Faside Estate

Why doesn't the operator say that the photos for the travel portals do not correspond to the truth and reality - very dubious We love the Highlands and the locals, but not German operators who do not adhere to reputable business practices! Not recommended!

This is a unique, if expensive, experience. You are the only guests in a Tower dating a thousand years ago and restored 30 years ago. You are the sole occupant of the tower, with a historical lounge on the first floor, a bedroom suite on the second floor and the terrace top of the Tower on the 3rd floor. All can only be accessed by a very difficult set of stairs. Don’t bring heavy luggage . The room have natural light through small windows across very thick medieval castle walls. You do your own continental breakfast in your room, with a well-provisioned fridge, microwave, and toaster. The castle is isolated in grazing lands. It is a wonderful and unique medieval experience. The owner is a charming old couple who will tell you about history. It feels that it is your castle as you are the only guests. Strongly recommended if you can handle the steps.

I’m attempting to provide a more balanced assessment of Fa’side Castle than currently appears on the review pages Grand in scale, magical and romantic at some levels. But don’t think it’s a cosy warm and snuggly place, as it most certainly isn’t. Great to have big stone spiral stairs to climb, first to the grand hall, then to the massive bedroom, and finally to the rooftop. Good views to the coast though traffic noises from the A1 mute the fun. Ian and Sue love to talk about the castle and its historic and architectural features. But they seem to miss the point about providing a great place to stay and rest and chill. (Well we did chill, but not in the right way) The vastness of the place meant the fire and fan heater needed hours to get the place up to a tolerable temperature, and even though I’d said we would be arriving about 3 pm, nothing was on. So I tried as best I could to air the rooms and get them warm, but the way-thick stone walls harbour a lot of cold and the dampness meant we needed extra layers on to be inside. And I’m told the mahusive bed has an electric blanket trying to keep the chill out, but we didn’t stay for that experience, we packed our bags and said goodbye. Shame, but there was no point persevering and wasting our precious hours trying to make the experience bearable. And the supermarket breakfast provisions, though ample, were not what we could have hoped for—something wholesome and artisanal and some real coffee maybe? Ian and Sue were disappointed that we left, but charming as they were, they had done little to make the tower friendly and hospitable, though the fruit and the flowers were a nice touch. We just wanted warm, dry and clean, with decent modern facilities, as so many Scottish castles offer. I recommend the place if you just like the scale and the history and the majesty. I only wish I had read between the lines on the excessively positive reviews, and I might have avoided the “marital” that caused us to head down the road to Archerfield, a little more money, a pristine over-manicured place— but warm and dry and with real coffee waiting for us.

My wife and I stayed at Fa’side for a long weekend and throughly enjoyed our stay. The accommodation is in a tower which was the oldest part of the castle and is on two levels - we had exclusive use of the great hall and a large bedroom at the top of the tower. The great hall Is a good place to just relax and enjoy the ambiance. The bedroom is a large room with a generous bed and an en-suite bath. There is also a breakfast area in the bedroom. It includes a toaster and microwave. The breakfast area and fridge is generously stocked, so you can enjoy a continental breakfast of your choosing. The hosts - Ian and Sue - are extremely courteous and take care to ensure that you feel welcome. We both enjoyed our stay at Fa’side immensely - it’s the first time we’ve lived in a ‘real’ castle - and we would love to go back.