Traitors holidays: why Inverness is the cool new winter destination

People in search of a winter break this year need look no further than their television sets. With The Traitors’ third season in full flow, we’ve been tuning in to watch dark deeds of skulduggery and murder – only to be greeted by the gorgeous sight of the Scottish Highlands in full bloom.

Who wants be looking for breaks in Madeira or Greece when you could be setting your sights on the stunning countryside around Inverness? After the first series aired, Trainline saw a 25 per cent increase in bookings to Inverness in January 2023 compared to the previous year – and no wonder.

But there’s also more to Inverness than the Traitors – naturally. In fact, the TV show is simply confirming what many of us knew all along: this cool, under the radar city and its environs is actually an excellent location for a winter break.

First things first: the scenery. This is Scotland as its most rugged and beautiful. Brooding mountains overlook plunging valleys and slate-grey lochs stare blankly at the sky, ringed by ancient forests. In winter, chances are good that there’ll be snow, or at least a howling wind.

Fortunately, this also makes it a great place for skiing. The nearby Cairngorms are the place to be here – and the skiing is cheaper than anything you’d find in France or Switzerland. For 30km of pistes and an 11-mile drive from Aviemore, it’s probably the most hassle-free trip from train to slopes that you’ll find anywhere (visitaviemore.com).

However, I’d argue that what makes Inverness and its surrounds a true cool destination is its food scene, which perfectly complements the wild, forbidding landscape. And that’s before we get into the area’s flourishing whisky scene. Inverness and the highlands are laden down with distilleries, many of which offer tastings. Start off at the achingly trendy Glen Ord distillery (malts.com) and work your way all the way down to Tomatin, which makes both blended and single malt brews in an area whose tradition of whisky making dates back to the 1500s (tomatin.com).

There’s Inver, on the banks of Loch Fyne, which offers a New Nordic menu of But Lamb and the most inventive, near alchemic take on fish and chips (inverrestaurant.co.uk). Or check out Lochinver Larder, on Scotland’s route 500, with venison pies and haggis for days (lochinverlarder.com) – or indeed Loche Torridon’s Gille Brighde, whose mountainous drive is worth it for the end prize of smoked venison and cullen skink (gille-brighde.com).

In Inverness itself, Rocpool is true destination dining and has been featured in the Michelin guide. On the banks of the River Ness, it’s been going for years and offers a sort of bizarre Scottish-Mediterranean culinary mashup that nevertheless works. The North Sea halibut with Arbroath smoky risotto makes its own argument (rocpoolrestaurant.com).

As for where to stay: well, The Torridon has you covered. It’s the sort of turreted, remote hunting lodge all Americans yearn for when they make their long-awaited pilgrimage. The loch may wink in the sunshine, but The Torridon is at its most sublime when the skies begin to frown, and the mountains form an inky, angry silhouette, broken occasionally by a roaming stag.

The stage is set for some top-drawer whisky tasting in the library, an experience offered by the hotel with its impressive Whisky Bar (over 365 single malts). Every dram thrusts guests back in time, through Scotland’s rich heritage and its deep, pseudo-religious connection to the land and the elements. Doubles from £235 per night at thetorridon.com.

An hour north of Inverness, Glenmorangie House Hotel offers guests both a chance to taste their famous whisky (their distillery is a 15 minute drive away) and settle into their fabulously upholstered pink and tartan interiors (rooms start from £330, glenmorangie.com). And of course, there’s always Kinloch Lodge, whose simple, white-washed cottage-style exterior belies some of the finest hospitality going and a truly legendary larder. Any food pilgrims, take note – and book here, both for dinner and overnight (kinloch-lodge.co.uk).