Ben Damph House took 20 years to build, which began in the 1860’s and was finally completed in 1887.
William King-Noel, the first Earl of Lovelace, built this hunting lodge in 1887. Lovelace was an English landowner, Lord Lieutenant of Surrey and a distinguished scientist. He gains a footnote in history for marrying Lord Byron’s only legitimate daughter, Ada, a pioneering ‘poetical scientist’ who assisted Charles Babbage in understanding and writing the first computer program. She also developed a vision on the capability of computers to go beyond mere calculating or number-crunching while others, including Babbage himself, focused only on those capabilities. The Torridon is a good example of the kind of Scottish holiday home that the English nobility enjoyed after Queen Victoria made the Highlands of Scotland “respectable” again.
The original entrance was through the Dining Room until the addition of the clock tower. In order to build the house all materials had to be shipped in by boat and even the soil in the kitchen garden was brought over from Ireland. The house was built during the 50th year of Queen Victoria’s Reign and you will notice that the Hall and Eilean Chasgaig Room (the Dining Room) are dedicated to her. You will see that the Drawing Room has an unusual Zodiac ceiling, again another tribute to Queen Victoria who was fascinated by astrology.
The Torridon Timeline
2022
30 years as Independent family owned hotel
2021
Rocket Composter installed to process all food waste
5 AA Red Stars & 3 Rosettes
2020
AA 5 Stars and 3 Rosette
Boutique Hotelier – Leadership in Adversity award
Food & Travel Readers awards – Rural Hotel of the year
NOW accreditation – Earth Check 5 star
Featured on BBC ‘Amazing Hotels of the World’
Rohaise becomes a Master Innholder
2019
Dan becomes Chairman of Pride of Britain Hotels for 2 years
2018
The Torridon Hotel is awarded 5 stars from the AA.
Cateys Independent Hotel of the Year
Awarded 3 Rosettes by the AA
Awarded 5 Gold stars from VisitScotland
2017
Celebrates 25 years as Independent family owned hotel
Most Hospitable Hotel – Highland Tourism Awards
Torridon Arcturus Gin Launched
Torridon switches to a bore hole for all its water supply
Rohaise becomes Chair of Apprenticeship in Hospitality Scotland
2016
Independent Hotel of the Year – CIS awards
Install our own Electric car charger
2015
Highland North Coast 500 is launched
2014
Torridon wins Hotel of the year for Pride of Britain hotels
Torridon converts to Biomass energy for heating and hot water
2013
Awarded Gold Green Tourism Business Scheme
Completion of the carbon management programme from the Carbon Trust
The Stables Awarded 4 stars from VisitScotland and AA
2012
AA Hotel of the Year Scotland 2012 – 2013
Dan becomes a Master Innholder
2011
1887 Restaurant awarded AA 3 Rosettes for the first time
Scottish Hotel of The Year – Scottish Hotel Awards (only hotel to have won it twice)
Become members of Luxury Scotland consortium
2010
Scottish Activity Hotel of The Year – Scottish Hotel Awards (3rd time)
2009
Hotel of the Year – Scottish Licensed Trade News Awards
2008
The Stables wins AA Scottish Pub of the Year 2008-09
Awarded 4 AA Red stars and Inspectors Choice hotel
2007
Winner Highland Dining Out Experience – Highland Tourism Awards
2006
Winner of Scottish Activity Hotel of the Year – Scottish Hotel awards
Highly commended Icon of Whisky – Whisky Magazine Awards
Join Pride of Britain Hotels Consortium
2004
Won the Scottish Hotel Awards as ‘Scottish Hotel of the Year’
2004
Daniel and Rohaise Rose-Bristow (The Gregory’s daughter), bought the business in 2004 having managed the property for 5 years. They continue the great tradition that has gone before and aim to exceed the expectations of all who visit Torridon.
2002
Included in “the Top 200 hotels in Britain”
2001
Gains Three ‘Red Star’ awards in 2001
2000
Rohaise wins ‘Best Development of People’ at the Highlands and Island Business Awards
1999
Dan and Rohaise Rose-Bristow (The Gregory’s daughter and son in law) join the business as managers, moving from London to Torridon
The Torridon Kitchen garden is turned back into a productive 2 acre Victorian garden
1998
Awarded AA ‘Best Hotel in Scotland’
1995
The Ben Damp bar become Ben Damph Lodges, with the stables, sheds and buttery being converted into 12 bedrooms, pub and restaurant.
1994
Awarded ‘Best Newcomer’ by the AA Hotel Awards
1993
In 1993 it was re-opened as The Loch Torridon Country House Hotel, and since then the family has invested hard work to restore it to its former glory and establish the hotel as a leading UK luxury property. Whilst ensuring that the house retained many of its original Victorian features, they wanted to offer their guests modern day comfort and service.
1992
In 1992 the hotel was bought by David and Geraldine Gregory.
1960
In the early 1960s Beinn Damh House was converted into a hotel and managed by the Lovelace family, who moved into Torridon House. Following the death of the 4th Earl the now Loch Torridon Hotel were sold to Major Braithwaite who later sold the hotel back to the Countess of Lovelace and the Ben Damph Resort to a Dutchman Mr Katz.
1900
Royalty frequented this part of Scotland and Queen Victoria was said to have loved to travel the road between Torridon and Diabaig, accompanied by her personal servant John Brown.
1887
The house is completed and setup as a Hunting Lodge. All materials for the house had to be shipped in by boat — even the soil in the kitchen garden was brought over from Ireland.
1860
Building starts on Ben Damph House (later to become the hotel) by William King-Noel, the first Earl of Lovelace.
1800
The story of the Annat Skull, said to be used as late as the 1900s. The skull was an unfortunate woman who committed suicide, the daughter of Farve Wizard who lured victims to their deaths on the wild rapids of the black Water. In the 18th Century, a suicide was not permitted burial in sanctified ground, so she was buried outside, close to the wall of the old burial ground. Her skull would surface many times and eventually became an instrument for apparently curing epilepsy with water sipped from the skull.
1600
Torridon existed as an ironworks which probably converted pig iron produced in furnaces on the shore of Loch Maree into wrought iron for shipment to England.
2500 million years ago
The red sandstone of Torridon is created and the mountains rise out of the water to over 3000 ft
12 Months of The Torridon
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