Scotland's 'best boutique hotels' for unique holiday named including Skye lodge
Scotland's "best boutique hotels" have been named. Hotels up and down the country were singled out for their delicious food and stylish guest rooms.
With summer more than halfway over, many Scots will be looking to book a last-minute getaway. Others will already be looking ahead to autumn, which is the perfect time for a cosy rural retreat.
Travel specialists Hidden Scotland shared a list of 10 of Scotland's top boutique hotels. The experts rounded up small hotels from across the country.
One boutique hotel featured on Hidden Scotland's list is Kinloch Lodge on the Isle of Skye. The hotel and restaurant is situated in the island's hills, overlooking sea loch Loch na Dal.
Kinloch Lodge offers a range of double rooms and suites that reflect Skye's unique landscape through their colours and fabrics, while its restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as a separate all-day dining menu.
The experts praised the hotel for its laid-back ambience and comfy rooms. Hidden Scotland wrote: "There's a gentleness to how the place is run. Fires are lit before you ask. Tea appears when it's needed.
"The drawing room has the kind of furniture people actually use—sofas you lean into, shelves with books that have clearly been read, and a view that tends to slow the conversation. Some guests talk, others stay quiet. Either way, it works.
"Rooms are comfortable without being styled into anything too defined. There are antique pieces and family touches, but the standout feature is often the light through the window, especially late in the day. Nights are still and the quiet settles in without effort."
Meanwhile, another boutique hotel that earned a spot on the travel specialists' roundup is Glenmorangie House in Tain. The hotel, which is nestled in the remote Highlands surroundings near the Glenmorangie Distillery, includes six double en-suite bedrooms and three cottages that have all been individually designed.
Hidden Scotland praised Glenmorangie House for its cosy and inviting atmosphere. The hotel was also singled out for its unique and homely interiors.
Hidden Scotland wrote: "Inside, it's not what you expect from a whisky-branded hotel. The fire's on in the drawing room and the shelves are stacked with books that feel thumbed-through.
"The tartans are warm, not loud. You get the feeling things were chosen because they belonged, not because they matched.
"The welcome is easy too. Not overly polished, just friendly in the way you hope for when you're this far north."
Elsewhere, the experts also singled out Cromlix in Dunblane. Cromlix is a Victorian mansion and estate situated within acres of hidden Stirlingshire countryside.
The luxury hotel is known for being owned by Scottish tennis legend Andy Murray and his wife Kim Sears. The five-star accommodation includes individually designed rooms and suites, as well as a separate one-bedroom gate lodge.
Hidden Scotland praised Cromlix for its "bold" interiors and amenities such as a tennis court, croquet lawn, and even a chapel. Meanwhile, the hotel's restaurant earned acclaim for its locally sourced menus and opulent dishes.
Other hotels featured on the experts' list include The Fife Arms in Braemar and The Witchery in Edinburgh. The former is a 19th-century hunting lodge that was noted for its extravagant and stylish interiors, while The Witchery is situated at the gates of the legendary Edinburgh Castle and was singled out for its dramatic flair.
The full list of Scotland's "best boutique hotels" can be found on the Hidden Scotland website.
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