Fall Getaway Offer

Colour Your World in the Annapolis Valley

You’re invited to a spectacle of colours while enjoying some of the finer things in life; fine accommodations and wine.

Annapolis Royal, we’re closer than you think!

The award winning Hillsdale House Inn and the award winning Annapolis Highland Vineyards are teaming up to provide you with the opportunity to take in the spectacular display of Fall colours that we enjoy in the Annapolis Royal and Bear River areas, and at the same time be treated to one of the best historic Inn accommodations and some of the best wine available in Nova Scotia. And in case you were not aware, it is all available within 2 1/2 hours from the Halifax area.

While in the area you should also plan to visit the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens - recently recognized as one of the Top 5 North American Gardens to Travel To. Plan to be here on a Saturday morning and you can visit our Farmers Market where you are sure to find something to take home with you. Plus, there are many other things to see and do in the area that we would be happy to share.

This Colour Your World getaway offer includes:

• Overnight accommodations at the Hillsdale House Inn


• Complimentary full hot breakfast


• A bottle of red or white wine from Annapolis Highland Vineyards


• Wine tasting and tour at Annapolis Highland Vineyard

The offer is available between September 21st and October 26th. Prices for the package start at $100.00 plus tax and vary according to room selection and date of stay. To check price and availability Click Here and enter your preferred date(s). For additional information you can also call the Inn directly at 1-877-839-2821.

HILLSDALE HOUSE INN CHOSEN AMONG TOP 10 B&B’s IN CANADA

ANNAPOLIS ROYAL, NS December 8, 2011 -- Hillsdale House Inn in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia has been selected among the Top 10 B&B’s in Canada in the seventh annual Best of BedandBreakfast.com™ Awards, 2011-2012. Hillsdale House Inn is recognized as a top inn around the world providing the best travel experience, hospitality and customer service.

BedandBreakfast.com is the most comprehensive global site for finding bed and breakfast properties around the world, with more than 11,000 properties worldwide.

The Best of BedandBreakfast.com Award winners are selected based on the quality and quantity of the traveler reviews from the past year on BedandBreakfast.com, as well as the quality of inns’ photos, listing descriptions and overall online customer experience on BedandBreakfast.com.

“The Best of BedandBreakfast.com Award winners, including Hillsdale House Inn really exemplify the special experience that travelers expect from staying in a bed and breakfast,” says Martin Slagter, vice president of HomeAway, Inc, which owns BedandBreakfast.com. “Take one look at Hillsdale House Inn’s reviews and you’ll see guests who share stellar accolades for its quality accommodations, breakfasts, amenities and outstanding hospitality and service.”

"It's a true honor to be chosen for a Best of BedandBreakfast.com Award, and we thank our guests for the positive reviews that resulted in this award, says Val & Paul Stackhouse, Innkeepers. "It is gratifying that our guests took the time to share their comments about our hospitality, accommodations, breakfasts and attention to the details which set our Inn apart." Here's an excerpt from one of our reviews: “We loved this experience. The Inn was wonderfully cared for. The breakfast was exceptional. The furnishings throughout were thoughtful. Perfectly located within walking distance of all there is to see and do in the town.”

For a complete list of Best of BedandBreakfast.com Award winners, please visit http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/about/BestofBedandBreakfast.aspx

This recognition is now added to the TripAdvisor® Travellers’ Choice Awards that the Inn received in 2010 and 2011 where it also placed among the Top 10 Inn’s in Canada.

For more information please contact the Inn directly by phone 902-532-2345 or email info@hillsdalehouseinn.ca.

Hillsdale House Inn Online Gift Certificate Purchases Now Available

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We are now offering you the convenience of being able to purchase Gift Certificates through our online reservation system. Certificates can be purchased for any amount and can be used toward overnight accommodations or any packages or events that we are offering.

When purchasing a certificate you can choose to either have it emailed directly to the recipient with a special message from you, or you can ask us to mail it directly to them.

To access our system right now to make a purchase just Click Here, or you can choose at any time to visit our website www.hillsdalehouseinn.ca and click the link to Purchase a Gift Certificate on the front page.

Back To School Special

It is almost time to head back to school and we have a special offer to get you out of the house before getting back into that annual routine. Book and stay with us between August 28, 2011 and September 1, 2011 and we will take 25% off the room rate on any available room. The rate is based on double occupancy and includes a full hot breakfast. No other discounts will apply to this special rate. To check room availability and reserve you can "Click Here" to go directly to our online reservation system and enter the Promo Code: BACK when the box appears while entering your reservation. Or if you would prefer you can call or email us directly. Simply call (902) 532-2345 or email reservations@hillsdalehouseinn.ca and mention that you would like to book the Back To School Special.

Snappers Brass & Gas

Snappers Brass & Gas, a set on Flickr.

We had the great pleasure of having members of this car club from the United States with us this past weekend.Via Flickr:These vintage automobiles are all built in 1914 or earlier, with the exception of the Rolls Royce which was built in 1917.

Faerie House Appears in Hillsdale House Inn Garden

For many weeks now little 'Faerie Houses' have been appearing all over Annapolis Royal.

Check out the recent article in the Yarmouth Vanguard http://bit.ly/jxP9HL.

Well it was brought to our attention just a few hours ago that a Faerie House has now appeared in one of the front gardens of the Hillsdale House Inn.

We are certainly honoured to be one of the chosen locations and hope that along with it comes a little good luck!

Weekend with The Cottars

The Cottars are coming to King's Theatre in Annapolis Royal on Saturday, May 21st and we have put together a special weekend package for you to take in the concert and everything else that our area has to offer.

Your package includes 2 nights accommodations (Fri./Sat. or Sat./Sun.) plus 2 tickets to The Cottars performance at King's Theatre. Package price is $212.00 plus tax and applies to any available room.

To Book Online "Click Here". For more information email reservations@hillsdalehouseinn.ca or call 902-532-2345.

Don't miss this opportunity to see great talent in an intimate theatre setting.

Plant a Tree

Earlier this week we had the great pleasure of having a few of the children from Good Beginnings Day Care in Annapolis Royal come by to plant some trees on our property. They are participating in the "Adopt a Stream" program.

As you can see from the photos below they got their hands dirty and seemed to have as much fun finding worms as they did planting the trees.

We look forward to watching the trees grow and have invited the kids to come back to check on their trees any time.

Raccoon Poses As Santa Claus at Hillsdale House Inn

Mystery solved!! When we came into our dining room yesterday morning we discovered the screen on our fireplace laying on the floor and the plastic bag full of insulation that was packed in the flue for the winter was laying in the fireplace.

Well this afternoon I found a non-paying guest staying in Room 6 on the 3rd floor. It appears that he climbed on to our roof and up the chimney in pursuit of a grey squirrel nest and he must have lost his footing and made like Santa Claus. Ho! Ho! Ho!

With a lot of help from a representative of Natural Resources he was escorted out of the Inn to be returned to Nova Scotia's woodland's.

Halloween Happenings in Annapolis Royal

Last evening we checked out two great Halloween experiences in Annapolis Royal. First we dared to go inside the Haunted House at the Sinclair Inn where we encountered a number of spirits from the past and wondered for a while if we would ever be able to return to present day. This was very well done and even provided a little ghostly historic education from previous times in our area.

From the haunted house we went on to Goblets & Goblins at the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens. Under the cloak of darkness the gardens provided an excellent venue for Halloween tricks and treats. The decorations throughout the gardens were great, including a carved pumpkin bonfire. The fire was burning in the Acadian cottage and there were a number of samples fresh out of the wood oven. We also took in a ghost story provided by non other than our own Mayor Phil Roberts, who was wearing his horns.

No doubt this is going to become an annual offering, so you should put it in the calendar for next year, and plan to include a night at the Hillsdale House Inn of course.

Home Routes 'Maritime Circuit' Visits Hillsdale House Inn

Val & I are very excited to be a part of introducing to you the Home Routes 'Maritime Circuit'. In simple terms, the Home Routes program is a series of house concerts. "Home Routes is about world-class musicians, known and unknown alike, performing complete concerts in the comfortable intimacy of private homes and other non-traditional spaces". For a more detailed overview of the program I invite you to click on the Home Routes logo above, which will take you to their website.

Home Routes has been very active in Western Canada and Ontario for several years. This year marks the first year for the Maritime circuit which will include Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. We are very pleased that Annapolis Royal and the Hillsdale House Inn have been selected as one of the stops in the circuit.

Outlined below you will find the dates and the artists who will be performing in November, December, February, March & April. You will also find additional information about how the concerts work. Because there will be limited seating for each performance we will be taking reservations.

As you will see there are some very interesting artists coming with a diversity of styles. To visit the websites of the artists click on their names below.

We hope that you can join us!

Friday, November 5^th  Mark Reeves

Saturday, December 4^th  John Mann

Sunday, February 13^th    Gillian Boucher

Tuesday, March 15^th   Old Sledge

Wednesday, April 13^th  Maria Dunn

• Concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m. and end around 9 p.m., with a 10-15 minute intermission at the midway point.


• There is a $15.00 admission charge. Please plan to bring cash, which goes to the artist directly.


• CD's will be available for purchase during the intermission and following the performance.


• A wine & beer cash bar will be available prior to the performance and during the intermission.

Advance reservations are required due to limited seating. Please call (902)532-2345 or email to reservations@hillsdalehouseinn.ca to reserve or be added to our electronic mailing list.

Ghost Hunting, Goblets & Goblins

Ghost Hunting, Goblets & Goblins Package

While there are no known or reported encounters with ghosts at the Hillsdale House Inn, what better place to search for them than a 151 year old Historic Inn on Halloween weekend.

While visiting the Inn to conduct your own search we also want you to have the opportunity to take in GOBLETS & GOBLINS – A Bewitching Evening of Wine & Merriment in the Historic Gardens.

Your package will include:

• Overnight accommodation for two in a deluxe room


• Complimentary full hot breakfast


• Welcome gift


• Two tickets to attend “Goblets & Goblins” at the Historic Gardens on Friday, Oct. 29th

Package Price

$119.00 plus tax

[Add an extra night with room and breakfast for just $79.00 plus tax]

Advance reservations are required and can be made either by calling us directly at 902-532-2345 or by emailing us at reservations@hillsdalehouseinn.ca.

Moose River Rug Hooking Studio Now Open

We are very excited to share that a few local friends of ours have recently opened the MOOSE RIVER Rug Hooking Studio in Clementsport, Nova Scotia. The studio will be a place for seasoned hookers to hang out and share stories and techniques, as well as a place for those who want to learn the skills required to learn from the best. They will also be able to supply you with much of the required equipment needed to achieve the best results.

The studio is located just 10 minutes from Annapolis Royal and we would be happy to put a package together for you including  accommodations if you are interested in taking in one of the many workshops that they will be offering.

To learn more about the studio and the classes they will be offering visit their website: http://www.mooseriverstudio.com/

Basted Eggs

Have you ever heard of or tried to make basted eggs?

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Well check our this exerpt on YouTube from an episode of Adventures in Wine Country in which Val instructs the host in the art of preparing basted eggs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daeTjS-0Ubc.

Of course an even better idea then making them yourself is to spend a night or two or three here at the Hillsdale House Inn and have Val make them for you.

Check out our Special Offers & Packages where you may find something of interest as well.

Have you ever seen a Luna Moth?

During the past few weeks we have discovered on two seperate occassions Luna Moth's hanging out at the Inn. The first sighting was a couple weeks ago very early in the morning when one was found attached to our Nova Scotia flag at the front entrance. This past week we found a second one attached to the screen of the patio doors leading to the side veranda.

To say the least these are very impressive creatures. Their wings span about 6 inches and they are equally long from nose to the tip of their tail. Unfortunately we have learned from information found on the internet that they do not have a very long life span; only about a week.

The Right Whales Are Coming!

A recent news report indicated that there will be 39 right whale calves swimming at their mothers sides as they make there way north to the Bay of Fundy for another summer season. This is very encouraging news considering that the right whale is still on the endangered species list. If you have not yet enjoyed the experience of getting up close and seeing these amazing mammals in their natural environment you must plan to take advantage of this exceptional opportunity.

The whale watching excursions operated along the Digby Neck & Islands are some of the best you will find anywhere in the world. We are currrently offering a package in partnership with Ocean Explorations "Zodiac" Whale Adventures. Not only do you get to see some of the most amazing creatures on the planet, but you will also experience the excilerating adventure of doing it in a Zodiac. The best time to take advantage of this opportunity is between early July and early October. For more details on our package offer Click Here and check out the Whale & Seabird Adventure "Inn" Style package.

Our Butterfly Garden

On Saturday, June 6, 2009 we had 15 people attend our Butterfly Garden Workshop, and the best part of all is that in less than a couple hours our new garden was completed planted. We started out with presentations by Brennan Caverhill, a biologist with the Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute, followed by Gilberte Doelle, an organic farmer with Wild Rose Farm in Gilbert's Cove, NS.

The presenters shared a wealth of information with the group, including the importance and plight of butterflies, in particular the Monarch Butterfly, as well as how planting gardens like ours assists them in making their migrations. We also learned what types of plants butterflies will be drawn to, and how to properly locate your garden and position the plant materials within it.

Once the educating was completed it was time to put everyone to work and get their hands into the soil. Gilberte talked about different options for laying out the plants in the bed and then challenged members of the group to position the plants based on what they had heard. With the plants laid out to Gilberte's satisfaction, everyone started to actually put the plant's in the ground. Gilberte's preferred method is to just dig in with her bare hands. Several people followed her lead, but a few opted to take a small shovel in hand.

With the plants all in the ground Gilberte took a little time to talk about maintaining the garden, including things like composting and mulching, and most importantly the organic alternatives to fertilizing. Possibly the most important factor when putting in a butterfly garden is that a large area surrounding it must be pesticide free.

The finished product may not look like much at the moment, however Gilberte told us that given that we started with a great foundation bed with good soil and compost material we will be amazed at how quickly it will flourish. We look forward to watching the progress and will provide regular updates and photos throughout the summer.

We want to thank both our presenters and those who participated in the workshop. Hopefully they got as much joy out of being a part of setting up our garden as we have knowing that we are contributing to the future preservation of the Monarch Butterflies.