Inside the UK's most northerly five-star hotel
Met either side by dramatic, russet highlands and named after the vast silver loch nearby, The Torridon – the UK's most northerly five-star hotel – sits like a crown jewel among 150 acres of luscious, tumbling grounds.
A 90-minute drive west from Inverness, the journey from the airport across rugged roads becomes a part of the attraction of this destination hotel.
Though its towering turrets are grand, the hotel's red sandstone walls and sensitive restoration boast all the majesty of the Scottish Highlands, without any desire to compete with, nor outshine them.
However, it's inside that the personality of this characterful boutique hotel – and the creative talents of its owner – really gleam.
Originally an illustrious hunting lodge built by the first Earl of Lovelace in 1887, the plot is home to 30 uniquely designed rooms and suites, split between the main house, the Stables, the private cottage, and the covetable Boat House on the loch’s edge (bookings for this open each year in January, and typically fill up within weeks).
Inside the main house, the foyer is true to its roots: a roaring fire; rich, dark wood cladding; wall-mounted stags' heads guard each doorway. It is once you journey through to the Drawing Room and venture to your bedroom that you begin to see the mark of co-owner, Rohaise Rose-Bristow.
The Drawing Room
When Rohaise and her husband bought the hotel from her parents in 2004, she found herself increasingly frustrated with the proposed interior design plans and wrestling with an internal conviction that she knew a better way to honour the architecture she had grown fond of in childhood. Finally giving in to her own instincts – and overcoming a level of imposter syndrome to do so – Rohaise became The Torridon's very own in-house interior designer.
The Drawing Room is a testament to Rohaise's unique style, which effortlessly blends original architecture and historic references with a contemporary thirst for colour and pattern. Designed around a sheet of Florentine-style, marbled paper she received in a shopping order, Rohaise requested a custom carpet mimicking the opulent design. The daring request caused the team to tremble slightly, until they saw it in action. The rest of the room's pieces – upholstered, wingback armchairs; velvet cushions; weighty, woven curtains – soon revolved in palette around this hero print, confidently pattern-clashing and era-mixing.
Certainly, the room is a stylish love letter to the past: the walls in Dulux Heritage's 'Grass Green' seem plucked out of Charleston, and are not the only reference to the Bloomsbury Group. A portrait of Ada Lovelace holds court beside the fire. Elegant and eclectic trinkets line the mantelpiece, curated by Rohaise from antique shops, Vinterior, and on her travels. The original ceiling is an astrological star map – an homage to Queen Victoria's fixation with the Zodiac.
Restaurants
The hotel is fortunate to house two distinctive restaurants on site: brasserie-meets-gastropub Bo & Muc (Gaelic for Cow & Pig, I'm told) and 3 AA Rosette restaurant 1887, a fine dining triumph. Both champion local produce and offer imaginative menus, with playfully seasonal dishes and a field-to-fork ethos. Additionally, both are headed up by head chef Alex Henderson, who joined last year having previously been sous chef at the Michelin-starred House of Tides in Newcastle.
The latter's seven-course tasting menu, priced at £125, takes diners on a sensory journey through Scotland's enviable crags and crannies of world-class ingredients. Highlights were the rich and savoury mushroom tea to start, the locally hand-dived scallop in a yuzu beurre blanc, and the sea buckthorn Solero with a creamy basil ice cream core.
Rohaise's design once again marries old with new in 1887's interiors: trendy cobalt walls are the backdrop to a series of horoscope prints by artist, Tatiana Alida – a follow-on from the drawing room ceiling. On the mantelpiece, modern Scandi bud vases by Block Design are juxtaposed with heritage Staffordshire dogs.
Just through the Drawing Room, guests can also enjoy The Whisky Bar. Home to over 365 drams to choose from, bespoke whisky tastings and pairings are on offer. Despite its name, 'The Whisky Bar' also features 80 gins, including The Torridon’s own Arcturus Gin, crafted using unusual botanicals sourced from the garden.
Rooms
The rooms on offer range from Classic, Superior and Deluxe, to the even more luxurious Master Rooms and Suites, which include Dyson hairdryers and lampshades by Bloomsbury Revisited (an artist who paints lamps in the style of Charleston) - as well as bespoke furniture by craftsman Julian Brown.
Each day, friendly members of staff refresh the rooms (many of which enjoy views of the grounds and loch) with posies from the hotel's kitchen garden and handmade truffles.
Rohaise explains: "It was important to me for the hotel to feel like an escape. I'm not trying to compete with the fabulous nature outside – if anything, we're setting ourselves apart, which was why I chose the coral print on the headboard in the Grand Master Suite. We want everything to feel luxurious, comfortable and special."
Things to do
Whether you're treating your visit as a wellness retreat, or an opportunity to get out among the rugged highlands, The Torridon has a plethora of activities available for guests. Guided walks, sea kayaking, archery, afternoon tea and feeding the Highland cows, to name a few.
Wildlife-spotting opportunities are aplenty: ospreys nest and stonechats call (while I was there, migrating redwings and fieldfares from Iceland flocked overhead). During a hike around Loch Colin and Loch Clair, views of Beinn Eighe and Liathach from across the water were enchanting – just ask at reception for a lift out to the set-off point, a 15-minute drive away. Look out for starry juniper haircap, scarlet sphagnum moss, and of course, the iconic red deer that graze and prance among the forests in this special corner of the UK.
An overght stay at The Torridon starts at £250 per night including breakfast. Please note the hotel is closed during January to carry out refurbishments. Flights from London to Inverness Airport take around 1.5 hours, with flights from £41 return.
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