Balmacara Hotel

10/10

Exceptional

18 Feb 2026

David

I was upgraded to an Excellent room and staff were all really courteous

Self

8/10

Excellent

15 Feb 2026

Dylan

Room was comfortable but mattress was lumpy with the springs bulging.

Food was amazing and they catered to my gluten and dairy intolerance without a problem!

Shower was good too.

Place has an amazing view and was very clean.

Staff are very friendly

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Feb 2026

Nelson

While there was no elevator to the second deck the staff was very nice. Romul works in the dinning hall and very helpful.

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jan 2026

Theresa

On arrival we were told they'd upgraded our room at no extra cost which was a lovely surprise. The room was spacious, clean and very well kept. The staff were very friendly and helpful, especially Singh. Would definitely stay again.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

01 Jan 2026

Kieran

The breakfast was not free as you say in your review site. I had to pay extra for it. It was however worth it: Anywhere that serves Vegetarian haggis always gains for me.

I have to highlight one major egregious point about the hotel: The 'optional' service charge of 12%. This was disgusting, and to have a line that says \"if you are unhappy with the staff and wish the charge removed, please ask\" is just obscene. To guilt you into paying extra for something you've already paid for? Not good enough.

The hotel was fantastic, but that one line ruined it for me. I'm giving 4 stars for the overall stay as everything else was good, but that one item, not good enough. Oh, and the food is mislabelled: fish are not vegetarian friendly.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

31 Dec 2025

Simon

Friendly staff, great room

6/10

Pleasant

30 Dec 2025

Bhargav

Staff were excellent, and breakfast was good but amenities and room conditions is poor

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

21 Dec 2025

Vinnie

We only stood one night during our road trip through Scotland. The view on a clear morning is exceptional. There is a store right next to the hotel. A great place to stock up for your day's adventure. We recommend the mussels at their restaurant!

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

13 Dec 2025

Michael

Absolutely magnificent stay. Deepak and his staff did an amazing job and we will definately be back next year. Well done.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

10 Dec 2025

Sarah

Very good stay. Nicely set out and in a lovey spot. Staff were kind and room was good and spotlessly clean.

Business

8/10

Excellent

01 Dec 2025

Roisin

Lovely clean spacious room. Good shower. Comfy bedding. Really friendly staff.

10/10

Exceptional

26 Nov 2025

James

Lovely fast & friendly check in . Room was very clean, tastefully decorated with excellent water pressure in the shower.
Local Spar shop next door as everything you need if you're traveling too .

Lovely hotel , kudos to staff & owners.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

14 Nov 2025

JOSEPH

Great room, great location

Self

10/10

Exceptional

12 Nov 2025

Grant

A vert short visit and did not have the opportunity to dine in the evening or breakfast in the morning. However, very friendly and warm welcome on arrival, room was clean and comfortable, would definitely visit again.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

09 Nov 2025

David

The staff were friendly and courtious, the food was good, the hotel was clean and tidy and there were plenty parking spaces, all round,it was a pleasant experience

Business

8/10

Excellent

07 Nov 2025

Colin

Staff were very friendly and helpful, always with a smile.

Food was good and everything was clean and tidy.

Heating / water system outside of my room was quite noisy at night for some reason. Not so good if you are a light sleeper.

10/10

Exceptional

01 Nov 2025

Jacob

Nice spot close to the Isle of Skye.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

31 Oct 2025

Mark

Nice, but food is very expensive.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

29 Oct 2025

Gene

Short but sweet

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

26 Oct 2025

Gordon

Indifferent welcome, clean room.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Oct 2025

Richard

An excellent hotel, with great facilities and superb staff

8/10

Excellent

18 Oct 2025

Wendy

Tasty breakfast and extremely comfortable bed. Great staff, very helpful.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

18 Oct 2025

Vinnie

Staff was friendly and the room was satisfactory. We loved the views across the street. The real gem was the Mussels appetizer! A must order

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

16 Oct 2025

John

The plus side: the meals, clean comfortable room, friendly staff. The negative side: my room window was immediately above the kitchen extractor fan, which came on at 06.40 both days, audible, plus cooking smells entering the room though the window was closed. Very sensitive fire alarm sensors, so an alarm was triggered at 00.45hrs apparently by someone having a shower and filling the room with steam. Also unfortunate was the road surfacing machinery on the road and lay-by outside the hotel, working through the night! Distinctly audible from my room. Not quite so noticeable the second night as they had move along the road a little.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

09 Oct 2025

Nigel

Modern, clean and very well run. Lovely views from the front (once the rain stopped…) Bed was a little tired and the walls were thin enough to hear the TV in the room next door. The guest directly above my room dragged their chair over the solid wood floor several times, which was irritating, but hardly the hotel’s fault. Good value though, which coming from a Yorkshireman, is high praise…

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

06 Oct 2025

Patrick

The only issue, no heat in one section of the hotel.

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

04 Oct 2025

Lisa

Room was just clean enough. Dirty shower grout and filthy baseboards.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Oct 2025

Ryan

Great

10/10

Exceptional

27 Sep 2025

Wayne

Great place to stay before isle of Skye. Large rooms. Great restaurant. Breakfast (included) was delicious. There is a grocery store next door too.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Sep 2025

Angela

This was a great place to stop on the road from Skye (detouring through Applecross). The staff were warm and welcoming after an exhausting ride.

10/10

Exceptional

22 Sep 2025

Tim

Very nice hotel with reasonable rates for the area. Our jumping off point to the Isle of Skye. Friendly and professional staff.

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

21 Sep 2025

Chi Kit

Good and bad

Basic condition of the room is good and the shower is spacious and user friendly. However we ordered a room for three adults, but the extra bed is just an added-on, is small, and rather low when compared to the overall level of the hotel. Also the bed is preparing when we walked in our room at 6pm and not before. It is rather unprofessional and unacceptable.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Sep 2025

Christine

Lovely stay

Delicious food and coffee! Comfortable and clean. Professional and accommodating staff, would stay here again. Close to Skye Bridge

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Sep 2025

Sheila

Very nice and quiet location.

8/10

Excellent

18 Sep 2025

Lynda

There was no elevators and we had to carry our luggage up a steep set of stairs. Room over looked an alley way that smelled and had garbage. We thought we were getting a sea view based on description. Staff were excellent and really took great care of us.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

09 Sep 2025

Gregory

Nice place with friendly staff. Wi-fi suspect.

Spent only one night. Very clean rooms and friendly staff. Nice place to stay as you’re passing through highlands.

My only complaint is the wi-fi signal was non existent in the room we were staying. Couple that with poor cell reception, it was difficult to plan next day and communicate.

6/10

Pleasant

06 Sep 2025

phil

Comfy rooms but service lacking. Waited about 5 minutes at the front desk while the guy was on his cell talking. Checked in, went to the bar, same guy said he’d be right back to serve us, he came back 10 minutes later which by then another couple was also waiting. Dined there for supper and asked for fish with salad instead of chips, server said she’d have to check with the kitchen. Never saw her again, food arrived with chips by someone else. Finally the dinner bill had 20% gratuity automatically added. Not recommended.

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

05 Sep 2025

gail

No teabags, tissues and coffee not in hospitality tray on arrival. Fire alarm went off at 9. Went downstairs and told to go back to bedroom. It was handled badly.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Aug 2025

Verified traveler

Space was clean and updated. Bartender was lovely!

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

30 Aug 2025

Miranda

Comfortable and quiet, staff had some difficulty understanding our food allergy and could not provide options (Ie we ask for a steak just seasoned with salt but were told we had to have the pork belly instead.)

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

26 Aug 2025

SARABJIT

Convenient location. Beautiful view of the lake.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

09 Aug 2025

Monica

The staff made a real effort with us and our young son. They were really friendly, welcoming and informative. The hotel was in lovely condition, freshly decorated, nice attention to detail. Anything we needed they provided with efficiency and a smile. It was a real pleasure to stay there and we would have liked to stay longer.

Leisure Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

29 Jul 2025

Thomas

We got there and they said there was no reservation even though i showed them the confirmation. Very schetchy place. We found another hotel later. The receptionist told me other pe6had similar problems with them. i think they're avoiding paying Expedia

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jul 2025

Trantran

Excellent enjoyed this place especially the friendly staff

Leisure Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

23 Jul 2025

Andre

Basic and charmless at an exorbitant price and NO WIFI in room. The staff is not local and got my room wrong (I ordered twin beds and preconfirmed online). The restaurant is also very basic and my fish and chips took over an hour to be served (they said the kitchen was understaffed). There is no 4G here and the wifi only works in the lobby. My room (no. 12) had no connectivity. All this for $400 pounds per room!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jul 2025

Scott

Exactly what we needed. Booked at the last minute and arrived after the designated time, but staff was amazingly accomodating--could not have been more pleased.

6/10

Pleasant

05 Jul 2025

Howard

This has two stories, no elevator and I'm 75 and had to carry my bag to the second floor

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

30 Jun 2025

Allan

Small quaint location with good amenities.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jun 2025

Girivasan

Great location with a view of the lake. Comfortable rooms. Good breakfast options. Convenience store next door

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jun 2025

Ashima

Great location and the view

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jun 2025

Amanda

Nice view of Sky from your bedroom!
Staff extremely friendly. Breakfast lunch dinner available as well as bar and tea.
No ac but has a fan and can open windows it’s nice, however the midges in summer will get in. 1 hr drive to the storr

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jun 2025

Susan

Perfect. Good location, easy parking outside room. Amenities were very good, condition of hotel was excellent. Would happily stay there again.

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jun 2025

Neil

The property has had a lovely renovation in the last few years. The rooms are comfortable and modern. The location and aspect are great. The staff are all very friendly and helpful. Food and service in the restaurant is excellent

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jun 2025

Shawn

The property is well maintained. The staff is really friendly.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

31 May 2025

Deborah

Average stay

The TV reception did not work. Room had long hair left on the bathroom floor 😩 We paid a fortune for 1 night. $600 so overpriced Food was good. Needs a lot of maintenance

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

31 May 2025

Gary

Convenient location to Skye. Comfortable enough.
Restaurant and bar were reasonable and nice to have on site, though you should make a reservation ahead of time.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

29 May 2025

Jean

We had an amazing view of the lake and our room felt like a little apartment. It was so great!

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

27 May 2025

Leah

The ambience of the hotel was very good. The food is pricey at the restaurant but the quality of the food was very good. The cleanliness of the room wasn’t great. There were tufts of hair on the carpet and the carpets looked pretty old and stained. Very expensive room rent for one night. Breakfast was reasonable. The front of the hotel could do with a wee garden / landscaping to match the ambience around.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 May 2025

Veronica

All very good

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

16 May 2025

Hazel

Decent service in the restaurant would be good!

Lovely clean hotel, obviously recently upgraded. The only thing which let it down was service in the restaurant which really wasn’t the best. New staff were great but unfortunately the experienced staff member we met wasn’t going to be much of a mentor. Bottle of wine just dumped on the table and left .. not what I expect from a 4* hotel. Buffet breakfast ok but not wonderful. ( no choice of eggs(only scrambled), no seeds & nuts, limited cheese & cold meat )

Partner

8/10

Excellent

12 May 2025

Brandie

Ask to stay in the newer rooms

The Balamarca was one of the few hotels we could find space in during a busy weekend. Overall the space was clean and nice. The staff were very helpful and friendly. It is an older building with a newer addition. We stayed in the older part and noticed the floors weren’t completely level. However, the rooms had been renovated with clean modern bathrooms. The beds were a little uncomfortable as it had an older spring-type mattress and a mattress pad that kept getting out of place under the thin flat sheet that covered it. I would stay there again but would ask to be in one of the newer rooms as I assume that they would have newer beds.

10/10

Exceptional

11 May 2025

Tom

Relaxing Stay

Had a fantastic stay, you couldn’t get a better location, very relaxing and the staff were brilliant ( a special mention to Manish who was very friendly and helpful ) We dined at the Hotel and the food was delicious, the Breakfast was also very good.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 May 2025

Roy

Great friendly service

Great friendly service. Good location.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 May 2025

Karen

Very nice hotel. Clean and updated

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

22 Apr 2025

Anishka

Nice property with a great view

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Apr 2025

Ronald

Friendly efficient staff,great food and comfortable clean room

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

15 Apr 2025

darrin

The food was over priced and poor quality
Did complain and it made no difference, there was one waiter for a full restaurant and didn’t have time to check if we were happy with our food possibly need more staff for the restaurant and bar
The room was good and comfortable tv buffered a bit

Business

8/10

Excellent

13 Apr 2025

Jonathan

Nicely refurbished hotel on banks of Loch Alsh

I was staying here as part of a tour, and this was the nicest hotel of my Scotland visit. There is still some construction on the exterior of the building, but the inside is very nice.
The room was spacious, clean, and comfortable. My 1st floor room opened up to a small patio overlooking the parking lot and the loch across the street (it would be nice if there was a semi-sheer curtain so people can't see straight into the room while the curtains are open).
There is a fancy restaurant on sight as well as a bar. There is also a Spar grocery store next door, but that's about it.
But it is not far from the bridge over to the Isle of Skye if you plan to visit there but hotels are all booked up. And make sure you go outside and catch the sunset over Loch Alsh if you're staying there.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

12 Apr 2025

Keith

Cannot fault the staff in the hotel, especially Diane in the restaurant who was extremely gelpful and very pleasant to talk to. However, we though the restaurant was quite expensive (£10 for soup and £24 for the cheeseboard) ! The WiFi was virtually non existent which meant that we couldn't waitch the TV (only 1 channel would work). The room was OK but was disappointed to see the top frame of the door missing. At £200 a night I did not consider the sta value for money.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Apr 2025

Mark

One of tge best stays in Scotland. Staff were helpful,courteous

10/10

Exceptional

03 Apr 2025

Richard

One night on business

Great overnight stay on business. Great hosts.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

02 Apr 2025

Niamh

Ideal hotel

Great service from staff, very welcoming and supportive.
The hotel is in good condition and is ideal for business trips or leisure due to facility and location when visiting the Isle of Skye.

This was my second visit and will keep this hotel top of my list whether it be work or leisure next time.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

30 Mar 2025

Ron

Staff was helpful and friendly

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

28 Mar 2025

Paul

Lovely 5 night stay. Great staff and really tasty food!

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

28 Mar 2025

pip

Very nice hotel clean and tidy good staff.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

25 Mar 2025

john

Room and breakfast were amazing.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

24 Mar 2025

Devon

A beautiful retreat with a view.

The stay at Balmacara was amazing! Not onpy did it offer picturesque views and was convenient to the Isle of Skye, but the staff and owner were great. They made us feel welcomed at every moment from check in, meals, time at the bar and check out. The dining experience was exceptional - dinner was one of the best we have had in Scotland and Ireland. Definiteky a place to stay!!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Mar 2025

Peter

large room and view

10/10

Exceptional

21 Mar 2025

Paul

Lovely stay
Staff are very friendly and good food.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

19 Mar 2025

Célestine

The hotel is located by the sea. The staff was super friendly and helpful. The room was cute and purple. The shower was amazing.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

04 Mar 2025

Joseph

Amazing

Amazing stay reasonably priced
Brilliant loch views
Great breakfast
Staff extremely pleasant and helpful

Self

10/10

Exceptional

21 Feb 2025

Tatiana

A very beautiful place to stay in the Scottish Highlands. The manager was very kind and took care of us in the middle of the night when we arrived very late. He left all the necessary information and the keys at the front desk, so we could enter the room without any problems. Will recommend this place.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

11 Feb 2025

Isobel

In two minds

It was a fantastic location. However, it was not value for money £130 for a very small single room. Shower head kept falling down. Tv did not work, a plug in heater, no kettle. Breakfast was £17.50 (cooked) £10 continental I do appreciate it was low season but…The coffee was good. The evening meal was good but expensive.
Friendly staff and case was taken to my room.

Business

8/10

Excellent

09 Feb 2025

Efrain

A wonderful and delightful hotel, they are in the process of updating the establishment. I am confident that once everything is completed, it will be better than when we stayed. If you’re looking for a nice night sleep, and food. The restaurant was beautiful and the food was scrumptious. Oh my, almost forgot add the breath taking view.I would highly recommend this hotel.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

07 Feb 2025

David

Room 11 where l was is horrible, no other way to describe it. It has 2 Windows both of which look at a blank wall. To the left of the windows outside are stainless chimneys that vent for boilers etc. they are noisy and vibrate through the walls. Making sleep difficult. There is an in ceiling trunking that extracts air from elsewhere in the hotel that also make a mouse and vibrates. The room also smells of cooking from kitchens below. It should be turned into a utility room Woe betide anyone who gets it. The food was good but pricey. Scottish cheese selection came with no description 4 small pieces of crisp ' packet' toast, the 4 cheeses were large sugar cube size... £19.95! I won't be back.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

29 Jan 2025

MARK

One night in Kyle

Arrived late so missed food so can`t comment but menu looked good. Hotel was clean and a welcoming greeting when I arrived. Room clean and no issues other than heating a challenge to set and parking limited - Breakfast great, would stay again.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jan 2025

John

Very nice hotel

Hotel was really nice we booked last minute and the views near by are amazing

Gent on reception/bar/kitchen was really polite and helpful as he was there on his own because of holiday season

Internet was down due to a bad storm that made the stay more remote as civilisation and home comforts were almost 1.5 hours away

Don’t let that put you off when fully staffed and WiFi working I can only imagine the stay would be even better

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Dec 2024

Alison

This hotel has great parking, good food and spacious clean rooms! I would definitely stay here again!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Dec 2024

Heather

Great place to stay!

8/10

Excellent

25 Nov 2024

Adam

The hotel was clean. Room was cozy. staff were warm and pleasent.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

22 Nov 2024

Sameen

Amazing views. Our room had a window you could see the lake and mountains from. The staff was nice and room was super clean and comfortable . Highly recommend !

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Nov 2024

Susan

Great location! Our room had an amazing view. Really enjoyed the restaurant and bar.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

17 Nov 2024

Suzana

We arrived after dark and left before sunrise each day so I can’t comment on the exterior of the property. But the room was clean, the restaurant served good food and the staff was helpful. The patrons of the bar seemed to enjoy themselves but we didn’t stop by ourselves. Would definitely recommend!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Nov 2024

Robin

Extremely friendly welcome in a nice hotel

For an extremely friendly stay I can highly recommend Balmacara. The rooms are excellent with great views either over the Loch - front - or the mountains - back. The owners and staff could not be friendlier and more helpful. The hotel itself, being just a mile or so on this side of the Skye Bridge, is ideally placed for a day on Skye.
I can also highly recommend the restaurant, which is helpful given the dearth of options in the area.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Oct 2024

Nic

Excellent Team

Very friendly staff food good. We were looked after well for our overnight stay.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Oct 2024

Fiona

Excellent stay

Great service and wonderful food, don't hesitate to book. Great big bed and lovely toiletries.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Oct 2024

Margaret

Overnight stay review

Stayed overnight on way to Raasay. Very comfortable hotel, nice decor. Had dinner and breakfast the next morning - food was lovely. Staff were friendly and attentive, good service and good atmosphere. Would recommend.

Partner

2/10

Poor

23 Oct 2024

BA REUM

The staffs absolutely know nothing about the area even though it is very popular tourist city. They even do not know where to book a taxi, bus or any other translation. The breakfast buffet was horrible, they do want you to order some hot foods from the kitchen. If not, they would treat you like a jerk. Whenever I ask the questions about the area like tour spots, routes, transportations and restaurants, they told me, “I do not know.”

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

22 Oct 2024

Nicole

We didn’t receive the warmest welcome when we arrived. Said after he had us mixed up with another traveller arriving later than us. We had only booked an hour before so that might have been frustrating for them. We were planning to travel further but we didn’t know the area that well so thought we better get a room for the night and this place looked great and had nice reviews. Hotel was very nicely decorated, it was clean, as were the rooms and bathrooms and it was quiet. It was a nice respite from a long day of travel.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

20 Oct 2024

Vanessa

The hotel stands on quite a busy road in to Skye so during our stay there was quite a lot of cars and trucks going past. There is a spar shop located next door for any essentials and the town itself is a few miles down the road.
I believe that the hotel has a few arrangements set up with companies who drop large groups off there as a stop over before / after their trips over to Skye. We found as customers on a one night stay there was no great customer service given when we arrived and we didn’t see anyone at all when we left? Both times we did notice most of the staff who were possibly family members grouped in areas talking or eating and completely switching off from their customers?
It’s a nice enough hotel for one night, we didn’t eat there as the prices were very inflated. Clean, warm and enough free parking. Best feature was the view over looking loch Alsh.

Leisure Partner