Eight centuries of extraordinary Colquhoun family stories brought to life at The Loch Lomond Arms
Luss Estates will officially re-open the doors of its reimagined coaching inn on Friday the 10th of July, The Loch Lomond Arms, on the shores of Loch Lomond in the conservation village of Luss. Following an imaginative transformation by interior storymakers Russell Sage Studio, the 17th century inn begins a new chapter – its design rooted in the history of the Colquhoun family, the ancient village of Luss, and the majestic landscapes of loch and land.
The 45,000-acre Luss Estates has been protected and preserved by the Colquhoun family for more than 800 years. Overseeing the reimagination of The Loch Lomond Arms is Patrick Colquhoun, son of the present Clan Chief, with a vision to create a destination rooted in history, heritage, natural beauty and extraordinary Scottish experiences.
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.
Framed by the mountains of Beinn Dubh and Ben Lomond, and just steps from the loch shore, 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 serves up a menu of Scottish classics from dawn to dusk, starting the day with a breakfast of Oats and spurtle stirred Scots porridge, Kippers with two butterflied smoked herrings and a full Scottish breakfast complete with tattie scones – with an emphasis on farmed and fished local produce. Throughout the day, lighter bar bites are also served such as Arran wild boar, black pudding and apple Bon Bon’s and Scottish prawns with garlic butter and hazelnut, as well as pub favourites with a distinctly Scottish twist – Mussels, Colquhoun style with curried cream, chilli and garlic and Haggis lamb with a Lomond Distillery malt peppercorn sauce. Inspired by the Loch, the dessert menu features the likes of a ‘Floating Island,’ of caramel, almonds and Drambuie custard, as well as a selection of local Scottish cheese.
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. Handmade slipware tiles by ceramicist Sean Kingsley adorn the bar front throughout. An elevated menu features dishes such as slow roasted lamb shoulder with Skirlie clapshott and rosemary, fillet beef with cured treacle and chargrilled Bearnaise chips, as well as 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 within the hotel – 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. The newly refurbished events space adjoining the hotel is available for weddings, private parties and meetings, offering the chance to take the whole inn as an exclusive Highland home.
Step outside The Loch Lomond Arms and the estate unfolds before you – 45,000 acres of incredible land and wildlife, as well as a Faerie Trail, Luss General Store and holiday cottages, lodges and camping, as well as the exclusive Loch Lomond Golf Club housed in the Colquhoun’s ancestral home. 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, Countess of 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. Lady Helen’s Farmstead Ring of Truth invites guests to meet the farming families who have worked this 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 at first hand. On the water, 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: a great grandfather who took his pet lion to the trenches; a great great aunt who still held the world record for the fastest woman on water at the age of 71, and walked her badger around the village on a lead; an original handwritten account of the Christmas Day Truce. You couldn’t make it up.
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 relaunches on 10 July 2026. Rates start from £265 per night. For further information and to book, visit www.lochlomondarmshotel.com or www.lussestates.co.uk.
