Hebridean hospitality

Kinloch Lodge
Isle of Skye
Tel: +44 (0)1471 833 333

This hotel simply couldn't be in any country other than Scotland – it has an unmatchable sense of place. The whitewashed stone architecture is part up-market country lodge and part farm; the newer South Lodge is just as restrained externally but has an even better view over the loch. Both fit admirably into the Isle of Skye landscape where white-painted properties, set in a mountainous landscape, draw the eye for miles around.

Your hosts here are food writer and cook, Claire Macdonald, and her husband, Lord Macdonald. Lady Claire, with her daughter Isabella and son-in-law Tom and crew, run a delightful country hotel, stuffed with comforts and good taste (in more ways than one).

There is certainly an air of class about the place, as one might expect at base camp of a prestigious clan chief… and there are aristocratic objects everywhere, including letters from Queen Victoria… but nothing's at all stuffy. Lounges have real log fires.

Accommodation ranges from comfy and plain through deluxe with wonderful sea views to a newer style of room – sassy and stylish, such as room no. 8. The rich green-walled dining room, hung with old oils, serves superb local produce. Visit www.Claire-Macdonald.com to visit the ever-cheerful lady's shop, from where you might be able to select a gift or two with a real taste of Skye – one of Scotland's greatest natural assets. It's a star turn, as they say.

Highland Cottage
Isle of ...

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• By : Sally Toms
• In : Best of Scotland
• Issue : 34
• Page : 64
• Words : 1,102