This luxury Scottish hotel is a whisky and art lover’s dream

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This eccentric Highlands resort combines Scottish traditions, greater than 16,000 items of artwork and a picture-perfect panorama for an immersive rural retreat

Daisy Lester

Location

Situated within the village of Braemar, The Fife Arms is a two-hour drive from Edinburgh and Aberdeen. The village sits within the UK’s largest nationwide park, Cairngorms – a hotspot for wild swimming and snowboarding at Glenshee, in addition to mountaineering, mountain biking and climbing. Braemar Fort and the Highland Video games Centre (the royal household have been attending yearly since Queen Victoria’s time) are each a brief stroll from the resort. The Fife Arms’ proximity to Balmoral is an enormous draw for company, however equally for the royals themselves – King Charles opened the resort in 2019 and there are whispers of his common visits.

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The vibe

The Fife Arms’ striking drawing room — The Fife Arms’ placing drawing room (The Fife Arms)

With two Picasso work, a sketch by Queen Victoria and a Brueghel the Youthful, The Fife Arms feels part-museum, part-art gallery, however by no means stuffy. The general public areas function cosy nooks to learn in, tweed partitions and clashing curtains, roaring fires, plush sofas and frequent conferences with the resort’s pleasant labrador. A ardour undertaking of the 2 artwork sellers behind Hauser & Wirth, greater than 16,000 artworks cowl the resort. The eclectic combine of contemporary and classical art work is full concord. Within the reception, a up to date glass chandelier is designed to seem like antlers and bag pipes, whereas a nineteenth century Robert Burns chimney mount has been painstakingly restored. A very uncommon late work by Picasso hangs beneath a up to date fresco ceiling impressed by Scottish agates within the drawing room.

The Elsa Schiaparelli-inspired bar – the Italian clothier was a buddy of the sixteenth Laird of the Invercauld Property close by – provides additional immersion, with a large disco ball, pink lighting and varied Man Rays on the wall. Regardless of its pomp, the Fife Arms is something however exclusionary – the enjoyment of the resort is that it’s open to everybody. Day by day complimentary artwork excursions are provided to each in a single day and day company, whereas the resort’s Flying Stag pub is a hang-out for locals – a few of their portraits are even hanging on the wall.

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Service

The employees are the beating coronary heart on the Fife Arms, from the ghillie guides who know the Cairngorms Nationwide Park just like the again of their hand, to the locals who lead literary excursions of the panorama that authors like Nan Shepherd have been impressed by. Our mountaineering information was a retired member of the group whereas our driver grew up within the village. From the restaurant waiters to the whisky bartenders, everyone seems to be heat and welcoming. The resort’s consideration to element additionally threads by way of the employees’s kitsch tweed uniforms.

Mattress and bathtub

All 46 bedrooms are individually designed (The Fife Arms)

The 46 bedrooms are divided into 4 classes, impressed by Scottish artwork and historical past. All of the rooms are distinctive, from a Treasure Island-themed room known as Robert Louis Stevenson and the Fashionista room– full with classic Vogue covers and previous fragrance bottles – to the Lord Byron and Jacobite Rising rooms. The Royal and Victoriana classes are close to museum-like of their replication of nineteenth century bedrooms, taking inspiration from guests like Queen Victoria and the Duke of Fife, the Highland Video games and even Victoria’s beloved border collie. The thought and element that has gone into every room has been duly recognised with two Michelin Keys.

The rooms have all the mandatory facilities – there’s a protected, bathtub highly effective bathe and toiletries from the resort’s personal magnificence model, Albamhor. Little luxuries embody a complimentary mini bar with snacks from the native space – together with from the Braemar Chocolate Store simply down the street – a bottle of champagne and negroni cocktail bottle. The addition of Fife Arms and Braemar postcards, a notepad, pencil and curated e book choice are charming.

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Food and drinks

Bertie’s Whisky Bar houses more than 500 bottles of dram — Bertie’s Whisky Bar homes greater than 500 bottles of dram (The Fife Arms)

The Fife Arms boasts two eating places and bars. The Flying Stag is a vigorous, conventional pub serving native ales, an in depth wine listing, and hearty classics like pork and black pudding fritter, fish and chips or rooster schnitzel. It’s unpretentious and all the time busy with each locals and resort company. For a extra refined expertise, the Clunie Eating Room provides an a la carte or eight-course tasting menu utilizing Scottish produce – standouts embody the lobster ravioli, the buttery poached cod and the native venison. The Clunie additionally serves breakfast (don’t miss the smoked trout or ghillies breakfast) and Sunday lunch. Obtainable to each day and in a single day company, afternoon tea – sitting beneath the Picasso, no much less – is obtainable within the drawing room.

Elsa’s Bar reimagines basic cocktails with a inventive twist – suppose coriander margaritas and pistachio cream grasshoppers for aperitifs or nightcaps. Bertie’s Whisky Bar, a moody speakeasy named after Queen Victoria’s son, showcases greater than 500 bottles organised by flavour profile. In addition to the Fife Arms’ new autumn whisky mix (£245, Thefifearms.com), brewed on the close by Glen Garioch distillery, the cabinets embody a uncommon 1841 dram. Even whisky skeptics will discover one thing to get pleasure from, due to the knowledgeable sommeliers.

Services

The Fife Arms’ spa has a Scandi, minimalist feel — The Fife Arms’ spa has a Scandi, minimalist really feel (The Fife Arms)

The Fife Arms’ spa is tucked away in the back of the historic constructing. With its wooden partitions, shearling throws, crops and jute furnishings, the serene house has a Scandi really feel – however tartan mattress throws and modern artworks chime with the remainder of the resort. From post-hike foot massages and facials to manicures, hot-stone and exfoliating massages, the various remedy listing covers each concern. A generously sized sauna is open to company and appears out onto the backyard.

Relying in your pursuits, there are nearly countless actions on provide at The Fife Arms – suppose snow sports activities, whisky or wine tastings and visits to close by distilleries within the winter, or e-biking, clay pigeon capturing, wild swimming, fishing and guided mountaineering within the spring and summertime (Barbour coats and wellies are offered, in true Scottish fashion). The concierge can organize day journeys to Balmoral, inventive writing workshops, tennis and golf, or just get pleasure from one of many day by day complimentary artwork excursions across the resort.

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Accessibility

Three of the Scottish Tradition rooms are totally accessible, with wet-room bogs and emergency cords out there. There are additionally lifts all through the resort, together with the spa.

Pet coverage

The resort prices £25 per canine, per night time. Any injury or disruption to different company makes you liable to an additional cost.

Verify-in/check-out?

Verify-in from 3pm; check-out by 11am.

Household-friendly?

The Fife Arms welcomes kids of all ages, with cots, further beds or couch beds organized in sure rooms at an additional price. Whether or not it’s artwork lessons, foraging or hikes to identify wildlife, the concierge can organize varied family-friendly actions. There’s a treasure hunt kids can get pleasure from across the resort, in addition to a household room with board video games, books, desk soccer, Xbox and extra.