Luss Estates – a 45,000 acre private estate at the foot of Beinn Eich beside the crystal shores and islands of Loch Lomond with Ben Lomond beyond – has been nurtured by Clan Colquhoun for 800 years. The heart of the estate is the conservation village of Luss, where the 17th century coaching inn, The Loch Lomond Arms, has been rewoven for the 21st century as a gateway to the Highlands under the eye of Patrick Colquhoun (son of the present Clan Chief, Sir Malcolm Colquhoun, 31st of Colquhoun, 33rd of Luss). His vision is to build a destination built on history, heritage, natural beauty and incredible Scottish experiences on the Loch and land and to share his family’s passion for the place and its people.
The transformation was masterminded by interior storytellers Russell Sage Studio (The Fife Arms, Braemar; Glenmorangie House, Tain; Ardbeg House, Isle of Islay).
From a pet lion in the trenches to a Christmas Day Truce diary, eight centuries of Colquhoun family history are brought to life within the historic coaching inn’s walls. Working closely with Patrick and Sir Malcolm, Russell Sage and his creative team immersed themselves in the Colquhoun family archives, uncovering stories so vivid, improbable and deeply human that, as Russell puts it, “you couldn’t make it up” – weaving them into every room, corridor and corner of the hotel.
The inn’s interiors are a love letter to the Scottish Highlands. Guests check-in at a small whisky bar in the Map Room – its ceiling adorned with the family’s personal collection of charts and maps, walls lined with whisky bottles, and a map table at its heart where an experienced guide helps plot and plan the adventures ahead. From there, the Stag and Two Hounds pub has a design concept dedicated to the Colquhoun family’s extraordinary love of animals: walls hung with hand-printed paper by Dundee artist Freya Cummings, and newly commissioned portraits of family members wearing masks of the animals they cherished – Sir Iain with his pet lion, Fiona Lady Arran with the badger she walked on a lead around the village, and Sir John with his beloved stags.
The Stag and Two Hounds pub serves up a menu of Scottish classics from dawn to dusk, with an emphasis on farmed and fished local produce. Beyond the pub lies the Treasury restaurant, featuring some priceless family treasures: among them a page from the diary of the Colquhoun who led the Christmas Day Truce in No Man’s Land in 1914 – and a pistol that deflected a bullet in battle. The menu features dishes such as slow roasted lamb shoulder with Skirlie clapshott and rosemary, and smoked lobster with Estate grown herbs and Orkney butter, shallots and wild roquette. Both pub and restaurant menus celebrate the Loch Lomond Arm’s privileged position and an estate to plate ethos as an ode to the very best produce from the loch and land.
Each of the 14 bedrooms – including one hidden external room overlooking the River Luss – are named after a notable Colquhoun ancestor and shaped by pivotal moments in the family history. Fabrics and textiles by Fermoie sit alongside hand-painted furniture; around 60% are upcycled antiques from the family collection, some wrapped in original deeds, with bathroom murals bringing the wild beauty of the landscape inside. In every room, guests are welcomed by the story of the ancestor they are staying with – read aloud on screen by a resident of Luss village.
Patrick Colquhoun, Luss Estates, said, “Re-opening the doors of The Loch Lomond Arms this summer is a deeply significant moment for our family and the wider estate. This reimagination of the hotel has been an opportunity to honour its legacy while welcoming a new generation of guests – people who want to experience the very best of Scotland. Our hope is that every person who stays here leaves not only with wonderful memories, but with a real connection to this landscape and a shared desire to protect it.”
Step outside The Loch Lomond Arms and the estate unfolds before you – 45,000 acres of incredible land and wildlife. The experiences beyond the hotel door are shaped by the same family stories that inspired the interiors. Lady Fiona’s Stowaway Loch Hop & Stop – named after Fiona Colquhoun, Lady Arran, the “Fastest Granny on the Water” who reached 102 mph on Loch Lomond at the age of 62 – sets families sail on a private yacht adventure, exploring the loch’s hidden corners and stopping at one of its 34 islands. On land, Lady Helen’s Farmstead Ring of Truth invites guests to meet the farming families who have worked the land for generations – some for five or eight generations, many of them women – with the chance to bottle-feed lambs, herd cattle and discover life on the estate first hand. Sir Iain’s Lochside Kilted Dip & Dive – honouring the war hero and open-water swimmer Sir Iain Colquhoun – combines a guided kayak journey to a secluded island with wild swimming and a private chef-prepared lunch. Just steps from the hotel, Luss Distillery offers tours, tastings and the opportunity to blend and bottle a bespoke gin. And as evening falls, guests return to The Loch Lomond Arms to relax beside the fire with a well-earned dram.
Russell Sage said, “Whilst the Loch Lomond Arms may appear to be a humble family coaching inn, it is so much more than that. When Sir Malcolm and Lady Colquhoun first contacted me, I was instantly struck by this family’s connection to the land they have cherished for centuries – and their very own take on the evolving history of Scotland. To have been given their stories to work with has been an exceptionally rare gift. The Loch Lomond Arms has been a once-in-a-career opportunity to find new ways of telling old stories to a new audience, and I hope those stories inspire guests to have their own extraordinary adventures, with the people who have been here for generations.”
The Loch Lomond Arms reopened in July 2026. Rates from £265 per night.
For further information and to book, visit www.lochlomondarmshotel.com or www.lussestates.co.uk.