Grogarry Lodge celebrates Bella Cameron’s 55 years of service

A Scottish angling haven

Few places in Scotland can accommodate large groups of anglers in such style as Grogarry Lodge in South Uist, writes Nick Dawson. The fishing can be superb, but it is the lodge’s welcoming staff that make an angler’s stay so special, and this December, the community-owned estate will mark a special milestone when host and housekeeper Bella Cameron marks 55 years’ service.

The Victorian sporting lodge, built in 1838, has always been a mecca for those chasing wild Hebridean fish – salmon, sea-trout or the prized plump machair trout – in the traditional loch style, drifting from a boat.
While gone are the days when Grogarry was exclusive to owners and syndicate members, with guests dressing for dinner, Bella Cameron has remained a constant: also its cook and the adopted mother to thousands of bedraggled fly-fishers who’ve passed through its doors.

A lifetime of dedication

Born at Tipperton on the estate’s south end, Bella began at the then estate-owned Lochboisdale Hotel before taking on part-time duties at the lodge, moving to full-time work in 1971. Her role developed into head of house and cook.

When recent attempts at menu streamlining were made, one regular visitor demanded Bella’s menus be reinstated, saying otherwise there was no point in going to Grogarry. “It’s like welcoming family back each year,” she said of guests she has known for decades. Congratulations, Bella!