Loch Ness Hotel - History
The Benleva Hotel was built around 300 years ago, and was originally used as a church manse - where the local minister lived. The building was converted for use as a hotel in the 1950's - although many locals are convinced that the ghost of a former minister still resides in the building today. The Spanish chestnut tree at the front of the Hotel was originally used as the local hanging tree and is the second oldest of its type in the UK at over 400 years old.
The name 'Benleva' was given to the house during the 1950's. One of the previous owners came from the island of Berneray, in the Hebrides. The highest point of that island is a hill known as Beinn Sleibhe (Moor Hill) which is pronounced Ben Leva.
The current proprietors purchased the Benleva in November 2001 at which time it was in a fairly sorry state. Since then they have carried out substantial improvements throughout the property. Initially the new bar had to be constructed, along with a complete refurbishment of the kitchen. New carpets have been installed and, most recently, a complete refurbishment of the en-suite bathrooms has been carried out during the winter of 2006/7.
One of the most important decisions was to sell real ale. Back in 2001 there were no establishments around Loch Ness selling any cask-conditioned ale from the local breweries. From the first day of opening the Benleva has always had cask ale available. The first Loch Ness Beer Festival was held in 2002, at which time there were no other Beer Festivals in the Highlands, and still takes place every September.
The Benleva has won numerous awards from CAMRA (The Campaign For Real Ale) including the overall Highlands Pub of the Year on two occasions, and the 2009 Inverness & District (North) Pub of the Year.