Hotel History

 

In the mid 19th Century, 12 householders are documented as living at "Gaskmore". The dwellings appear to have stretched from east of the War Memorial along the ridge where the present hotel now stands. Murdoch MacLeod, shoemaker, lived here and across the road behind the present "Old Smiddy" there was another cluster.

Donald David MacPherson built Gaskmore around 1930 along with the gate lodge and a garage to a very high architectural standard. It was built on the site of several former cottages, one wall of which is retained in the present building. The work cost £900 and was carried out by J. MacPherson brothers of Kingussie and their brother in law Jock Russell of Newtonmore (high class stone mason)

Donald lived in rather grand style, bringing a chauffeur and staff from Shrewsbury on his visits to Laggan. His eldest son Euan died as a result of wounds sustained during the First World War, so his son Duncan inherited Gaskmore. As he was in the Royal Navy and had been forced as a child to spend holidays swathed in kilts and sporrans, he wanted no part of it but he had enough affection for the house to want to keep it in the family so he sold it at a very low cost to his relative Kathleen Boswell Brown and her husband Kenneth. They used the Gaskmore for holidays until the early 1950s when they moved in permanently. Kenneth bought Gaskbeg Farm and ran it until his death in 1956 with Ben Coutts as tenant.

Kathleen, "BB" as she was called, converted the house into a small hotel with a bar, which rapidly became an important meeting point for many local people since John Smalls inn at Kinlochlaggan had recently burnt down. She and her friend Kathleen Reynolds, "Bimbo" were very convivial and enthusiastic "mine hosts" and were accustomed to closing the bar by firing a pistol with blank cartridges.

In the late 1970`s the hotel burnt down and the was purchased by Raymond and Ruby Sutherland from Banff. Rebuilt it was once again the focal point of the village with its thriving restaurant and bar. Since then the hotel has changed hands several times and was extended by the Grovers to cater for coaches. There have been two other owners since the Grovers and now the hotel is a family run establishment with a warm welcome offered to all.