Inverlochy Castle, a member of Accessible Hospitality Alliance, has appointed Daragh Stanton, Assistant General Manager, as its Access Champion.
The appointment places accessibility within the operational leadership of one of Scotland’s most distinctive luxury hotels, where heritage, service, setting and guest expectation are closely connected.
Inverlochy Castle joined Accessible Hospitality Alliance earlier this year. Set in the Scottish Highlands near Fort William, the 19th century castle estate is part of the ICMI collection and has built its reputation on refined, highly personal hospitality delivered within a historic and carefully preserved environment.
Stanton’s appointment is also part of a clearer geographic pattern now emerging within Accessible Hospitality Alliance membership.
Scottish hospitality is becoming increasingly visible within aha’s operator community. From The Balmoral in Edinburgh, to Inverlochy Castle in the Highlands, and Isle of Eriska on Scotland’s west coast, a growing number of Scottish hotels are engaging with accessibility as part of how they define modern hospitality.
That pattern matters because Scotland’s hospitality reputation has long been shaped by authenticity, character and a strong sense of place. Accessibility now sits naturally within that conversation. It asks how more guests can experience those qualities with confidence, and how operators can approach access in ways that respect the individuality of each property.
For a hotel such as Inverlochy Castle, accessibility cannot be separated from context. A Highland castle estate presents a different set of operational considerations from an urban hotel, a coastal resort or a purpose-built conference property. Heritage buildings, rural locations, arrival journeys, movement through the property and the guest’s sense of confidence all require thoughtful, practical attention.
By appointing Stanton as Access Champion, Inverlochy Castle gives that work a clear operational point of focus.
As Assistant General Manager, Stanton is closely connected to the everyday delivery of hospitality across the hotel. In the Access Champion role, he will help ensure accessibility remains visible, discussed, measured and progressed as part of the wider guest and colleague experience.
Daragh Stanton, Assistant General Manager and Access Champion, Inverlochy Castle, said: “Empathy is a superpower. Joining Accessible Hospitality Alliance will give both myself and Inverlochy Castle a deeper understanding of the challenges and barriers facing tens of thousands of people who simply want to experience what we do best.
I look forward to breaking down those barriers, one by one, and building new bridges in their place.”
Stanton will also join The Access Champions Collective; the peer community created through aha membership for hospitality professionals responsible for advancing accessibility within their own organisations while learning alongside others working through similar opportunities and challenges.
The growing presence of Scottish hotels within the collective strengthens its operational breadth. It brings into the conversation properties where accessibility must be considered alongside landscape, heritage, destination travel and the deeply personal nature of luxury hospitality.
Charlotte Evans, Group Partnerships Director, Accessible Hospitality Alliance, said: “Inverlochy Castle’s approach to hospitality has always been rooted in warmth, detail and thoughtful personal service. Appointing Daragh as Access Champion demonstrates real leadership in ensuring more guests feel welcomed, valued and able to experience the hotel with confidence and ease.”
Inverlochy Castle’s appointment of an Access Champion marks the next step in its engagement with Accessible Hospitality Alliance, moving from membership into active participation within a wider operator community.
As more Scottish hotels appoint Access Champions and take part in aha’s work, a pattern is becoming harder to miss. Accessibility is no longer sitting at the edge of hospitality strategy. It is becoming part of how leading operators think about reputation, guest confidence, operational quality and long-term business performance.