Old Church of Urquhart

Your spirits lift as you approach the edge of the village and spy the inspiring 70ft tower of "Parrandier", the Old Church of Urquhart. Andreas, the owner, bought the property with a legacy from his grandmother and has used the Huguenot family name "Parrandier" as a fitting memorial to her. Simone and Dittmar have now taken over the running of the b&b business, though Andreas still owns the building. The old church stands in splendid rural isolation on a grassy knoll - its own little island of peace and contemplation, surrounded by a sea of stormy farmland.

The church was built in 1843 in the "Perpendicular" style of James Gillespie Graham, with a simple Scottish interior but an exuberant exterior, with fancy finials and enough butressing to hold up Queen Victoria, whose favourite family seat at Balmoral can be spotted, if you follow your nose along the whisky trail south.

If you are planning marriage or a renewal of your vows at the church, no need to ask "for whom the bell in the tower tolls" - Andreas will ensure that it tolls for thee!