands.
As the sun begins to set over Loch Sunart, the soft glow of candlelight welcomes you into Kilcamb Lodge Hotel’s elegant dining room. Outside, the water shimmers in shades of gold and silver; inside, the aroma of freshly prepared dishes hints at the evening’s journey to come.
What Makes the Scottish Highlands Extra Magical in Winter
Spending Twixmas in the Highlands is about more than just a hotel stay; the season magnifies what this landscape can offer. Here’s why winter in the Highlands (and specifically at Kilcamb Lodge) is a deeply rejuvenating experience:
Stunning contrast & quiet beauty
Snow-topped peaks, crisp air, lochs with steely or glassy surfaces, bare woodlands — winter strips away distraction, leaving form, light, silence, reflection. The usual summer bustle is gone. Quiet roads, fewer crowds.
Wildlife at its rawest and most visible
Animals tend to move differently. You’re more likely to catch sight of things like otters on the loch, red squirrels, perhaps even golden eagles or deer against snow or frost. While we don't have Highland Cattle in our grounds, you may easily come across a few in the area.
Health & well-being boost
The clean, cold air, the stillness—it calms the mind. For many, winter walks in such landscapes do wonders for stress, sleep, mood. Staying in a place like Kilcamb, where you can wander on the shoreline, through woodland, or simply sit by a fire, has restorative power.
Atmosphere & evenings you’ll remember
Early dusk, long nights, starry skies (when cloud permits), candlelight, log fires... everything feels more intimate. Stories, food, warmth, company all gain texture. A delicious meal, whisky by the fire—these become small rituals rather than just elements of your stay.
Sense of escape & being somewhere else
When everywhere is calm and winter-shut, making the journey itself feels like stepping out of everyday life. Weather becomes part of the experience—snow, frost, drizzle, maybe even a crisp sunny winter’s day—all are part of the Highlands winter tapestry.
A taste of the Highlands and an evening to remember!
As the sun begins to set over Loch Sunart, the soft glow of candlelight welcomes you into Kilcamb Lodge Hotel’s elegant dining room. Outside, the water shimmers in shades of gold and silver; inside, the aroma of freshly prepared dishes hints at the evening’s journey to come.
Our tasting menu is not just a meal – it’s a celebration of the Highlands on a plate. Each course is a delicate work of art, crafted from the finest seasonal ingredients, many sourced from the loch, hills, and forests that surround us. From the first bite to the last, every flavour is designed to awaken the senses, tell a story, and capture a moment in time.
This is fine dining in its purest form – where the setting is as captivating as the cuisine. The pace is unhurried, allowing you to savour each taste while the light fades over the mountains. Attentive yet discreet service ensures you feel both cared for and completely at ease.
An evening with us is an experience to be treasured, and that's one of the reasons we were awarded the much coveted title of Romantic Country House Hotel of the Year in Scotland for 2025. At Kilcamb Lodge, we believe dining should linger in the memory like a beautiful piece of music – and our tasting menu is the perfect symphony.
Our Tasting Menu
At Kilcamb Lodge Hotel, dining isn’t simply about eating – it’s about experiencing food at its very finest. One of the highlights for guests is our Tasting Menu: a carefully curated series of small, beautifully presented dishes, each one designed to showcase the very best seasonal and locally sourced ingredients.
A tasting menu allows you to savour a variety of flavours, textures, and cooking techniques in one sitting. Each course is thoughtfully balanced, building a journey for your palate – from delicate starters and rich, comforting mains to inventive, mouth-watering desserts. It’s the ultimate way to explore the creativity and skill of our chefs, and every plate tells its own story.
What makes the fine dining experience at Kilcamb so special is not just the food, but the setting. Our elegant lochside restaurant offers stunning views over Loch Sunart, creating a sense of calm and beauty to match the artistry on your plate. The service is warm yet unobtrusive, ensuring you can relax and immerse yourself fully in the moment.
Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or simply indulging in the pleasure of exquisite food, our tasting menu is a chance to slow down, appreciate every flavour, and create memories that linger long after the last bite.
Celebrations and
get-togethers!
Kilcamb Lodge is more than just a place to stay – it’s a destination in itself. Whether you’re planning a girly weekend away filled with laughter, luxury, and lazy mornings over coffee, a baby shower to celebrate a little one’s arrival, or an anniversary getaway to mark a special milestone, Kilcamb provides the ideal setting. Its elegant yet relaxed atmosphere makes it just as perfect for birthday celebrations, anniversaries, or even the most unforgettable of occasions – your wedding day.
For those who prefer adventures to celebrations, The Kilcamb Hotel is a wonderful base for wildlife explorers. With otters, red deer, golden eagles, and seals on your doorstep – not to mention miles of scenic walking trails – nature lovers will be in their element.
From its award-winning dining to its cosy lounges and stunning lochside views, Kilcamb offers a blend of comfort, charm, and a touch of indulgence. Whatever the reason for your visit, you’ll find it’s the kind of place that leaves you planning your return before you’ve even left.
White Tailed Eagles
Wingspan: Up to 2.5 meters (8+ feet)! Nickname: "Flying barn doors" – because of their massive wings. Status: Successfully reintroduced to Scotland after extinction in the early 20th century. They're now thriving along the west coast.
Where to see them:
Loch Sunart: Regular eagle sightings, especially from the Garbh Eilean Wildlife Hide, which is designed for birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts. Ardery and Salen Bay: Look for them soaring above the loch or perched in the trees near the shore. Glenborrodale RSPB Reserve: Just west of Strontian, this reserve is prime white-tailed eagle territory. Ben Resipole & Surrounding Hills: Scan the skies while hiking — they often glide over open landscapes looking for prey.
Spotting Tips:
Bring binoculars or a scope – they often soar high or perch on distant trees. Look for pairs – they are often seen hunting or circling together. Listen for alarm calls from gulls or crows — they often mob eagles, giving away their presence.
The Strontian mines
The history of the Strontian mines is deeply tied to the region’s mineral wealth and its significant role in the local economy from the late 18th century onward. Strontian, became a center of mining activity in the 18th and 19th centuries, thanks to the discovery of strontianite.
The mines in Strontian were first developed in the late 18th century, following the discovery of the mineral strontianite. It was named after Strontian, the village itself, after the mineral was first identified by the chemist William Cruickshank in 1790. This mineral was important at the time for its use in producing strontium compounds, which were later used in industries like fireworks and steelmaking.
Today, the remains of the Strontian mines are of historical interest, and the area around Strontian is considered one of the best sites in Scotland for geology and mining history. Visitors can still see old mine shafts, smelting ruins, and remnants of the mining infrastructure.
Are there any Pine Martens in Strontian?
Yes, pine martens can be spotted in Strontian and the surrounding areas! Pine martens are elusive creatures, but they are indeed present in the forests and woodlands of the Ardnamurchan Peninsula, where Strontian is located.
The region is also known for its low human population density, which gives wildlife, like pine martens, a peaceful environment.
If you're staying at Kilcamb Lodge, the surrounding woodland areas offer opportunities to spot pine martens. These creatures are more active at dawn and dusk, so you might be lucky if you're out for a stroll in the early evening.
Some of the local wildlife reserves and forests in the region, like the Ariundle Oakwood, are known to have good populations of pine martens.
Iconic landmarks to enjoy on the way to us - the ideal road trip destination!
There are so many iconic places to see on your way to us. The most obvious is probably the Glencoe road across Rannoch Moor, and allowing a bit of time to stop off at the visitor centre on the way to us is a great idea.
If you're not taking the Corran Ferry over to us, you'll probably be taking the high road in, which will make the Glenfinnan Memorial and viaduct at the head of Loch Shiel the perfect stopping point, where you may even catch site of the Jacobite Steam Train, otherwise known as the Hogwards Express in Harry Potter speak.
If you're taking that route, you'll see Ben Nevis in all its majesty, and could easily take a little detour to Neptune's Staircase, the spot connecting the Eastern and Western coastlines of Scotland via the Caledonian Canal, and a key must-see spot for visitors.
For those heading in from the south, the picturesque pitstop of Inveraray, well worth a stop if you are driving in from that way, and a great place to stop for a breather, light lunch, drinks or even an ice cream before finishing the last leg of your journey to us. More
While you are here - an example itinerary to help you plan your stay!
The hotel is brilliantly located for a range of activities you might like to try while with us, depending on your interests!
A mixed example might include the following: a visit to the Ardnamurchan Lighthouse – The most westerly point of mainland Britain, with sweeping ocean views and a visitor centre, followed by an afternoon at Sanna Bay, one of the most beautiful beaches in the area.
On another day, you might fancy a drive to Castle Tioram - A ruined medieval castle on a tidal island, steeped in history and photogenic at low tide. You could maybe stop off at Salen Jetty on the way for a coffee, and check out the boat tours from this spot for another day, and book in if you haven't already done so!
Head out on the water with Sunart Boat Trips and you might spot seas, terns sea eagles, herons, otters, porpoises, dolphins and deer, but in case they don't put in an appearance, you will have an interesting trip anyway as your guide points out sheltered bays where Vikings wintered their boats, and an Iron Age hill fort. More
Scottish Wedding traditions, and weddings at Kilcamb Lodge
As we are currently looking forward to the wedding season and our first wedding of 2025 at Kilcamb Lodge, we thought we'd take a look at some Scottish wedding traditions - there are some lovely touches you may want to include!
Find out more about handfasting, what a Quaich ceremony is, why getting married by the side of a loch has a hidden benefit in terms of executing a key Scottish tradition, and find out The Speirin and Creeling the Groom involves!
You may not want to incorporate all of these ideas into your wedding, but they certainly offer a little inspiration to help you get thinking about your big day!
We have several locations you can get married within one location at our venue, and we can take the strain of looking after all the arrangements for you, so you can relax and enjoy your day in memorable surroundings.
Dog-friendly breaks
This area of the Highlands is well suited to a break with your dog, after all, there are walks galore, wide open spaces, and many dog-friendly venues, including ours! Read more
Fresh on the premises for a taste of the Highlands!
Ever wondered where many of our ingredients come from? There are quite a few that are hand picked on the premises or created in house! Find out more
Local wildlife
If you love birdspotting, you'll know that there are many rare species' in our area, including the White Tailed Eagle, Otters and Pine Martens. More
Indulge in Unforgettable Moments
Create Memories That Last a Lifetime
Book your stay at Kilcamb Lodge Hotel today and immerse yourself in the unrivaled beauty and hospitality of the Scottish Highlands.