The Highland Hotel, Union Road, Fort William

Duncan Cameron, Architect, circa 1890. 3-storey and attic

over raised basement wide 5-bay hotel, north facing on

steeply sloping site. Grey bullfaced sneck coursed rubble,

with contrasting tooled red sandstone dressings. Advanced and

gabled outer bays linked at 1st floor by cast-iron balcony

with ornate balustrade supported by paired bracketted

cast-iron columns, forming continuous portico. Centre

entrance with half glazed doors, flanking and upper lights

under segmental headed keystoned architrave. Flanking

transomed and mullioned windows, projecting as canted bay

windows rising to 1st floor in outer bays and linked at 1st

and 2nd floors by continuous moulded string courses. 7 narrow

windows in centre recessed bays in 1st and 2nd floors; 5

barge-boarded dormers with decorative wooden finials. 2-pane

glazing, with coloured glazing in upper light of principal

ground floor windows. Deep gabled flanks, harled at west;

modern single storey extension at west gable.

Coped ridge stacks; slate roofs.

Interior; original interior hotel fittings in ground floor;

large entrance hall with panelled dado and wide staircase

with carved balustrade and reeded square newels; stained

glass stair window.

Original reception desk and office opens into hall with

panelled frontage and carved detailing. Panelled dados to

corridors, leading to public rooms with double doors,

panelled and half glazed with frosted decorative lettering

indicating room function, "Tea Room" etc. Original carved,

panelled and mirrored chimney pieces. Decorative plaster

ceilings.