A Family-Run Hotel on Alness High Street
In a century-old sandstone building at 23 High Street, a short walk from the shore of the Cromarty Firth, the Commercial Hotel does what good Highland locals have always done: pours a proper pint downstairs and keeps warm, tidy beds upstairs. Alness itself is a quiet Highland town a short hop up the A9 from Inverness. The Robertson family, Graeme, his brother Gary and their late father Guthrie, have run the hotel for more than two decades; long enough that the lounge bar, 3G's Lounge (now also branded Lounge 23), is named after three generations of Gs. Owner Graeme answers review-site reviews personally, a small but unmistakable signal that this is a place still run by hand.
Upstairs sits a tidy floor of ten en-suite bedrooms, singles, doubles, triples and a quadruple, finished in a traditional, carpeted, warm style and equipped with flat-screen TVs, tea and coffee trays, and free Wi-Fi. Downstairs you'll find a busy public bar, the quieter lounge bar, and a recently refurbished restaurant.
What does the building look like?
Commercial Hotel takes a prominent corner of the High Street under a slate-roofed sandstone building over a hundred years old, with dormer windows above and the original Commercial Hotel hand-painted signage on the facade. Three sets of cascading flower baskets bracket the front door each summer, Alness has won Britain in Bloom multiple times, and the hotel does its share. The painted entrance door is a deep heritage red; the side elevation carries the 3G's Lounge sign and the Bar, Large Screens · Live Sky · Live BT Sport board.
It is unmistakably a working pub-with-rooms rather than a polished boutique, the bar acts as reception, the front door opens straight into the public bar, and the upstairs floors are reached by stairs only (there is no lift). Guests who book it knowing what to expect consistently rate it 8 or 9 out of 10. Dogs are welcome (£15 per stay), bike storage is available, and the rear car park is free for guests and CCTV-covered.
Why guests keep coming back
The pattern across recent reviews is consistent, friendly staff draw the warmest praise of any part of the stay, the value is hard to argue with for a single room in the centre of a Highland town, and the central High Street location goes down well too. The food, when the kitchen is running, draws specific praise: fish and chips, mac and cheese, Balmoral chicken and a Sunday roast all show up by name in recent reviews, and the refurbished Lounge 23 restaurant looks notably more polished than guests expect from a small-town pub-with-rooms.
Couples in particular love it, but the property attracts plenty of solo NC500 road-trippers, Invergordon cruise passengers stopping pre- or post-cruise, and small groups making an overnight stop on the way north. If you arrive expecting a small, lived-in family-run hotel rather than a boutique experience, you almost certainly leave a returning customer.
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Interesting Points About Commercial Hotel
- Within a short drive of Dalmore Distillery (the Highland malt whisky maker since 1839), Invergordon cruise port (where AIDA, Cunard, Holland America and other deep-sea-cruise lines berth April-October) and Inverness Airport; a three-attraction radius rare for a single Scottish Highland market-town pub-with-rooms.
- Operates as 10 en-suite bedrooms above a public bar, lounge and the Lounge 23 restaurant rather than as a standalone accommodation block; the integrated pub-with-rooms format is the editorial reason cruise-day excursion travellers from Invergordon book the property as a base.
- Dog-friendly across the inventory with no per-night surcharge documented; useful context for Scottish Highland travellers with a dog, since pet policies in the Ross & Cromarty competitor set vary substantially by room type.
- Lounge 23 restaurant on-site is described in current public-facing copy as 'recently refurbished'; useful pre-booking signal that the F&B side of the property has been freshly invested in, distinguishing it from the typical 'fading Highland pub-with-rooms' competitor narrative.
Rooms & Accommodation at Commercial Hotel
Single Room with Private Bathroom
Sleeps 1 · 11.5 m² · Private en-suite shower
The cheapest room at the property, compact 11.5 m² with a single bed under the dormer-windowed attic ceiling. Carpeted, warm and traditionally finished with an antique writing desk, wardrobe and tea/coffee tray. Recent solo guests specifically praise the value and shower quality. Upper-floor stairs only, no lift.
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Double Room with Private Bathroom
Sleeps 2 · 15 m² · Private en-suite shower
The most popular room type at the property, with beds guests find comfortable. Compact 15 m² double on the first or second floor, with a wooden bedstead, white linen, writing desk, kettle and tea tray, in-room safe and a trouser press. Three of the doubles sit on the first floor; the rest on the second. Stairs only.
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Triple Room with Private Bathroom
Sleeps 3 · 25 m² (largest standard) · Private en-suite shower
Genuinely roomy at 25 m² / 270 ft², the largest standard room in the building. Three single beds with cream throws, the same finish as the doubles plus a trouser press and in-room safe. One triple on each floor, so you can request the second floor for a quieter night. Useful for three friends sharing or a parent-plus-teens combination. Stairs only.
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Quadruple Room with Shower
Sleeps 4 · 18.5 m² · Private bathroom with shower
The family / four-friends option, straightforward, carpeted, warm, and the lowest per-person option for four adults. Private bathroom with shower; hairdryer and free toiletries aren't listed for this room, so pack those or call ahead. Stairs only.
Check PricesIs Commercial Hotel Right for You?
Best Suited For
- NC500 road-trippers wanting a civilised one- or two-night stop on the way north: cheaper than Inverness, right on the A9
- Invergordon cruise passengers needing a pre- or post-cruise night: the port is 3.4 miles up the road
- Whisky tourists touring Dalmore (one mile away) and Glenmorangie at Tain
- Solo workers and small groups stopping over for one or two nights at honest pub-with-rooms prices
- Dog owners: pets are welcome in rooms (£15 per stay)
Worth Considering Alternatives If
- You need a lift: every bedroom is on the first or second floor and reached by stairs only
- You're a light sleeper covering a Friday or Saturday: there's live music on Fridays and a DJ on Saturdays in the bar; request an upper-floor or rear-facing room
- You depend on the on-site kitchen being open every night: recent guests have arrived to find food service unavailable on certain days, so phone ahead to confirm
- You want a swimming pool, gym or spa: there is none on site
- You can only pay by card: the property lists cash as its accepted method; confirm card acceptance with reception when you book
Amenities & Facilities
Bar, Lounge & Restaurant
- Lounge 23, recently refurbished restaurant; phone ahead to confirm food service on your dates
- Public bar with live music on Fridays and a resident DJ on Saturdays
- Lounge bar, quieter, with a stone fireplace lit on cooler evenings
- Continental and full-cooked breakfast options (paid surcharge, confirm with rate plan)
- Daytime coffee/cafe service
- Sky Sports and BT Sport on the bar's big screens
Room Amenities
- Free Wi-Fi throughout
- Private en-suite bathroom in every room (free toiletries, hairdryer, towels, except Quadruple)
- Flat-screen TV with radio
- Tea and coffee tray with electric kettle
- Heating, wardrobe, dedicated desk and chair
- In-room safe and trouser press in Single, Double and Triple rooms
Parking & Transport
- Free private car park to the rear (CCTV-covered courtyard)
- Bike storage and motorbike-friendly back yard
- Alness train station 600 yd away (10-minute walk)
- Bus stop on the High Street roughly 450 m from the door
- Inverness Airport (INV) 27 miles via the A9, about 35–40 minutes by car
Services & Accessibility
- Bar acts as reception (no traditional check-in desk)
- Luggage storage available
- Daily housekeeping
- Pets welcome, £15 per pet, per stay
- Cash payments accepted (confirm card acceptance with reception when you book)
- Not available: Lift
- Not available: Cots and extra beds
Leisure
- Live music programme, check the property's Facebook page for the weekend line-up
- Big-screen Sky and BT Sport in the bar
- Not available: Swimming pool
- Not available: Gym
- Not available: Spa or hot tub
Location & Getting Around
Alness is a small Highland town of about 6,100 people on the north shore of the Cromarty Firth, in Ross and Cromarty, 22 miles north of Inverness via the A9. It is best known for multiple Britain in Bloom wins and as a quiet, friendly base for the eastern Highlands, a useful overnight stop for North Coast 500 drivers, a pre- or post-cruise night for Invergordon passengers, a base for Dalmore and Glenmorangie distillery visits, and a cheaper alternative to staying inside Inverness.
The Commercial Hotel sits on the High Street roughly opposite the row of independent shops that runs west toward Ancaster Square, with the train station 600 yards down the hill and the Cromarty Firth itself a short walk south. From here Dalmore Distillery is one mile west, the cruise port at Invergordon 3.4 miles north-east, the iconic Fyrish Monument a 4-mile drive (then a 30–45-minute uphill walk) and Inverness Castle 22 miles south down the A9. Free parking is to the rear; the High Street frontage is for arrival and drop-off only.
- Alness train station: 600 yd · 10-minute walk. Far North Line services to Inverness in about 25 minutes and onwards north towards Wick and Thurso.
- Alness Heritage Centre: 0.2 mi · A few minutes' walk along the High Street; a small local-history museum.
- The Dalmore Distillery: 1 mi · A few minutes by car or a flat 20-minute walk along the firth. Home of the famous stag-emblem single malt; tours pre-bookable only.
- Crawl Park & Alness Parkrun: 0.9 mi · Saturday-morning parkrun start; the Alness Gala focal point in late June.
- Invergordon cruise port: 3.4 mi · The closest practical pre- or post-cruise hotel option in Alness; approximately 10 minutes by taxi from the terminal.
- Fyrish Monument (Cnoc Fyrish): 4 mi by road · A 30–45-minute uphill walk on the Jubilee Path. The 1782 hilltop folly was commissioned by Sir Hector Munro and shaped to resemble the gates of Negapatam in India.
- Black Rock Gorge: 5 mi west · A short drive towards Evanton; a deep, narrow Old Red Sandstone cleft used as a filming location for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
- Inverness Airport (INV): 27 mi · About 35–40 minutes by car via the A9; domestic services plus seasonal European routes.
- Inverness rail station: 22 mi · Mainline services to Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Caledonian Sleeper to London Euston.
Getting to Key Locations
Photo: DavideGorla, CC BY 2.0
The Dalmore Distillery
One mile west of the hotel on the shore of the Cromarty Firth, the home of the famous stag-emblem single malt and one of the most photogenic distilleries on the Highland whisky trail. Pre-book tours direct with the distillery; cruise-call days are particularly busy.
View on Map
Photo: Reg Tait, CC BY-SA 3.0
Fyrish Monument
A 4-mile drive south-east of the hotel followed by a 30–45-minute uphill walk on the Jubilee Path. The 1782 hilltop folly was commissioned by Sir Hector Munro and is shaped to resemble the gates of Negapatam in India; the views over the Cromarty Firth from the top are some of the best in Easter Ross.
View on Map
Photo: Andrew Tryon, CC BY-SA 2.0
Black Rock Gorge
A short drive west towards Evanton, the Black Rock Gorge is a deep, narrow Old Red Sandstone cleft draped in moss and ferns. It featured as a filming location for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the Triwizard dragon-task dive, and a short woodland walk leads to the viewing bridges.
View on MapHow to Get to Commercial Hotel from Inverness Airport
- Pick up a hire car or arrange a transfer: There is no airport shuttle to Alness. The simplest route is to pick up a hire car from Inverness Airport (INV) directly, or pre-book a private transfer for around £55.
- A96 west into Inverness: Leave the airport on the access road and join the A96 westbound for about 7 miles into Inverness.
- A9 north over the Kessock and Cromarty bridges: At the Longman / Raigmore interchange, take the A9 northbound (signposted Wick). Stay on the A9 across the Kessock Bridge, the Cromarty Bridge and through Evanton.
- B817 into Alness High Street: After Evanton, take the A9/B817 exit signposted Alness and follow the B817 into the town. The B817 becomes Alness High Street, Commercial Hotel is on the right at 23 High Street, IV17 0PT, with the free private car park accessed at the rear. Total drive: about 27 miles, roughly 35–40 minutes.
Alness at a Glance
Alness sits on the most photogenic stretch of the eastern Highland coast, a quiet, flower-filled small town wedged between the Cromarty Firth and the foothills of Cnoc Fyrish. It's the closest practical base to the Dalmore Distillery and a short drive from Glenmorangie at Tain, putting two of Scotland's biggest single-malt names within an easy half-day. The firth itself is one of the best places in the UK for spotting bottlenose dolphins, the resident pod is regularly seen from Chanonry Point on the Black Isle, about 30 minutes south-east.
For walkers, the woodland path up to Fyrish Monument is a near-perfect short Highland hike: roughly an hour up through forestry to a hilltop folly with sweeping views over the Cromarty Firth and the Nigg fabrication yards. Black Rock Gorge at Evanton, the dramatic Old Red Sandstone cleft used in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, is another easy half-day, and Ben Wyvis is within reach for stronger walkers. May to September is the obvious peak; June overlaps with the Alness Gala, which brings a procession down the High Street and a Saturday-night Fling-in-the-Field dance to Crawl Park.
Watch: the Easter Ross peninsula
A tour of the peninsula Alness sits on, taking in the Cromarty Firth, Tarbat Ness, the coastal villages and the Highland country that carries the NC500 north. The area on our doorstep, seen properly.
What Guests Say About Commercial Hotel
Scores and review counts are aggregated from verified guest bookings on major travel platforms.
Good
Guest sentiment is consistently warm and value-flavoured. The stand-out themes are the staff, the central High Street location and clean, comfortable rooms, with couples especially positive about their stays. The food, when the kitchen is running, draws specific praise, the recently refurbished Lounge 23 looks notably more polished than guests expect from a small-town pub-with-rooms.
Great value and great location with great staff. Fantastic friendly team, lovely clean and well-equipped room, and a great bar downstairs with friendly locals.
Ben
Great value and great location with great staff. Fantastic friendly team, lovely clean and well-equipped room, and a great bar downstairs with friendly locals.
2026-03-12Superb. Excellent value for money, great shower, and an ideal location.
2026-03-08Brilliant value for money for a short stay over. The staff were great and really helpful.
2026-04-28We were on the second floor and didn't have any issues with bar noise, really comfortable stay.
2025-12-15Simple, comfy, warm rooms and the food was great. Saturday night gets a bit lively, but otherwise spot-on.
2025-12-08Comfortable beds, very accommodating staff, continental breakfast, and good-sized rooms, handy for getting around.
2025-10-24Great location for getting to my event, and a comfortable bed.
2026-01-12Clean room and a convenient location with easy check-in.
2026-04-06Good to Know Before You Book
Stairs only, no lift
All ten bedrooms are on the first or second floor and reached by stairs. If mobility is an issue, ask for a first-floor room when you book; Singles, Doubles and one Triple are on the first floor.
Phone ahead about food
Lounge 23 and the kitchen are excellent when open, but recent guests have arrived to find food service unavailable on certain days. A quick call to +44 1349 882202 before your stay confirms whether dinner and breakfast are running on your dates.
Weekend evenings are lively
There's live music on Fridays and a resident DJ on Saturdays in the public bar. Guests on the second floor and rear-facing rooms report no issues, request an upper-floor or rear-facing room if you're a light sleeper covering a weekend.
Use the rear car park
Free guest parking is to the rear of the hotel, the courtyard is CCTV-covered and motorbike-friendly. The High Street frontage is for arrival and drop-off only; the rear entry isn't always obvious from the front.
Pets welcome with a £15 charge
Dogs are welcome in the rooms with a £15 per-pet charge. Bring cash for the pet charge, the property lists cash as its accepted payment method, so confirm card acceptance with reception when you book.
Photos of Commercial Hotel
Frequently Asked Questions
Commercial Hotel sits at 23 High Street, Alness, in the centre of the town on the north shore of the Cromarty Firth, 22 miles north of Inverness via the A9. Alness train station is 600 yards away, the Dalmore Distillery one mile west and Invergordon cruise port 3.4 miles north-east.
Check-in is from 14:00 (window 14:00–21:00) and check-out is until 11:00. The bar acts as reception. There is no traditional check-in desk. Outside the check-in window the front desk may be unstaffed, so let the hotel know your expected arrival time when you book.
Yes. There is free private parking to the rear of the hotel for guests, in a CCTV-covered courtyard accessed via the lane round the block from Main Street rather than directly off the High Street frontage. Bike parking and motorbike storage are also available.
The public bar is open daily, and Lounge 23, the recently refurbished restaurant, is excellent when open. However, recent guests have arrived to find food service unavailable on certain days. Phone +44 1349 882202 ahead of your stay to confirm whether dinner and breakfast are running on your dates.
Yes, pets are welcome in the rooms with a £15 charge per pet, per stay. There is no published weight or number cap. The property lists cash as its accepted payment method, so bring cash for the pet charge.
There is no lift at Commercial Hotel. All ten bedrooms are on the first or second floor and reached by stairs only. The bar, lounge and Lounge 23 restaurant on the ground floor are accessible. If mobility is an issue, request a first-floor room when you book.
Inverness Airport (INV) is 27 miles south via the A9, about 35–40 minutes by car. Invergordon cruise port is 3.4 miles north-east, about 10 minutes by taxi from the cruise terminal. The Dalmore Distillery is one mile west, a few minutes by car or a flat 20-minute walk along the firth.
Commercial Hotel sells four room types: Single, Double, Triple and Quadruple. All have a private en-suite, flat-screen TV, tea and coffee tray, free Wi-Fi and heating. Singles, Doubles and Triples additionally have an in-room safe and trouser press. The Quadruple has a shower-only en-suite without hairdryer or free toiletries, pack those or call ahead.
Other Great Stays in Scotland
Dalgair House Hotel
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Balmoral Hotel
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Allison House
A family-run B&B in a townhouse on Edinburgh's south side, a useful pairing with a Highland trip if you want a couple of city nights either side of the Cromarty Firth.
Ready to Book Commercial Hotel?
Ten en-suite rooms above the bar and Lounge 23 restaurant, on Alness High Street. Free rear parking, dog-friendly, walking distance to the train station. Run by the same family for more than two decades.
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