Merlin

Description

Merlin is a new upper floor three bedroomed apartment. Merlin has a spacious open plan living /kitchen /dining area,two twin and one double (en suite, king size bed) bedrooms and a large family bathroom with bath and shower above.Merlin is situated on the upper floor of Achnacarry Steading Apartments,a 19th century converted farm steading which has recently been sympathetically converted to four individual and charming modern self catering apartments.The steading is situated in the heart of Achnacarry Estate which is home to the chief of the Clan Cameron, Donald Cameron of Lochiel who lives at nearby Achnacarry Castle.
The River Arkaig, a few hundred yards away runs from Loch Arkaig to Loch Lochy. With lochs,mountains,wildlife, wonderful walks and cycle tracks on the doorstep Achnacarry is an ideal retreat for an active outdoor or peaceful holiday and the apartments themselves are well appointed providing everything you need for a superb self catering break.
Achnacarry is also well placed as a base to tour and discover the west coast and the islands.

Sleeping Arrangements

One master bedroom with en-suite shower and 5' double bed
Two x twin bedrooms with full size single beds

Directions

By Car

From Fort William follow the A82 north into Spean Bridge. In this small village, immediately after crossing the River Spean, the A82 branches off to the left and rises steeply.Follow this route, still on the A82, until arriving at the Commando Memorial, above Spean Bridge.
At this point turn left ( turn right if coming off the A82 from Inverness) leaving the A82 and on to the the B8004, to the north-west. This road leads to Mucomir and Gairlochy. Two miles along the waters of Loch Lochy flow through a scenic channel, cut when the Caledonian Canal was constructed.

Passing over the channel at Mucomir, proceed along the road until crossing the Caledonian Canal

After crossing the Caledonian Canal the road to Achnacarry forks to the right on to the B8005. A small sign at the fork directs visitors towards Loch Arkaig and the Clan Cameron Museum.

Within a mile or so a sign will be seen on the left: Achnacarry Steading Apartments.
Drive through the gates carrying on until you come to the Museum. Carry on past the Museum and the Achnacarry Steading Apartments are ahead. Bearing left parking is at the rear of the steading building.

By Train
There is a train station in Spean Bridge and car hire can be arranged in advance to be collected at the station. The London Euston to Fort William train ( sleeper) provides a direct route

By Air

Flights are available to and from Inverness Airport at Dalcross. Again car hire can be arranged taking the Road to Inverness and South to Fort William and turning right off the A82 on to the B004 to Achnacarry at the Commando monument and following on by road as before.

Parking notes There are two allocated car parking spaces per booking in the private courtyard area to the rear of the Apartments
There is a 15 mph speed limit within estate grounds

Exterior Situated in the heart of Achnacarry estate in a scenic sheltered Glen the Apartments have a lawned area of garden to the front and a pretty courtyard to the rear of the building.The building retains its original whinstone facade with traditional large sash windows and the original bell tower with weathervane atop. There is ample car parking for up to two cars per apartment and a covered cycle rack area is provided for the serious, or not so serious, mountain biker ! A shared drying room is provided in a separate room in part of the courtyard complex and provides an area to hang up your outdoor clothes and boots, waders etc.
Picnic tables and bar-b-ques are available free of charge. An outdoor smoking area is provided with ashtrays as strictly no smoking within the apartment.
NB Mobile phone reception is poor/non existent in the immediate area, signal becomes available in general towards Spean Bridge. There is a public payphone on the estate that accepts all payment cards. Wi-fi is perfect for keeping in touch/browsing - not suitable for large downloads etc.

Interior layout The main living/kitchen/dining area consists of a large, bright and airy open plan lounge and kitchen area with three large windows overlooking the Estate grounds.
The three bedrooms lead off the main hallway with the master bedroom en -suite and there is a large family bathroom with shower above bath also leading from the main hallway.

Local area Achnacarry Steading Apartments are situated on an isthmus between Loch Lochy and Loch Arkaig. The area is full of natural beauty and has been a popular location for filming both for the film screen and TV. From 1942 to 1945 the grounds were handed over to the British Military and were home to over 25000 commandos who underwent rigorous training here. Achnacarry became known as 'Castle Commando' and today many commandos and their families come back to visit the area and remember their forebears who trained here.The Achnacarry Museum is situated in the grounds and is well worth a visit.
Aonach Mor is a few miles away and offers winter snowsports and summer mountain biking and walks. You can take a gondola ride to the top of the mountain and enjoy a meal in the Pinemarten restaurant.
Achnacarry Country Pursuits operate from the Estate and offer a wide variety of activities for individiuals and families from fishing, to argocat wildlife tours and stalking ( in season)
You may want to tackle the footpath to the top of the Ben ( Nevis) at Fort William or hire a mountain bike to ride along the Caledonian canal tow paths -the possibilities in this area are endless. Please visit our links area

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