5 of the best Scottish hideaways

With its crisp white-linen dining room (home to a delicious seven-course tasting menu every evening) and nicely old-fashioned tartan and chintz, this country house hotel in North Argyll is a blissfully cozy spot for nesting down for a weekend. It’s also the ideal staging post for exploring more of this ravishing part of Scotland, starting with the spectacular view outside of Loch Linnhe and the Morvern mountains. Whether you take an outing to nearby Oban or Fort William, get out on the water on one of the speedboat tours, or simply follow the loch-side Clach Thoull walk around the Ardnamurchan peninsula, you can expect a cup of tea – or perhaps something stronger – waiting for you on your return to sip in front of the sitting room log fire. A perfectly traditional treat. airds-hotel.com

Close to the banks of the Alladale River, with sweeping views of the snow-capped mountains and ancient Caledonian forests, this modern three-bedroom stone cottage provides an enviable base to explore the 23,000-acre Alladale Wilderness Reserve. Guests have access to 4x4 safari tours, Alladale’s chefs, rangers and a range of activities (such as fly-fishing, dolphin-watching or day-long guided walks) all on their doorstep. alladale.com

You get to this family-run boutique hotel, formerly a 2,000-acre farm, by snaking through four miles of woods around the edge of Loch Voil, a spectacular and – in the winter when the track ices over – a necessarily unhurried, even stately, way to arrive. But when you do pitch up, what you find is something close to heaven: 14 modern, stylish rooms (some with steam rooms and wood burners), a snug bar with instant charm, and a destination restaurant that lures weekenders from Glasgow and Edinburgh. Although ideal for romantic hibernations, do make time to climb Ben More for the breathtaking views across the glen, and to duck into the nearby churchyard, final resting place of the notorious MacGregor clansman, Rob Roy. mhor.net

This 26-room hotel in the heart of Scotland’s largest whisky region (the Macallan and Aberlour distilleries are close neighbors) is housed in a rather grand, if not austere, Victorian building overlooking the River Spey, that dominates the landscape. But there’s nothing austere about the mood inside: the staff are extraordinarily friendly and the rooms effortlessly luxurious (with furnishings by cashmere supplier Johnstons of Elgin). Despite offering a plush Quaich whisky bar (handcrafted by Soane), the beating heart of this place is the glorious pub and dining room downstairs, frequented by locals, guests and the odd A-lister (Kate Moss and Noel Gallagher have been known to pop in). Prop up the bar with a tumbler of the house blend, a whisky that shares its name with the pub, The Copper Dog. craigellachiehotel.co.uk

Supposedly Scotland’s oldest inhabited house, and once visited by Mary Queen of Scots, Traquair is now a B&B with a difference. Three stately rooms with four-poster beds look out over the grounds and impressive maze where peacocks roam. And don’t miss the Beyond Borders International Festival of Literature & Thought in August, when the grounds play host to a variety of writers and opinion formers. traquair.co.uk

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