Hints, tips and destinations for luxury lodges in Scotland
If you’re keen to get out there and traipse the Great Glen or the Pony Track to the top of Ben Nevis but don’t want to leave behind the creature comforts of home, a luxury lodge in Scotland could be what you’re after. These stays fuse elegance, extras and rusticity to give a base between the Highlands and the lochs that’s hard to resist. This guide takes a look at what you can expect from them and some inspiring destinations to choose.
The frills of luxury lodges in Scotland
Bearing the luxury moniker can mean a whole host of different things. From large-scale country kitchens to on-site spa facilities, this selection of just 3 up-market features found in luxury lodges in Scotland is sure to get you tempted to book.
Lodges with a swimming pool
It’s certainly not common for accommodations in Scotland to come with a swimming spot on the side – particularly not outdoor ones that are bound to freeze over when the icy winter swings around. That said, there are some luxury lodges in Scotland that have access to their own pool. You might find it’s shared between a complex of lodges, but it will typically be indoor and occasionally even be heated.
Prime locations with luxury lodges in Scotland
Forking out a little more for an upscale Scottish stay can mean having the pick of the very best locations. Nature lovers will be particularly wowed by the offering, which can mean historic shepherds’ huts in the depths of the Great Glen or aged crofter cottages folded into the green valleys of Ross and Cromarty.
Sumptuous self-catering facilities
There’s often plenty of room in these plush Scottish escapes to fit in a kitchen. While you might associate lodges and cabins with the smaller end of the scale, there’s certainly no wanting for square footage in the classiest of the bunch. The upshot is that you can look forward to excellent cooking facilities and somewhere to share those evening haggises with the whole family.
The beautiful Scottish glens of the Kintail National Scenic AreaWhat sort of trips to make to luxury lodges in Scotland
By offering a fusion of wilderness and pampering, luxury lodges in Scotland are able to entice a whole range of different travellers on a whole range of different trips.
A couple’s escape to luxury lodges in Scotland
Nothing says romance like complete seclusion, just the 2 of you, in the rugged Highlands or the deer-stalked Glens of Scotland. A lodge stay promises that, while a luxury lodge stay promises that plus a cosy lounge, a crackling log fire and a plush bedroom, often with stunning landscape views to boot.
A hiking adventure to the Highlands
Wax down the walking boots and ready the poles, because the far-flung locations of lodges across Scotland make them perfect for intrepid types. In Fort William, for example, you could be traipsing along the Pony Trail to the top of Ben Nevis just moments after leaving your door. Meanwhile, pads in The Trossachs will drop you close to hiking paths to Ben Lomond and countless other peaks with a view.
Historical appreciations of Scotland
If it’s Scotland’s rich and tumultuous history you’re keen on exploring, a lodge stay could be spot on. Those visiting the join between the Lowlands and the Highlands at Stirling can tour mighty 12th-century halls and grand coronation rooms that have seen the likes of Mary, Queen of Scots, pass through. Being closer to Edinburgh means getting Edinburgh’s muscular fortress, along with a UNESCO-tagged Old Town that’s bisected by the Royal Mile, its whisky stores and weathered marketplace at Tron Kirk.
Some alluring places for luxury lodges in Scotland
Eye-watering Highlands, mountain-spiked islands and hidden lochs fringed with fir forests all make a Scottish stay a truly enticing one. Here are just a few suggestions for that next adventure north of the border.
Loch Lomond’s beautiful lodges beckon
Loch Lomond is beset by Munro mountains – with summits over 3,000 feet high. That means a luxury lodge in these parts can be about real adventure, as well as enjoying the green landscapes of the national park that surrounds you. When you aren’t climbing, consider panoramic cruises across the water or a trip to Dumbarton Castle – said to have the longest recorded past of any fortification in the country.
West Coast lodges on the islands
The real treats of the Scottish West Coast region come on the islands that fragment off the side. There are loads to pick from. Skye is arguably the most famous, with its needle-like Storr summits and sea waters where minke whales make regular cameos. But there are more off-beat options, too, like the Isle of Arran, with its shingle bays that give way to roaring waterfalls.
Pick a lodge near Aviemore
Aviemore is perfect for budding adventurers. The self-proclaimed gateway to the Cairngorms National Park, the town’s luxury lodges could be your ticket to skiing down the pistes of Cairngorm Mountain or Glenshee – a steaming hot tub might be just what’s required after snowy days on those slopes.