Ben Wyvis Hotel, Strathpeffer

Ben Wyvis Hotel, Strathpeffer

ID: QZP40_CARD_1229_AT DESCRIPTION: The Ben Wyvis Hotel in the village of Strathpeffer. It is set in extensive grounds, with gracious entrance gates leading the visitor up an avenue to the porticoed entrance. Constructed over the ten years leading up to 1887, it was built to accommodate some of Strathpeffer's more up-market visitors during its hey-day as a spa resort. Robert Louis Stevenson features in its guest list. Strathpeffer lies 4 miles (6 km) west of Dingwall in the strath of the River Peffery. It owes its growth and popularity to the discovery of sulphurous springs there in the 1770s. A Dr Morrison from Aberdeenshire publicised the healing powers of the waters at the beginning of the 19th century and, on his recommendation, the first wooden pump room was built in 1819. In 1861 a strong stone pump room replaced the original wooden building. With the strong support of the then Countess of Cromartie, Strathpeffer developed as a Victorian spa resort, its popularity greatly enhanced by the opening of the Strathpeffer branch of the Dingwall and Skye Railway in 1885. Many grand hotels and substantial Victorian villas were built to accommodate the steady stream of visitors who came to 'take the waters'. These improved facilities meant that Strathpeffer could compete with other spa towns in Britain and Europe. Until World War I the village was a major visitor attraction but thereafter its popularity declined. The main Pump Room was demolished in the 1950s but the Upper Pump Room, next to the Pavilion, still remains. It now houses a range of interpretive displays which reveal the history behind the development of the Spa and visitors can again sample the healing waters. Strathpeffer is once more popular with tourists, its large Victorian hotels and guesthouses providing accommodation for visitors touring the Highlands. Among the village's other attractions are a scenic golf course, the Museum of Childhood and the Strathpeffer Spa Pavilion. PLACENAME: Strathpeffer DISTRICT: Dingwall OLD COUNTY/PARISH: ROSS: Fodderty CREATOR (AV): Andrew Taylor DATE OF IMAGE: 2008 PERIOD: 2000s SOURCE: Andrew Taylor Asset ID: 41627 KEYWORDS: