10 of the best hotels in the Scottish Highlands Sarah Turner
Doune Knoydart, Inverness-shire
Part of the Scottish mainland, but with access only by ferry from Mallaig or an 18-mile walking track, the Knoydart peninsula is properly remote. Doune is a low-slung hotel built from the ruins of ancient cottages and has large-scale views over to the islands of Rum, Skye and Eigg. Today, there are four bothies and cottages. The hotel’s restaurant is the hub, serving organic vegetables from the its garden, shellfish from the neighbouring water and many cheeses from local dairies.
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The Torridon, Wester Ross
The rugged epitome of a north-west Highland escape, this boutique resort on the wild shores of Loch Torridon really does have something for everyone. You can go upmarket in the hotel, or chill out in the more casual and family-friendly stable conversion. Whichever you choose, there’s 55 acres to play with for walking, coasteering, snorkeling and wild swimming
Gin is the new whisky in Scotland – and you can plan an entire holiday around it
In Scotland, you ll find artisanal gin, ace scenery and serious road trip magic. Plus as of April 26, the border with England is open again
25 April 2021 • 5:00am
Friends enjoy a gin overlooking the Torridon Hills in the far north-west of Scotland
Credit: Matt Buckley/Highland Liquor Company Ltd/
Readying to batten down the hatches for what I thought would be a few short weeks back in March of last year, I stocked up on essentials: a case of Casa Herradura Plata tequila, a couple of crates of brutally oaked chardonnay that no one else would ever want a glass from and the wild card – a few bottles of Scottish gin. Isle of Raasay Gin to be precise, made on the small island between Skye and the mainland, with juniper, rhubarb root, citrus peel and various other local botanicals.
Southeast Asia’s first One&Only property occupies a prime beachfront location at Desaru Coast, a recently revived holiday enclave on the southeast shores of the Malay Peninsula. With a clean-lined tropical aesthetic that draws on Malaysia’s kampong (village) vernacular, it’s a dazzling achievement by Singapore-based Kerry Hill Architects, which continues its late founder’s celebrated brand of sitesensitive modernism. The resort debuted in September as the most exclusive address on the coast, with just 44 suites and a four-bedroom villa. Surrounded by 51 hectares of wild tropical flora, dining options range from contemporary Japanese to Mediterranean and Malaysian, while the spa, by Swiss-based wellness firm Chenot, blends scientific diagnostics with traditional Chinese and alternative medicines. Another draw? A one-anda-half-kilometer stretch of pristine beach overlooking the South China Sea.