Scottish Weekend Break?

April 5, 2008 8:14 AM

Och aye the noo(!) My girlfriend and I are looking to head into the highlands (though this is negotiable) from Edinburgh for a weekend break at the beginning of May. Anyone got any good ideas for hotels/inns/b&bs around there or elsewhere in Scotland? Boutique(y) would be great but budget a factor. Cheers as ever.
posted by you're only jung once to travel & transportation (10 comments total)

By the Highlands, do you mean north of Aviemore or more central, such as Perthshire, Stirlingshire and the Trossachs?

Do you plan to explore the area and use the hotel as a base, or do you intend to spend the weekend locked away in your hotel room?

I've heard good things about the Rocpool in Inverness and Tigh na Leigh in Blairgowrie (though it's not what I consider a boutique hotel), or if you can head west maybe think about the House Over-By on Skye?
posted by Nugget at 8:36 AM on April 5, 2008

Also consider the Loch Ness Lodge and An Lochan, which is out by Tighnabruaich and well worth the trip if you're after a relaxing weekend and want to spoil your other half!
posted by Nugget at 8:43 AM on April 5, 2008

Actually we're both pretty lazy so would probably use the hotel as a base and somewhere to lounge around in (she's saying 'drink fine wines!' whilst i type this though I'm hoping for locked in the hotel room). Looking for west coast from oban to kyle of lochalsh as well as near FortWilliam - central beltish. If anyone knows anywhere else in scotland that'd be cool. Cheers Nugget for the response.
posted by you're only jung once at 9:15 AM on April 5, 2008

I stopped in the Glencoe Hotel a few years ago... it was pretty good (though I did little but collapse there for a night sipping whisky after a couple of days of climbing, walking and mountain biking). There's the Clachaig Inn just down the road but it's very popular ie it was booked up when I was there, but it's good for a drink and a meal at least.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 9:24 AM on April 5, 2008

There aren't many boutique hotels in the Highlands, and the good hotels will cost you since they've been built to fleece foreigners. I'd recommend somewhere near Fort William and a B&B or small hotel like the Inn at Ardgour or Treetops. TBH I've not had a problem staying anywhere in Fort William and I've been to countless different properties. The people are generally hospitable and the accomodation is consistently decent across the board. Fort William is used mainly as a base for jumping off to other places so the town itself is nothing special, but they do seem to know how to put people up for the night there.
posted by fire&wings at 10:50 AM on April 5, 2008

Roineabhal Country House on the edge of the highlands in Argyll maybe what you are looking for. Its really an up market B+B. The food is tremendous, the hospitality warm and the local knowledge great.
posted by adamvasco at 11:27 AM on April 5, 2008

Peter Irvine's "Scotland the best" is normally my first port of call when faced with a question like this. But here are some potential ideas:

The area around Lochinver might fit in well with your plans - it has has all the mountain and coastal scenery you could wish for. A little to the south the Coigach peninsula is also a great place.

Another possibility would be the Crinan Hotel has great food - much of which the owners appeared to be personally catching when we were there.

The Monachyle Mhor hotel in the Trossachs is a great get away from it all place in the Trossachs which you might like.
posted by rongorongo at 4:48 PM on April 5, 2008

Just remember to wear the fox hat
posted by Agamenticus at 7:13 PM on April 5, 2008

It may not qualify as "boutique-y" but I loved Coach House, a b&b in Edinburgh. Price was right, great food, and the hosts were warm & caring people.
posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 8:35 PM on April 5, 2008

if it's any help we've plumped for Treetops in fort william - looks cool , good price and I'll post how it is afterwards... thanks again for all the advice.. as per usual.
posted by you're only jung once at 2:00 PM on April 8, 2008