best hotels scotland the balmoral

Sensational luxury hotels for an unforgettable Scotland staycation

30 Oct 2024 | | By Mhairi Mann

From bonnie boutique stays to grand country piles, these are the best hotels north of the border

Between Edinburgh’s boutique bedrooms and the Highlands’ heritage properties to the remote corners of the Isle of Skye, Scotland’s luxury hotel scene spans world-class golfing, rejuvenating spas and slick city boltholes. These luxury hotels offer not only a suite to rest your head, but quintessential Scottish experiences via local produce served in fine dining restaurants, carefully curated countryside excursions and wellness offerings, alongside lashings of whisky and Caledonian bonhomie.

The Hoxton is set to debut in Edinburgh in 2025, while Another Place in the Lake District is expanding its portfolio with a second location in Islay. Can’t wait? Here are the best luxury hotels in Scotland to book now.

Cameron House, Loch Lomond

With an enviable position on the banks of Loch Lomond, Cameron House is a turreted baronial mansion turned five-star hotel and resort that splices tartan trimmings with art deco glamour to spectacular effect. Rooms mix marble, velvet and plaid, many with statement headboards and loch-facing views.

The spa and steaming rooftop infinity pool are a draw for couples, as is Cameron Grill, which majors in steak and seafood. Families will love the swimming pool’s twirling flumes, baby slides and spray rings, followed by casual dining in The Tavern, with sport on the big screens. Afternoon tea is served in the opulent Lobby Bar, where gold chinoiserie wallpaper competes for attention with sweeping views of the loch.

Spread across 400 acres of enchanting woodland, the picturesque grounds also include 115 self-catering lodges, cottages and apartments, as well as the waterside La Vista restaurant. Glide across the loch on a champagne cruise, speedboat or seaplane, and partake in an array of activities including paddle boarding, falconry and golfing.

From £315 per night.

House of Gods, Edinburgh and Glasgow

Frequently referred to as Scotland’s sexiest hotel brand, House of Gods is a dimly lit, tactile milieu of House of Hackney velvet fabric and tasselled light shades. The hotel opened in Edinburgh’s Cowgate in 2019, followed by Glasgow’s Merchant City in 2024. Decadent rooms with four poster beds draw influence from the Orient Express and Versailles, while couples cosy up in darkened corners below heron-print Gucci wallpaper in the cocktail bar. Owner Mike Baxter is a self-confessed noise nerd and spent £10,000 per room on impeccable soundproofing, so you’re guaranteed a good night’s sleep.

Edinburgh rates start from £129 per night and Glasgow from £119 per night.

Gleneagles, Perthshire and Edinburgh

Enveloped by the mountainous Perthshire countryside, Gleneagles tops lists of the world’s best hotels for its first-class facilities – whether you go for the gorgeous interiors, the sybaritic spa or a vast array of country pursuits, including horse riding, fishing, falconry, shooting and off-road driving. The hotel’s youngest guests can cruise the estate in mini Land Rovers, dip in the pool or run free in the complimentary Little Glen Crèche, thus allowing parents time for pampering in the Bob & Cloche hair and beauty salon, or lowering their handicap on one of three championship golf courses.

Tall, light-filled rooms and suites are kitted out with elegant armoires and mid-century four-poster beds, with the spacious interiors echoing the big-sky scenery outside. Dine on home-smoked Scottish lobster at two Michelin-starred Andrew Fairlie or flambéed steak in The Strathearn, and finish with a whisky cocktail at the low-lit American Bar, imbued with jazz-age glamour.

Gleneagles Townhouse opened its first city location in Edinburgh in 2022, transferring its lauded brand of contemporary Scottish flair to the capital. Expect a destination restaurant, rooftop bar and spa, wrapped by neoclassical architecture and views of the St Andrew’s Square. The hotel is steps away from George Street’s high end shopping and dining scene.

From £450 per night. 

Trump Turnberry, Ayr

Trump Turnberry lays claim to two of Scotland’s most renowned golf courses, set against dramatic views of the Firth of Clyde, off Scotland's verdant west coast. The unending vista is punctuated by Ailsa Craig and Turnberry Lighthouse, and on a clear day, you can see as far as Ireland.

Arguably Scotland’s glitziest hotel, lavish interiors include richly patterned carpets, gold leaf accents and 352 chandeliers, hung throughout bedrooms and social spaces. You may for a moment forget you are in Scotland, until an affable kilted porter offers you a slab or complimentary shortbread and you catch sight of a 32ft wide, 25ft high Saltire wafting dramatically outside. Amenities are top-notch, including the 65ft glass-walled heated pool – one of the largest and best among Scotland’s luxury hotels – and spa treatment rooms.

International golfers abound, many touring Scotland’s links golf courses, alongside a glamorous local crowd. Head to the clubhouse for hulking portions of beer-battered haddock, lobster, and loaded burgers, alongside sport on the large screens, or take to the great outdoors, where clay shooting, horse riding and falconry are available. A bagpiper plays for an hour each evening, when guests are encouraged to hobnob in the lounge for cocktails before dinner at 1906, the hotel’s fine dining restaurant.

From £599 per night.

The Caledonian, Edinburgh

An icon on Princes Street since 1903, The Caledonian (also known as the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh) combines modern luxury and Victorian style housed in a former rail station. While the history of Edinburgh is on its doorstep, offering unparalleled access to the Princes Street Gardens, The Royal Mile and Edinburgh Old Town, a Unesco World Heritage Site, guests needn’t venture beyond The Caledonian’s walls to enjoy a relaxing break. 

Unwind in the Waldorf Astoria Spa, replete with swimming pool; take afternoon tea with a side of live piano in The Lounge, and enjoy a wee dram in the sophisticated Caley Bar. Chef Dean Banks presents an elegant Scottish seafood menu at The Pompadour while Grazing by Mark Greenaway, despite what its name may suggest, serves hearty dishes including a signature beef Wellington.

From £387 per night. 

The Fife Arms, Braemar

Since the 19th century, The Fife Arms has been at the heart of Braemar, the Aberdeenshire town famous for the annual Braemar Gathering (the most famous Highland games in Scotland), which draws visitors from around the world. Deep in the Cairngorms National Park, this Victorian coaching inn has been reimagined for the 21st century by its artistic owners – Hauser and Wirth gallerists Iwan and Manuela Wirth – and, naturally, art is central to the unique Fife Arms experience. More than 16,000 works have been thoughtfully integrated into every room, corridor and corner, with large-scale site-specific commissions by internationally renowned artists, with Zhang Enli, Guillermo Kuitca, Subodh Gupta, and Bharti Kher among them.

The Clunie Dining Room, overlooking the River Clunie, showcases wood-fire cooking and seasonal Scottish produce in a striking space painted by artist Guillermo Kuitca, while the much-loved village bar, The Flying Stag, offers classic Scottish dishes – Highland beef and Blue Murder pie, and Menzie’s haggis, neeps, and tatties drizzled in Fife Arms whisky sauce – craft ales, and live entertainment. Afternoon tea is served in the Drawing Room, where mini masterpieces are enjoyed beneath big ones – bite into Isle of Mull cheddar and spiced plum chutney sandwiches as Pablo Picasso’s Nude and man with a pipe gazes down on you.

From £598 per night. 

Kinloch Lodge, Isle of Skye

If Kinloch Lodge feels more like a home than a hotel, that’s because it is. The Macdonald clan opened the doors to its family abode and have turned it into one of Skye’s most coveted, comfortable places to book. At the foot of Kinloch Hill and overlooking sea loch Na Dal, it offers front row seats to Skye’s best bits, whether you plan on sinking into a roll-top bath or fly-fishing for wild brown trout with the hotel’s resident ghillie.

The walls have their own stories to tell, dating back decades and presenting portraits of Macdonald clan members, while interiors tastefully blend ornate floral wallpaper with textiles by Skye Weavers.

From Lochalsh crab toast rarebit to pan-fried cod with Skye scallop celeriac crumble, seafood takes centre stage in the island’s only fine-dining restaurant. Round off your evening at the whisky bar with more than 122 different bottles, or a cocktail stirred with local Misty Isle Gin, which you can enjoy under a canopy of stars or by a crackling fireplace.

From £460 per night. 

The Balmoral, Edinburgh

The Balmoral opened in 1902 as one of the era’s grand railway hotels, located steps away from Edinburgh Waverley station. Sir Rocco Forte took ownership of the property in 1997 and it remains one of the British hotel group’s prized outposts, which sets the gold star for luxury in the Scottish capital. Kilted doormen greet you on arrival, mattresses are made by Glencraft (suppliers to the Queen), and its well-connected concierge, who can always get you a seat at the best table in town.

Serene rooms balance plaid furnishings with floral wallpaper, in a palette inspired by the Scottish countryside, while the Martin Brudnizki-designed Bar Prince is the perfect spot to sip a whisky-based cocktail. Afternoon tea is served beneath a soaring glass dome in the hotel’s Palm Court, where hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper, high columns and a Venetian chandelier create one of the most sublime dining spaces in Scotland.

From £395 per night. 

The Witchery, Edinburgh

One of the most unique and romantic hotels in the UK, The Witchery is as magical as its name suggests. Every room is different in the 16th century building, but all are decorated with the decadence of the Gothic, Baroque, Victorian and Medieval eras (we like the view from The Old Rectory over the Royal Mile and the Fife coast). Theatrically draped mahogany four-posters and dressing-up-box attire (think knight’s bascinets and Scottish guard’s uniform) at every corner make this adults-only hotel feel like an invitation to let loose your inner child.

Breakfast is served by candlelight, and the dinner menu features classic dishes such as tournedos rossini, lobster thermidor, and omelette Arnold Bennet, alongside The Witchery's legendary Angus beef steak tartare and haggis. The entire experience at The Witchery is a novelty. The only downside? It makes returning to your Marie-Kondoe’d condo a jarring anticlimax.

From £449 per night.

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