Ballifeary House

I absolutely loved, loved, loved my stay here! Ballifeary Guest House was perfectly located (we walked to and from the center of town every day), the bed was one of the most comfortable I have ever slept in, and breakfast was delicious! All the small details mattered too--new cookie packets were placed in our room every day, there was lots of coffee and tea (and cream) in the room, caramels in the entrance hall, fresh flowers in the breakfast room. Fraser, the owner/manager, was very chatty and helpful! I've stayed in many, many hotels and B&Bs all over the world, some of which were much, much pricier than Ballifeary, but I'd rate my stay here with the best of them!

Ballefeary House is as wonderful inside as outside. Exactly how I would picture a country cottage to look like. The grounds were well maintained and the house was spotless. Even the little creaks in the floorboards added to it’s charm. Fraser is an excellent host and definitely provided a hearty breakfast that you were able to choose the night before. He gave great recommendations for nearby restaurants (and which to avoid) and even pointed out which side of the coach to sit on for the best views. Would definitely recommend if you are in Inverness.

What a beautiful house. Very warm welcome from Fraser. Very knowledgeable about the area, restaurants, pubs etc. the room we had (3) was excellent. Very spacious and very clean. Excellent bed, great 2 nights sleep. Bathroom also very clean and spacious. We didn't have a cooked breakfast but cereal/toast & coffee, at no charge. The guest house is ideally situated, round 1 corner from the walkway along the river I'd recommend the Ballifeary without any doubt. We will definitely return.

We stayed at The Ballifeary Guest House April 10-12, 2023. The reviews I read online were accurate as far as the beauty of Ballifeary Guest House, the attention to detail given by the owners and the wonderful food served. All of these areas lived up to my expectations. However, there was a feeling of precision and demand that came along with the attention to detail that was not enjoyable. Personally, I think of a Bed and Breakfast as a cozier kind of accommodation where you can meet with the other guests over breakfast to have conversation and the hosts are warm and friendly. It's always been the attraction of a B & B over staying in a hotel. The Ballifeary Guest House did not live up to that expectation. The host required that we sign up on a paper form for Breakfast. They offered meal slots in 20 minute increments. We thought that maybe this was designed to allow for more ease for the cook, but it had the effect of separating the guests from dining with one another. The host selected our table. When we came down 4 minutes into our time slot, our first course was already on the table. It felt like a military schedule and I didn't appreciate having to nail down my 20 minute time slot so precisely, since I might want to sleep in, or be more carefree, because I'm on freakin’ vacation! Our first breakfast was perfection, but, for our 2nd breakfast, the fruit compote was smaller and instead of a stack of 3 pancakes, we got 2 pancakes. When we asked for our 3rd pancake we were told we got our meal order in late. Again, the military comes to mind. Additionally, we had taken the owners suggestions of changing our day plans, which lead us into a very long and taxing day and we didn't get back in until 11pm. Nonetheless, we filled out the breakfast form and left it in the hallway that night. They had our breakfast request before the morning when the food was made, so why didn't they just make more pancake batter? Was it made the night before? Were we being punished because we didn't get our order in on time? It was ridiculous and a poor practice to wow someone on day one and then serve an inferior meal on day two. We only ever saw the Frasier, the owner, but not his partner, who we think was the cook. The other thing we really disliked was the ungenerous check-in and check-out policy– 4pm check in and 10am check out. If you stay for one night, you pay for an 18 hour room. We called it the “GTFO check-out policy” and after our long day, it was stressful to meet our breakfast time commitment and get the f--*k out in time. Our twin beds and the bed covers were narrow, so that when I rolled over, my blankets went with me. I spent several times during the night picking my bedding off of the floor. Frasier, the owner is known for being a font of information about the area, which is true, but we found that without asking for advice about our plans, he just launched into where we should go and what we should do. Kind of talked 'at' us rather than 'w

Very nice guest house to stay in. Good service; rooms very clean (but very small). All rooms upstairs so need to take luggage up the staircase. Also, no restrooms downstairs where breakfast is served. Owner was "on call" but now readily available upon entering establishment -- had residence in another part of the building I believe. But very hospitable and helpful-very friendly.

This is a very nice, well-kept guest house. My room was comfortable, if a bit small. Breakfast was very good. You pick a time and order the night before and when you arrive, your table is ready. I appreciated that pancakes and berries were on the menu. There is a short, pleasant walk to the River Ness and downtown, with a great view of the castle. The owner was very helpful with directions.