10 luxury Highland hideaways
The opulent drawing room at the Fife Arms hotel. Photograph: Sim Canetty-Clarke
From cool modernity to sumptuous historic splendour, Barley presents ten stunning hotels and bothies that offer an escape from reality, without scrimping on comfort or style.
By Alba Di Bari
The Fife Arms Hotel, Braemar
A spider by Louise Bourgeois, a multicoloured neon chandelier by Richard Jackson, paintings by Picasso, Lucian Freud, Bharti Kher: the Fife Arms is a surrealist Victoriana fantasy thrillingly brought to life in beautiful Braemar.
Fuelled by their passion for heritage and fine art (and with deep pockets to bring their vision to life), Iwan and Manuela Wirth – the creative power couple behind Hauser & Wirth galleries – renovated this former coaching inn gathering more than 14,000 artworks and adding a modern spa offering sauna and massages.
From royal suites with standing copper baths and emerald green brocade, to croft rooms featuring poetry by Alec Finlay on wooden headboards, each of the 46 bedrooms pays homage to notable Scots.
Bertie’s bar at the Fife Arms hotel, Braemar. Photographs: Sim Canetty Clark
In the evenings, enjoy a beer under the gaze of a huge stag’s head with ptarmigan’s wings - naturalist James Prosek’s brainchild - at the aptly named Flying Stagbar, or head to the Clunie Dining Room, decorated by cubist artist Guillermo Kuitca. Give in to deliciously prepared venison loin, fresh-caught pollock, or a Fife Arms chocolate bar expertly paired with sweet wines.
Fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli inspired the pink cocktail bar while the shimmering and opulent Bertie’s Bar was named and modelled after the flamboyant lifestyle of Edward VII. More than 365 whisky bottles are stacked here like books on shelves and organised by flavours – floral, fruity, rich, smoky – leading the guest on a journey of deep liquid pleasure. You won’t want to leave this, or any other room, you enter.
2. Boath House, Nairn
Just off the road that links Inverness to Elgin, past Brodie Castle and close to the spectacular bay of Findhorn, there is a place where painters and artists go to reconnect with their art.
Famous for its residency program, the Boath house was redesigned by Jonny Gent - responsible for the Session Art Club in Clerkenwell - as a hymn to the nearby landscape and its creative energy. Artists like Julian Schnabel and Luke Edward Hall are invited to spend time in the Georgian mansion, immersed in the farm life, in exchange for a piece of their work.
The vegetable garden at the Boath House. Photograph: Beth Evans
You can admire these artworks while walking into the spacious and monastic interiors of the house, held up by majestic Ionic columns. Decorated with a palette of three colours, the ten bedrooms, furnished with period and modern pieces, are a classy but subtle frame to the lush-green scenery.
Outside, thick woods hide a burbling burn, a wood-fired sauna and two secluded studios, while a vegetable patch supplies the Garden’s Cafè with crispy mushrooms, fresh cucumbers and salads. The kitchen fuses seasonal produce with local cod and langoustines, serving them al fresco under a pergola during warm summer nights: the perfect setting to let the creative juices flow.
3. Foyers Lodge, Loch Ness
Season-changing expanses of heather, dramatic valleys, turbulent burns: the most stunning Highlands are often to be found on the road less travelled. The quieter southeast shores of Loch Ness hide glorious gems like the Falls of Foyers, which inspired poet Robert Burns. A few metres away lies another well-kept secret, the Foyers Lodge, offering travellers a lavish retreat to relax and recharge.
Owners Anna and Phil fully refurbished the centuries-old inn – originally opened in 1863 – and gave it a new life as a guest house, bringing back its Victorian splendour and lending the place a subtly modern and high-end feel. All the interiors share a sumptuous dark palette, tastefully splashed with art-deco designer choices and pops of colour. From the grand staircase, guests access the eight double en-suite bedrooms on the first floor, each individually styled and embellished with soft velvet upholstering and silky linen.
Photographs: Emily Sandifer
Downstairs, you can sip scotch whiskies, gins and locally-produced beers in the modern Drawing Room Bar, or tinkle the ivories of the beautiful vintage piano. Talented chef Vanessa takes care of dinner, serving cured salmon, smoked duck and Aberdeenshire beef in the elegant dining room: a treat you’ll want to try at least once while staying at the Lodge.
4. Lundies House, Sutherland
On the wild northern tip of Sutherland, Lundies House offers modern-day explorers a stylish and well-catered stay along the popular North Coast 500 route. Located in the charming coastal village of Tongue, this captivating boutique hotel looks onto Castle Varrich’s ruins and beyond, on the striking Kyle of Tongue, where the North Sea meets the ocean.
Behind the timeless stone façade of a 17th-century manse, Lundies House’s homely interiors blend modern Scandinavian design and warm Highland hospitality. Natural materials, vintage cabinetry and velvet sofas sit beside artworks by artists like Trine Søndergaard and Peter Blonde.
Photographs: Nadine Malcom
The dining room of the main house has been decorated in a chic style by botanical artist Clare Basler. Here, guests can enjoy the seasonal menu featuring locally-sourced game, seafood and foraged ingredients from Tongue woods, all paired with organic wines from independent producers. Four rooms share a lounge, a study, and a self-service honesty bar, with en-suite featuring free-standing bathtubs facing views of Sutherland’s untamed coast. Three larger studio rooms face the courtyard and share an open pit fire, ideal for those famous long summer nights and, if you’re lucky, a fiery sunset.
5. The House Over-by, Skye
For serious food lovers
Rate: from £395/night
Website: www.threechimneys.co.uk
Photograph: Angus Bremner
Snuggled along the meandering single-lane road to Neist Point, The Three Chimneys restaurant has been drawing the foodie crowd in since 1985 when chef Shirley and her husband Eddie Spear first opened its doors. Their vision was to celebrate the rich produce of Skye’s land and sea with curated dishes from Nordic and Scottish cuisines, served in an intimate dining room on the shores of Loch Dunvegan.
Head-to-tail beef at The Three Chimneys. Photograph: Alan Donaldson
35 years and several awards later, the Chimney’s reputation has outstripped Isle of Skye, and is now in the hands of Michelin-awarded chef Scott Davies. Each of his culinary creations is a quest to elevate even the simplest flavours. A six-course taster menu - The Kitchen Table Experience - is the best way to experience his talents: mallard and ribeye roasted in front of your eyes, garnished with elderberry sauce and pickled blewits, paired with whiskies by Isle of Raasay distillery.
The House Over-By at The Three Chimneys. Photograph: Angus Bremner
Unless you’re driving (we don’t recommend), you’ll want somewhere comfortable to rest your head after all that food and drink. Luckily, just behind the restaurant sits a lovely 5-star boutique hotel called The House Over-By. With its spacious and contemporary six suites open all year around, it is the perfect basecamp to delight in good food and awe-inspiring vistas.
6. 57 Nord, Ross-shire
A stone’s throw from Eilean Donan Castle, at the junction of three sea lochs, 57° North and 5° West, two luxurious cabins make a tasteful homage to the Norse-Gaels that once lived in the region. With natural earthy colours, clean lines, and floor-to-ceiling glass doors bringing the landscape in, 57 Nord marries modern Scandinavian and Scottish designs to create a minimalist heaven perfect to unwind from the city hustle.
Sip your morning coffee on the wooden patio, gazing at the Kintail Mountains over Loch Duich, or cosy up on the sofa near the wood burning stove while the storm rages outside. Ideal both for romantic couple retreats and for larger families wanting an escape, Sky House and Hill House feature Smart TVs, luxury mattresses, and walk-in monsoon showers.
A hamper of locally-made artisanal products awaits your arrival, with pastry from Manuela’s Wee Bakery and fresh-caught langoustine. Fisherman Duncan is happy to deliver breakfast in the mornings, and they will also arrange a private chef for foodies seeking a truly special experience.
7. The Brochs of Coigach, Ullapool
If you are looking for a fix of restorative Hygge in the north of the Highlands, look no further than the Brochs of Coigach, near Ullapool. With a turf roof, tackled into the hillside on a private 4-acre estate surrounded by a sheep pasture, they are a secluded and high-class hideaway for art lovers and green-thumbs.
Built almost entirely with recycled materials, the Brochs features stones from broken-down walls found in the area, window frames from a 19th-century warehouse in Glasgow, and door lintels and posts from a ruined Victorian pier saved from the sea. Each piece of furniture tells a story, elegantly complemented with paintings by Scottish modern artists like John Bellany, Will Maclean, and Calum Colvin.
Photographs: John Paul
The rough aesthetic exterior, inspired by Scottish Neolithic stone-structures, contrasts highly with the reassuringly 21st century amenities to be found inside, including underfloor heating and a sauna. Relax with your partner or your family while hoping to catch a glimpse through the round glass walls of eagles in the sky and dolphins swimming among the Summer Isles.
8. Inverlonan, Oban
Admire the stunning sunset over Loch Nell, on the Western Highlands, while your supper cooks slowly on an open fire pit. Have dinner by candlelight and starlight, with your only soundtrack the crackling fire and sounds of wildlife around you. Warm your hot tea on a wood burning stove and go wild swimming first thing in the morning. This is a place to let go and fully unwind.
Just 6 miles from Oban, Inverlonan Bothies combine all the joy of off-grid camping with the glamour of a modern luxury holiday. Only accessible by foot or boat, the three cabins were designed by Bothy Stores with sustainable materials, functional furniture and large windows to let in that luminous light.
Achieving ‘wild wellness’ is your goal here: these minimalist bothies are equipped with private eco-toilets, outdoor showers, and a loch side woodland sauna. And to celebrate a special night, they will even lay on a private off-grid dining experience with a Michelin chef, in a secret fairy-tale location.
9. The Treehouses of Lanrick, Doune
With 22 lochs to canoe and fish in, six of Scotland’s Great Trails crossing it, and miles of cycling routes and climbing spots, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park is the ideal sanctuary for the dedicated outdoorsy type. And what better way to get into the adventurous spirit than by climbing up to sleep in a deluxe treehouse perched high among a wood of beech and sycamore?
Designed with sustainability and conservation of the woodland in mind, these five eco-friendly tree houses were built from timber growing in the area and embellished with classy upcycled and hand-crafted furniture wrapped in opulent fabrics.
Treehouse interior, Photographs: Itago Media
Each comes with an open plan kitchen and living area, wood-burning stove, and outdoor bathtub on the private wooden deck (perfect for soaking tired feet after an active day). Let the kids explore the area or roast their marshmallows on the outdoor barbecue, while you de-stress in the woodland sauna or enjoy a Swedish massage in your cabin. Your holidays have just begun.
10. AirShip 2, Drimnin
Heard the one about the futuristic airship that landed in the woods near Drimnin, on the coast of the West Highlands? This unlikely sci-fi scenario becomes real when you spend the night in a zeppelin-shaped aluminium pod, staring at the moody Sound of Mull through floor-to-ceiling curved glass walls. If you dream of living in a steampunk fantasy, this quirky space-age cabin on a 4-acre private estate will check all your boxes.
Photographs: Nigel Rigden
Designed by Roderick James and Amanda Markham - and sister to AirShip 1 in Sussex - AirShip 2 is a tribute to stylish and innovative living, with functional and high-end details. Its dragonfly windows to the east and the west flood the space with dramatic mountain and sea views. Write your next novel at the desk overlooking the island’s shores, or drink wine with your partner while gazing at the stars on the wooden patio. Enjoy your meals in the well-equipped kitchen and living area layered with inviting wood stoves, and go to sleep in a four-poster queen-sized bed, hoping for a glimpse of wildlife, like eagles and deers. Such a place where it is impossible not to feel inspired.
