Entire home

Characterful Riverside Highland Home with a "Wow" Factor Grand Hall Living-Room

Photo gallery for Characterful Riverside Highland Home with a "Wow" Factor Grand Hall Living-Room

Riverside door
Terrace/patio
Interior
Exterior
Property grounds
Reviews
9.4

Exceptional

4 bedrooms3 bathroomsSleeps 8139 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Fireplace
    FireplaceFireplace
  • Kitchen
    KitchenKitchen
  • Free WiFi
    Free WiFiFree WiFi
  • Washer
    WasherWasher
  • Dryer
    DryerDryer
  • Outdoor space
    Outdoor spaceOutdoor space

Check-in time

4:00 PM

Check-out time

10:00 AM

Explore the area

Map
Inverness, SCT
  • Popular LocationWade Bridge3 min walk
  • Popular LocationThe Falls of Foyers5 min drive
  • Popular LocationUrquhart Castle47 min drive
  • AirportInverness (INV)76 min drive

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 8)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed

Bedroom 2

2 Single Beds

Bedroom 3

1 Double Bed

Bedroom 4

2 Single Beds

3 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Bathtub · Toilet

Bathroom 2

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 3

Bathtub · Toilet

Spaces

Kitchen
Garden
Dining Area

About this property

Characterful Riverside Highland Home with a "Wow" Factor Grand Hall Living-Room

The Space

Originally a school from 1880s which we have completely and passionately transformed into a delightful family home.

We have exposed and reinstated many original features throughout the house, one of the most impressive being the grand hall (around 30 x 18 feet with a 14 feet high ceiling). It has a stone wall to one side with an open log fireplace. A floor-to-ceiling library wall is well stocked with books and games and hides a 50-inch LCD television with DVD player. At the other end of the room large French doors opening out on to the front garden. This room includes designer fabrics, some antique furniture, paintings and many family heirlooms. It is a great place to entertain and relax whatever the weather or kick-back after an action-packed day. There’s even a piano for the musically talented!

The kitchen-dining room also has an open log fire within a carved oak fireplace. It has a dishwasher, fridges and is very well equipped, even offering bone china and silverware to lay the table.

There are 4 bedrooms with 2 doubles and 2 twin bedded rooms. Two bedrooms upstairs and two on the ground floor.

There are 3 bathrooms. One is ensuite with the master double bedroom and two are on the ground floor (one of which has a walk-in shower.

A separate utility room has two washing machines and a tumble dryer.

There is free WiFi and the telephone is available on an honesty payment basis for non-local calls.

The Location

The Old School nestles in an acre of garden by the side of the River Fechlin. The river is teeming with wild brownies for fly fishers and our favourite swimming hole is just opposite the front garden for the warm-blooded! The Fechlin runs to the picturesque Falls of Foyers and then into Loch Ness around three miles away.

We are in the Monadhliath mountains where there is an abundance of wildlife, red squirrels in the garden, stags on the hills, golden eagles and peregrine falcons in the skies, pine martins in the forests and even occasional otters on the river just off the garden.

The Whitebridge Hotel is a five-minute walk from the Old School and offers a cosy restaurant and popular locals’ bar. It is a great option for a simple lunch or dinner out.

You could come here to paint or photograph the beautiful surrounding scenery, climb the many hills and mountains, walk for miles across the grand estates, fish for salmon in nearby rivers or Loch Ness, shoot or stalk on nearby estates, drive to magnificent places, or just come for a well-earned rest and read a book. For the adventurous there are many local activities such as kayaking, mountain biking, canyoning, white water rafting and much more, with equipment rental and activities readily available. The Old School offers an ideal base in the Highlands.

Property manager

Kim Pattie

Languages

English

Amenities

Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Free WiFi
Outdoor space
Fireplace

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Check out before 10:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17

Events

No events allowed

Pets

No pets allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
Originally a Victorian school which we have completely and passionately transformed into a delightful family home. Please enjoy and respect it as we do.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property

We should mention

A car is recommended for transport to and from this property

About the area

Inverness

Located in Inverness, this holiday home is in a rural area and in the mountains. Wade Bridge and Boleskine Burial Ground are local landmarks, and some of the area's activities can be experienced at Tazball Paintball & Lazer Combat Arena and Allt na Criche. Clog and Craft Shop and Invergarry & Fort Augustus Railway Museum are also worth visiting. Sailing and fishing offer great chances to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with hiking and mountain climbing nearby.
Map
Inverness, SCT

What's nearby

  • Wade Bridge - 3 min walk
  • The Falls of Foyers - 5 min drive
  • Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition - 43 min drive
  • Urquhart Castle - 47 min drive
  • Clog and Craft Shop - 59 min drive

Getting around

  • Newtonmore Station - 70 min drive
  • Inverness (INV) - 76 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Whitebridge Hotel, Whitebridge, Scotland - ‬5 min walk
  • ‪Glen Rowan Cafe - ‬21 min drive
  • ‪Camerons Tea Room - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Glenmoriston Arms Hotel - ‬21 min drive
  • ‪The Brasserie - ‬17 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Characterful Riverside Highland Home with a "Wow" Factor Grand Hall Living-Room pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Characterful Riverside Highland Home with a "Wow" Factor Grand Hall Living-Room?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Characterful Riverside Highland Home with a "Wow" Factor Grand Hall Living-Room?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Characterful Riverside Highland Home with a "Wow" Factor Grand Hall Living-Room located?

Situated in the mountains, this holiday home is 0.1 mi (0.2 km) from Wade Bridge and within 6 miles (10 km) of Suidhe Viewpoint and The Falls of Foyers. River Foyers and Brian Clarkson Gallery are also within 6 miles (10 km).

Reviews

9.4

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 18 out of 23 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 3 out of 23 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 23 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 23 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 23 reviews" "

9.6/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

9.6/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Mike and Peggy H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Our Scottish Hideaway
This was our third time at the Old School, our favorite Scottish getaway. The host is always very helpful and you truly feel at home. With all of the amenities you could want, and a great base for exploring the beautiful Scottish countryside. We can’t wait to return, soon we hope.
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Melissa L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Wonderful!
Thanks for sharing your beautiful home with us! It’s the perfect blend of the old and the new, and made a great home base for us as we explored the Highlands. We’d love to make a return trip some day!
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2023

8/10 Good

Pamela S., Jacksonville, Florida

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Highland High
Kim was such a great host offering quick help with any questions and wonderful suggestions for hiking and sightseeing. The house was very special and the beautiful gardens and rampant wildlife was a delight for 2 city dwellers. The Highlands was truly a breath of fresh air for us! Highly recommend for those who want to be in splendid surroundings and an unhurried pace.
Stayed 47 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verena v.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Ruhiges, unbeschreiblich schönes Haus
Wir sind mit 7 Personen dort gewesen und auch zu acht hätte es wunderbar funktioniert. Kim hatte alles liebevoll vorbereitet und wir fühlten in dem Haus sehr wohl. Es gibt dort viele Badezimmer (mit Badewanne), aber nur eine Dusche, das vielleicht als Anmerkung für größere Gruppen. Die Umgebung lädt zu verschiedenen leichten wunderschönen Spaziergängen ein!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Mike and Peggy H., Ellijay, Georgia

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Second Wonderful Stay
This was our 2nd time to stay at this wonderful property. After two years we returned and we were so pleased to find that all we love (which is everything) had not changed! We had great cozy fires, swam in the river and enjoyed the amenities of this beautiful place. Feeding the birds and wildlife was awesome! We ate several times at the Whitebridge pub inn and enjoyed all seasonal foods and of course, a few cocktails! We love this area and the Old School and will definitely be back! Thank you Kim and family for sharing your home with us!
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Alasdair C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Beautiful house in an an absolutely stunning location.
Everything was as described in the listing and the main reception room is magnificent. Kim very kindly left us clear instructions for arrival/departure as well as wine, whisky and snacks! We cycled, walked, swam, rode and ate (very well). The sleeping accommodation is fine for 8 (4 adults and 4 children/teenagers) although the second double bedroom is quite snug. This however is more than made up for by the space in the rest of the house and the great location. A lovely 10 day stay. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Kim.
Stayed 10 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Lindsay M., Abingdon

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Very comfortable
A welcoming home with an impressive main living space. Extremely well equipped. Much better than the photos suggest!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Colin W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
5 day break
We were delighted with all aspects of our stay. Blessed with glorious weather, which helped, but it was perfect for what we wanted - remote, quiet, beautiful area, every facility we needed. Our only mistake was not booking earlier so that there was availability for a longer stay.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Richard C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Perfect getaway
Charming house. Enchanting location. Perfect medicine for aching metropolitan bones. Open fire, characterful comfort and everything we needed for a relaxing stay. Lovely days spent at the house, dunked in the river that runs adjacent to the house, and fantastic day trips, magical Plodda Falls, and an easy day trip to Skye well within reach. Fabulous week.
Stayed 8 nights in Jun 2021

6/10 Okay

Russel G.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location
It was OK
My family and I had a really good stay at the School House and enjoyed our week. It position and situation are first class and the privacy it offers are great to. So we enjoyed our stay. Our only comment would be that some of the furniture while 'quaint' is getting to the end of its useful life so there are a few things that could do with upgrading urgently but the property itself is fine and the large great hall makes it so even large families have loads of room to spread out in.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2021

10/10 Excellent

lucy b.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Idyllic escape in the Highlands
This experience surpassed all expectations. Owner Kim was communicative and super helpful from start to finish. The house is wonderful with its school history evident and red squirrels and deer coming to the garden. The river runs alongside and the whole area is fabulous for walking, cycling, fishing and plenty of wild swimming. We had camp fires in the garden, fed the birds each day and felt very at home. Glorious weather helped! We were a family of 6 - two teens (who rarely looked at their screens here!) myself and my husband and my parents. Age range large, great enjoyment for everyone. Thank you Kim and we want to come back! Oh and don’t forget the fish man who drives past on a Thursday. The best sea bass and kippers ever!
Stayed 14 nights in Aug 2020

10/10 Excellent

Lucy T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Home in the highlands
The house is stunning. It fits thd breathtaking surroundings perfectly. The location is perfect if you want to be tucked out the way but still close to everything. We had the most wonderful time, exploring round about, playing games in front of the fire. The marathon went straight past the end of the road, which was perfect as one of our party was running. We could just stroll down the road and wave to her on her way past. Red squirrels and pheasants visited the garden daily, and we could hear the rutting red deer roaring over the sound of the river. Absolutely idyllic highland experience.
Stayed 6 nights in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Mike and Peggy H., Ellijay, Georgia

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Scottish Holiday Dream Home
We cannot say enough about the beautiful School House, we felt very much at home as we enjoyed the surrounding area. We would not to stay anywhere else and have requested to book again next year. The fireplace was our special place for sipping whiskey and enjoying one another’s company. We ate several times at the local pub which was awesome, highly recommend. It was truly a wonderful relaxing holiday!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

David S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Beautiful house in quiet area with all necessary for a comfortable stay
Beautiful large main room with library, nice art work and large screen TV. Comfortable beds and bathrooms with sound of river right next door. You are on a secluded road with a nice pub and restaurant in walking distance. Enjoyed a breakfast, dinner and some ale at the Whitebridge Inn. We explored Inverness, Glen Affric, Applecross and Torridon as well as Fort Augustus and Loch Ness from the house. Kim was always responsive to my inquiries and maintained good contact throughout the planning process. Would highly recommend as a quiet retreat in the beautiful highloands of Scotland.

10/10 Excellent

Gordon F.

The complete Highland Scottish experience
This property is situated in a great location for accessing so many Highland attractions, and yet gives those staying the opportunity to just experience peace and quiet in a beautiful natural setting. We saw red squirrels, pheasants, and so many other birds from our window. We also loved that the bridge that Whitebridge was named after still exists for us to see. The house is warm and welcoming and gave those of our family who were visiting Scotland for the first time a wonderful experience of the best that Scotland can be. Thank you
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2018

10/10 Excellent

Evelin H.

Ein fabelhaftes Haus in idyllischer Lage für die ganze Familie!
Es war ein perfekter Urlaub! Und das nicht zuletzt wegen diesen tollen Haus! Es ist liebevoll eingerichtet, sehr sauber und man findet alles was man braucht. Die Lage ist perfekt um abzuschalten aber auch um Ausflugsziele schnell zu erreichen. Familie Pattie ist sehr freundlich und steht jederzeit mit Rat und Tat zur Seite. Es ist einfach alles perfekt! Wir kommen sicher wieder!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2018

8/10 Good

John K.

Lovely location - quiet and secluded
We very much enjoyed our time here. The house is charming and we had everything we needed. The warm and cozy kitchen is well stocked and we enjoyed many nights there preparing dinner . We especially enjoyed our evenings in the wonderful great room by the fire reading and playing games. It was fun feeding the birds and watching the other wildlife. We would definitely stay at the Old School House again.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2018

8/10 Good

Bernhard N.

Sehr schönes charaktervolles Haus
Altes Schulhaus mit wunderbarem Garten, sehr ruhig, man kann vom Haus aus Hirsche, Hasen, Eichhörnchen usw beobachten. In der Nähe ist ein Hotel mit Restaurant.
Stayed 11 nights in Jun 2018
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Beverly E., Franklin,TN

What a lovely warm and beautiful home.
Our group of six could not have been happier with what we referred to as our little cottage, even though it is not so little. The kitchen was well appointed, the setting was perfect. We went to bed at night listening to the sound of the river below, to wake to Pheasants and rabbits on the lawn in the mornings. The perfect road for a morning walk to get in a painting or two of the sheep and beautiful landscape, as well as the proximity to villages around Lock Ness was good too. We plan to visit again.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2017
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

6/10 Okay

marie-helene k.

unfair
jolie maison bien decorée mais sans micro-ondes ! mais le commentaire injuste et desagreable apres notre depart alors que la maison etait en ordre laisse une impression decevante sans parler de l'entretien du jardin avec tondeuse le dimanche matin a 8h30
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2017
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Yvonne L., Santa Ynez

Heaven in the Highlands
Neither photos nor words can adequately do "Old School" justice. We met up with dear friends here for a week in the Scottish Highlands and each and everyone of us were immediately awestruck and yet felt quite at home in this cottage. Beautifully and tastefully furnished, impeccably clean, cozy and comfortable, private and quiet, and equipped with all you need to settle in for a week or more! We were thrilled to watch the birds and squirrels play in the garden and were only too happy to supply them with feed and nuts...a pheasant even strolled through! The location was perfect....a easy 20 minutes to Fort Augustus and a gorgeous 40 minute drive up to Inverness. An easy walk to Foyers Falls and back fills one of your peaceful days at "Old School". Dinner and drinks at the Whitebridge Inn - just up the road completed the Highland experience. We would highly recommend this Highland cottage....and hope to return real soon. Thank you for sharing this amazing home with us.
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Elizabeth and David E., Mountain Brook

Perfect location from which to enjoy nearby Loch Ness and the beautiful Scottish countryside!
The home is lovely and very well appointed. The owners obviously care greatly for their home and provided excellent recommendations about nearby touring as well as excellent travel instructions. A very comfortable "home base" which we enjoyed immensely!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2017
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Michael H., Lake Charles

Wonderful Home, Wonderful Host, Wonderful Location
The Old School is a perfect place for a family looking for a roomy, quiet spot in the Highlands. The home exudes character and charm and, importantly, is quite comfortable. Our family group of 8 had plenty of room to sleep, spread out and hang out -- both indoors and outdoors. the kitchen is well-stocked with all items needed for cooking a dinner for a large group and the extra refrigerator came in quite handy. The location is convenient to Fort Augustus and Inverness as well as the Cairngorms. The River Fechlin and the White Bridge are beautiful and the quaint Whitebridge Hotel is an easy 5-minute walk for pub meals and real ales. The host, Kim Pattie, was responsive to emails and calls and provided much information for local activities. We will be looking to book the Old School upon our return to the Highlands.
Stayed 6 nights in May 2017

About the host

Hosted by Kim Pattie

Host profile image
We live in East Sussex as my husband works in London but dreams in Scotland!

Why they chose this property

We have holidayed as a family in the area for almost 30 years and knew The Old School was the right home for our adventures as soon as we saw it.

What makes this property unique

The riverside location offers an unheated swimming pool(!) and is teeming with wild brown trout for the fly fisherman.

The grand hall is a spectacular living-room which makes a wonderfully comfortable venue for entertaining the family or friends whatever the weather.

Languages:

English
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