See all properties
Save
Entire home

Former Lodge House to Swordale Castle

Photo gallery for Former Lodge House to Swordale Castle

Exterior
Interior
Fridge, microwave, oven, stovetop
Exterior
Property grounds

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional

Entire home

4 bedrooms2 bathrooms170 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Dryer
  • Fireplace
  • Washer
  • Parking available
  • Kitchen
  • Outdoor space

Explore the area

Map
Dingwall, SCT
  • Fyrish Monument
    ‪4 min drive‬
  • Inverness Castle
    ‪28 min drive‬
  • Inverness Cathedral
    ‪28 min drive‬
  • Inverness (INV)
    ‪36 min drive‬

Room options

Similar properties

Outdoor dining

Newly renovated Character Cottage close to the beach

  • Kitchen
  • Washer
  • Pet-friendly
  • Free WiFi
5.0 out of 5, Exceptional, (17)
The price is NZ$756
for 1 cottage
includes taxes & fees
30 Jun - 1 Jul
Newly renovated Character Cottage close to the beach

About the area

Dingwall

Located in Dingwall, this cottage is in the mountains, within a 15-minute drive of Fyrish Monument and Alness Golf Club. .This family-friendly cottage is 7.6 mi (12.2 km) from Dalmore Distillery and 8.7 mi (14 km) from Dingwall Museum.
View more Cottages in DingwallOpens in a new window

What's nearby

  • Fyrish Monument - 4 min drive - 4.5 km
  • Inverness Castle - 28 min drive - 36.8 km
  • Inverness Cathedral - 28 min drive - 36.8 km
  • Eden Court Theatre - 28 min drive - 36.8 km
  • Culloden Battlefield - 33 min drive - 44.9 km

Getting around

  • Beauly Station - 22 min drive
  • Inverness (INV) - 47 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Cookies chinese - ‬12 min drive
  • ‪The Storehouse - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪Cottage Bar & Restaurant - ‬15 min drive
  • ‪The County Tavern - ‬12 min drive
  • ‪Highland Farm Cafe - ‬12 min drive

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Former Lodge House to Swordale Castle

This well appointed house is well equipped, in a quiet and peaceful location yet easily accessible. It enjoys panoramic views of the Cromarty Firth. Enjoy the Firth views directly from the house. Inverness is only a 20 minute drive.
Enjoy beautiful walks through woodland to the Novar Estate crossing the Black Rock Gorge bridge and it's waterfall's. An attractive house set on its own, with beautiful natural garden and large woodlands. Excellent places to eat locally. Local shop 4 miles. Hotel/restaurant within 15 minute walk.
Situated near a small village with the sea to our front and forests and hills to our rear, we are also close enough to places like Loch Ness, Royal Dornoch Golf Course, and an abundance of local whisky distilleries including The Glenmorangie.

This well appointed house is well equipped, in a quiet and peaceful location yet easily accessible. It enjoys panoramic views of the Cromarty Firth. Enjoy the Firth views directly from the house. Inverness is only a 20 minute drive.
Enjoy beautiful walks through woodland to the Novar Estate crossing the Black Rock Gorge bridge and it's waterfall's. An attractive house set on its own, with beautiful natural garden and large woodlands. Excellent places to eat locally. Local shop 4 miles. Hotel/restaurant within 15 minute walk.
Situated near a small village with the sea to our front and forests and hills to our rear, we are also close enough to places like Loch Ness, Royal Dornoch Golf Course, and an abundance of local whisky distilleries including The Glenmorangie.
Make yourself comfortable in this cottage, which features a fireplace and a Smart TV. A kitchen is outfitted with a refrigerator, an oven, and a stovetop. Complimentary wireless internet access is available to keep you connected. Conveniences include a phone, as well as a desk and a microwave.
Take in the views from a garden.
Guests will find features like internet access, onsite parking, and a car charging station.

Property manager

Roland van Oyen

Languages

Dutch, English, French, German

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in the cottage: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Electric car charging station on site
  • Car required
  • Parking on site

Kitchen

  • Blender
  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils
  • Dishwasher
  • Electric kettle
  • Hob
  • Ice maker
  • Kitchenette
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Paper towels
  • Refrigerator
  • Spices
  • Toaster

Bedrooms

  • 4 bedrooms
  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • 2 bathrooms
  • Bathtub
  • Bathtub or shower
  • Hair dryer
  • Shower
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Living spaces

  • Fireplace
  • Living room
  • Wood stove

Entertainment

  • Books
  • Games
  • Smart TV with cable/satellite channels
  • Stereo

Outdoor areas

  • Garden
  • Outdoor furniture

Laundry

  • Laundry facilities
  • Washing machine

Work spaces

  • Desk

Comfort

  • Heating

Pets

  • No pets allowed

Suitability/Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Stair-free path to entrance
  • Upper floors accessible by stairs only
  • Visual alarms in hallways
  • Smoke-free property

Services and conveniences

  • Iron/ironing board
  • Phone

Location highlights

  • In a rural location
  • In the mountains
  • Near a hospital

Things to do

  • Birdwatching nearby
  • Ecotours nearby
  • Fishing nearby
  • Golfing nearby
  • Hiking/biking trails nearby
  • Horseback riding nearby
  • Hunting nearby
  • Mountain biking nearby
  • Mountain climbing nearby
  • Sailing nearby
  • Scuba diving nearby
  • Spelunking nearby
  • Swimming nearby
  • Whale watching nearby
  • Windsurfing nearby
  • Winery tours nearby

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector (host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property)
  • Smoke detector (host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property)
  • First aid kit
  • Fire extinguisher

General

  • 100% renewable energy
  • At least 80% lighting from LEDs
  • Double-glazed windows
  • Electric car charging station
  • Energy-saving switches in guestrooms
  • Garden

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 2:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 21

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome

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
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation

We should mention

This property does not have elevators
A car is required for transportation to and from this property

Property is also known as

Former House To Swordale
Former Lodge House to Swordale Castle Cottage
Former Lodge House to Swordale Castle Dingwall
Former Lodge House to Swordale Castle Cottage Dingwall

Former Lodge House to Swordale Castle Reviews

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 83 out of 87 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 3 out of 87 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 87 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 87 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 87 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Stacey M.

Liked: Cleanliness

Picturesque Cottage

This property was perfect in every way—from the charming cottage to the beautiful surroundings. Truly picturesque! It exceeded all our expectations. The owners were a pleasure to work with.
Stayed 5 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jordan F.

Liked: Cleanliness

Amazing Home Base for Traveling the Highlands

This place was such a spectacular find. We used it as our base for traveling through the highlands and it was perfect. Amazingly well-stocked kitchen and such cool wildlife on the property!We saw the elusive pine marten while having a glass of wine in the sun room one evening and were so excited (didn't get a photo unfortunately)!With it being in a remote area, there are also quite a lot of spiders, which was hard for the arachnophobe in the group, so make sure if you stay to keep windows closed or only open the ones with screens, even for a minute.Highly recommend!
Stayed 5 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Vagish K.

Liked: Cleanliness

Excellent stay

Excellent stay at west lodge. Definitely recommended.
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer Y.

Liked: Cleanliness

Home away from home

This property is beautiful. Exactly how it is pictured. As the other reviewers mentioned, the sunroom was our favorite room in the house. Perfect for coffee/tea in the morning, and unwinding after a day of touring at night. The kitchen was large and well stocked with everything we needed. Plenty of hot water for showers and cleaning/dishes. There were a few hiccups at the beginning that were completely operator error. The host was quick to respond to our questions, and resolve our issues. He was very friendly and patient in all correspondence. The house is "out in the country" so you have peace and tranquility during your stay, but close enough to amenities if you need them. We made great use of the co-op which is about a 2 minute drive down the road. The only "complaint" (I use that term very loosely as it is only based on personal preference, and not an actual complaint) that my family could come up with, is that the furniture is too firm/soft. The couches were firm, and the bed in the downstairs bedroom was too soft for my husband. Again, it's personal preference, not a true complaint, and we don't expect sleep number beds in rental properties. Lol. Overall a great place to "get away from it all" and yet still be close enough for shopping if you need to. We (including my teenage son!) would highly recommend staying here.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

John S., Cotswolds

Liked: Cleanliness

Lovely House

We were in the area for salmon fishing on the River Alness. The house was lovely. Comfortable and cosy and all mod cons. I would highly recommend.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

John M.

Liked: Cleanliness

Lovely country getaway

Peaceful and beautiful place for a relaxing stay. We had a wedding to go to in Inverness and transit to and from there was very smooth. The family enjoyed the grounds and countryside walks. We had a good visit as a family.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2024

8/10 Good

Barbara R.

Liked: Cleanliness

Very nice!

The home is beautiful. The surrounding property is gorgeous! The house has more than enough room for many people without feeling crowed. The range is a dream. The hosts are wonderful and quick to respond! A couple slight drawbacks. I am sure it is listed somewhere but I missed it. The need to replenish all you use. I am not use to that. When we arrived, we needed to buy soap for both bathrooms and kitchen sink. Toilet paper was very limited as were the paper towels. The store is close so replacing was easy - just unexpected. All other vrbo places we have stayed in (and that is many) are fully stocked. The host did bring over garbage bags since we could not find any. Loved our stay in Scotland!
Stayed 15 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Joe B.

Liked: Cleanliness

Highland escape

Well located house with lots of outdoor space and beautiful views. Roland was an easily contactable host who made us feel very welcome. Fantastic base for exploring nearby countryside and villages - but also a comfy and relaxing place to spend time and unwind. We particularly enjoyed games in the garden and trying the pizza oven! Thank you for a wonderful stay!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Juliet R.

Liked: Cleanliness

A comfortable haven from the busy world.

Its a lovely, well-equipped, quiet get away. We totally relaxed, ate well, slept well, and recharged our flagging batteries. Managed to master the pizza oven eventually which of was lots of fun and a great family activity in itself!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Danelle B.

Liked: Cleanliness

Absolutely fantastic place and stay. Really perfect and the host was very responsive!

We LOVED this place. They had everything you you could want. Great location on a quiet country road but close to A9 and great location for day trips! Host was fantastic. Very responsive. We had a fabulous restful time there. Highly recommend it to anyone who wants the Scottish Highlands experience!
Stayed 22 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Sonya F.

Liked: Cleanliness

Lovely house with everything you need.

Lovely house. Stayed near Inverness a few times and this house is my favourite. Every cooking item you could possibly need !
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2022

10/10 Excellent

Rebecca Q.

Liked: Cleanliness

Absolutely divine!

Westlodge Cottage was perfect! Great location! Quiet! Highly recommended for anyone wanting an amazing getaway! If Scotland is your destination, Westlodge Cottage is your accomodation!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Lisa M.

Liked: Cleanliness

Perfect Holiday Cottage

This was the perfect cottage for our “home base” in the highlands. We had many day trips all over the Highlands and loved coming back to the cottage each evening. The observatory room was our favorite room - anytime of the day. The views from the cottage were amazing from any window. The facilities were great. We prepared our meals for day trips in the amazing kitchen and were able to pack light due to having a washer & dryer. I hope to come back & stay here again on our next trip!
Stayed 7 nights in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

Celine H.

Liked: Cleanliness

Loved this property

The house is in a beautiful, quiet location but with easy access to a number of amenities and to plenty of local attractions. The huge garden is a fantastic, safe space for kids and adults to explore and play. The house was perfect for our party of 7 with lots of space and is extremely well equipped. We loved the huge kitchen/diner and the lovely conservatory. This is one of the best properties we have stayed in.
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Jim P.

Liked: Cleanliness

Fantastic Highland Retreat

Spacious property with lovely gardens and surrounding area. Exceptionally well equipped with everything we needed - a home away from home. Would highly recommend and hope to return in the near future.

10/10 Excellent

kelly n.

Liked: Cleanliness

Fantastic

The property was amazing, there is everything you need for a home away from home. the grounds are beautiful and we had great fun cooking pizzas in the outdoor pizza oven. The house is clean and spacious, we spent most of our time in the conservatory. Communication with Roland was top notch answered all our queries and offered helpful info. As a family we had a great stay in a beautiful house and hope to return in the future. 5 Stars all round
Stayed 14 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Ray B., Aberdeenshire

Liked: Cleanliness

Swordale magnificent

Thoroughly enjoyed the cottage, great kitchen, dining area with opening to conservatory. Bedrooms 1 downstairs, en-suite. Other 3 upstairs with shared bathroom , all good size. Outside area very peaceful with great furniture and pizza oven. Nice to get away to a beatuful and quiet place.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Susannah E.

Liked: Cleanliness

Beautiful

We had a wonderful trip to West Lodge the garden and surroundings were wonderful in summer
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Thomas C., Edinburgh

Liked: Cleanliness

A wee gem!

I hasten to add not so “wee”! This beautiful cottage sleeps and caters for 8 very comfortably inside and out with enough seating for everyone to spread themselves in different areas. All the facilities are to a very standard and you don’t want for anything. The sweep up to the cottage from the drive is stunning and so welcoming, surrounded by woodland and immaculate lawns and beautiful flowers beds and shrubs. A lovely peaceful garden to walk around and also sit out in and enjoy watching the birds. There is plenty of entertainment at the cottage including the pizza oven, BBQ, fire pit and numerous board games. There is so much to do and we had great fun exploring the area. Lots of really good walks on your door step from Evanton without having to go far. Roland and Carla couldn’t have been more helpful before our arrival with lots of tips. We had the pleasure of meeting Roland which was fun grilling him on all the history in the area! We will definitely be back. We really had the best holiday ever and were so sad to leave. As well as a rental this cottage is clearly loved as a family home which makes it even more special.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2021

10/10 Excellent

Faye D., Sheffield, UK

Liked: Cleanliness

Spacious house with unbelievable gardens & luxury finish making it a perfect family location

We were thrilled on arrival at this beautiful cottage as the online photos really did not do it justice. Every room is very spacious & finished to a high spec. The garden is so big & has lots of lovely features including a rope swing, fire pit & BBQ which all helped to make a lovely family holiday. The cottage feels very private but is conveniently located only 2 miles from a village with a Coop shop that has everything you’d need. The kitchen is very well equipped & the owner is quick to respond to any queries. We had glorious hot weather for our stay in the first week of June & the cottage is well located for lots of trips to the coast.

10/10 Excellent

Leela S., United Kingdom

Liked: Cleanliness

Great location, beautiful well stocked house, good communication

Really enjoyed our week at Westlodge, a peaceful retreat from the madness of Covid-19. Loved the welcome basket....the house is beautiful and well appointed, with lovely grounds. We found everything we needed in the property, and used the pizza oven a couple of times which was good fun! Loved the warmth and light of the conservatory and spent a lot of time there watching the birds feed. There is plenty to do nearby, we mainly went hiking and enjoyed the diversity of the landscape, but also ate out a couple of times. Great communication with Roland which made for a smooth check-in and stay.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2020

10/10 Excellent

Clare A.

Liked: Cleanliness

Superb property and location for a family holiday

West Lodge really is the perfect accommodation for a family or group of friends. Everything is of a very high standard with lots of personal touches. We enjoyed using the fire pit and BBQ outside and inside we enjoyed using the log burner in the conservatory. The grounds that the cottage is set in are stunning. We had great communication with the owner throughout and enjoyed exploring the local area, it is beautiful.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2020

10/10 Excellent

caroline s.

Liked: Cleanliness

Lovely cottage in a beautiful location

One of the most comfortable and well equipped holiday cottages we have ever stayed in; the owners were extremely helpful and had thought of absolutely everything one might require. We are going to book this cottage again.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2020

10/10 Excellent

Mark S.

Liked: Cleanliness

Great holiday house - perfect for our needs

We really enjoyed our stay in West Lodge. The house was perfect for our family, with room for everyone to spread out and have their own space. We particularly enjoyed the big conservatory, with its three sofas. The kids spent time in there playing games, or just reading. We enjoyed sitting in the conservatory in the evening, watching the wildlife (loads of bats and several owls) from the comfort of a sofa, and away from the midges! The kitchen is large and really well provided for with every implement you could ever need. We tend to cook for ourselves when on holiday, so the kitchen was great for that. We tried out the outside wood-fired pizza oven, which was fun and had mixed results (I think we need to practice a bit more on this form of cooking). The house is in a lovely setting. It has a really huge garden which the kids enjoyed playing in and had lots of room for them. There are no other houses in sight or ear-shot, so it feels private and peaceful, but it's not isolated. The road that runs past is very quiet with little traffic. We have visited the area before, so knew what to expect. There are lots of interesting walks and outdoor activities within reach. Getting over to the West Coast was a real highlight for us. That is about an hour's drive away, but there are lots of other nice spots closer than that too. Booking and communication with Roland was easy and hassle-free and all went smoothly. We would definitely recommend this house to others - we had a great stay.
Stayed 14 nights in Jul 2020

10/10 Excellent

Andy H.

Liked: Cleanliness

West lodge

Excellent property, plenty of room and superb location. Well worth booking. Owner obliging and helpful.
Stayed 9 nights in Mar 2020