Having read some of the reviews that followed mine of September last year I was expecting that the place had fallen down or been taken over by aliens!

The building was opened in 1847 and has gone through many changes. Its an old building and there are bound to be problems. Yes there are areas that need decoration, yes the staff may have the odd 'off' day and yes the food won't suit everyone but some of the reviews are way over the top. It isnt pretending to be a five star palace, its a down to earth, warm, friendly place run by quality approachable people. Look beyond the minor problems and this place is a little gem.

And I found the real story about the get stuffed comment. Its rubbish!

Four nights bed, breakfast, evening meal, afternoon high tea with two nights entertainment. Cost, £129.00 per person. Okay its a 936 mile round trip but it was well worth it. We took friends and split the driving and fuel costs plus Tesco do a useful fuel deal.

Sharon, David and Chrissie who head up the place do a fantastic job. Booking in took seconds. They knew all our names after 24 hours and did their best to sort out our requests with minimal fuss or bother. The waiting staff led by Neil, apart from a blip on Tuesday, had everything running like clockwork.

Breakfast was great, huge choice of piping hot food, breads, pastries, cereals, juices and HAGGIS! The black pudding was,without a doubt some of the best I have ever had. All locally sourced and fresh.

Dinner had three courses, always a soup, three options of main plus a vegi dish, and three sweet dishes with tea or coffee in the bar area. On two nights you sit on tables of four, the other two nights are classed as party nights with large round tables. Great for getting to know people.

Maria and her chum do a great job behind the bar and always have a ready smile and a wicked sense of humour. On the last day the staff presented us with Christmas Day and New Year all in one. The hotel was dressed with a christmas tree and a few decorations and a selection box was placed in the rooms. Nice touch.

The hotel is in a great location. You can (and we did) get to Skye and the whole of the west coast with little trouble. The staff know all the local beauty spots and a few only the locals keep to themselves. Try Channery Point just past Avoch on the Black Isle, bottle nosed dolphins feed off shore and are there most days. Magical. Plenty of distilleries around as well but leave plenty of time to get to Talisker on Skye. We failed. The problem was the scenery, it just gets better with every mile and you have to stop to take it all in.

The majority of the guests were Scots, a race that knows a great deal when they see it. They had all been to the Wyvis on many occasions and told us that they would be back next year. I suppose if you have been trapped in a coach for eight hours and dragged round various places then there is only one place left to vent your anger.

In our view the Ben Wyvis is a great hotel for a break or a longer stay and doesn't deserve some of the comments made on this site.