Highland hotel that hosted Hollywood stars reopens after major makeover

A Highland hotel which played host to stars including Hollywood royalty Burt Lancaster has re-opened its doors following an extensive refurbishment.

In its previous incarnation the hotel attracted celebrities including Hollywoods Burt Lancasterand French musicianStphane Grappelli. Picture: Contributed

The former Letterfinlay Lodge at Spean Bridge has now launched as the Whispering Pine Lodge, the third country hotel in the Black Sheep Hotels group owned by Mumbai-based Mars Enterprise and Hospitality.

Originally built as a hunting lodge in the 1800s, the site was first converted into a hotel in the mid-1900s, attracting a celebrities including Hollywood’s Burt Lancaster during the filming of “Local Hero” and French musician Stéphane Grappelli, often referred to as the grandfather of jazz violinists.

It includes 25 en-suite bedrooms, a beauty salon and a brasserie offering views of Loch Lochy.

Whispering Pine Lodge includes 25 en-suite bedrooms and a brasserie offering views of Loch Lochy. Picture: Contributed

The opening of Whispering Pine Lodge follows the recent opening of The Cluanie Inn at Glenmoriston and Rokeby Manor (formerly Craigard Guest House) at Invergarry.

Entrepreneur Sanjay Narang, owner of Black Sheep Hotels, purchased the property following his visit to the Highlands in 2018. Along with his sister Rachna, he invested £3 million in buying the three Highland properties and a further £9m in refurbishing the sites.

The openings come as Scotland's hotels enjoy a boost from the so-called "Outlander effect".

He said: “The opening marks our hat-trick of Highland hotels, following the opening of Rokeby Manor and Cluanie Inn earlier this year. We have brought together our considerable experience and expertise in the hospitality sector in order to ensure that each of these has hotels their own unique style, perfectly located to explore the Highlands.”