Scotland is an incredible country: epically beautiful, with unique flora and fauna, and more historic treasures than any of us will ever get through… a tenth of.  Naysayers may moan about the weather, but for some of our Gurus the unpredictable nature of Scotland’s nature just serves to make it a more exciting and adventurous destination.  Their recommendations for the best places to stay in Scotland range across the land like rainfall, from the remote islands of the Hebrides and Shetlands, through the Highlands, down across Aberdeenshire and Perthshire, and all the way to the Borders, via Edinburgh and Glasgow.  

For a more specific idea of what’s on their list of the best places to stay in Scotland, you could consider their refined list?

• Best places to stay in the Highlands and Islands
• 10 of the Best hotels on the Inner Hebrides
• The Best Hotels on the Outer Hebrides
• 20 of Scotland's Most Romantic Hotels
• 17 of the Best Hotels with Hot Tubs in Scotland
• Best Scottish Country Escapes
• The Best pubs with rooms in Scotland
• The Best hotels in the Cairngorms
• 20 Best Dog Friendly Hotels in Scotland

Or you could approach Scotland with the wild abandon our Gurus feel it deserves, and throw yourself into stalking the Bens and glens, loch fishing, and island hopping the famous whisky isles.  If you’re here for the golf the best places to stay in Scotland are around St. Andrews and Fife, in the Highlands, the northeast coast, or the south west coast around Troon.  If you want to catch the Highland Games plan your trip for the summer, and if you want to see the northern lights, the best time are around the equinoxes: March - April, and September - October.  

The Best Places to Stay in Scotland

For Highland Views

• Inverlochy Castle sits regally at the foot of Ben Nevis, overlooking the mirror-like waters of Loch Linnhe, and the castle’s own elegant grounds. Its 17 rooms and suites are quite regal too, with antique canopied beds - or four-posters, original art, and luxurious fabrics. The restaurant has a Michelin-star, and 3 AA Rosettes, and it’s worth visiting just for a meal-with-a-view. There’s plenty to do onsite, for kids and adults.
• Forss House is an atmospheric country house, built in 1810, on 20 acres of relatively remote Scottish woodland. This is the perfect launchpad for fishing, walking, cycling, stalking and shooting, and other outdoor pursuits — there are a number of rivers, and Scottish links golf courses within easy reach of the hotel. There are 14 rooms and suites, a good selection of which are dog friendly, plus communal areas with welcoming fireplaces and a great selection of whisky.

For Historic Highlights 

• Surrounded by 20 acres of private parkland, Prestonfield feels more like a country house hotel than a city central one, but this opulent manor house conversion is just five minutes from the Holyrood Palace end of the Royal Mile. Inside are 23 rooms and suites, many of which are among the most romantic in Edinburgh, with their canopied beds, heavy drapes, rich fabrics, antiques and roaring fires. There’s a fine dining restaurant too. And nothing is too much trouble for the concierge at Prestonfield, balloon flights over the area included.

For a Countryside Escape

• The Killiecrankie House Hotel is a wonderful Highland escape in Killiecrankie, a pretty town just outside Pitlochry. Converted from a charmingly whitewashed church minister’s house dating from the 1840s, and surrounded by lush gardens and incredible highland views, this is a wonderful - yet wonderfully unassuming choice, peaceful and characterful. There are ten guest rooms, all individually decorated, each with just the right amount of tartan, and a sung sitting room and restaurant. The food is hearty, satisfying, and locally sourced.
• Cavens House gleams brilliant white against the expansive views of green hills and the Solway Coast, a stunning mansion turned six room hotel. This feels every bit the country house, with each of the rooms individually decorated and arranged, and rooms on the ground floor, as well as the second floor meaning that accessibility is no problem. Cavens House also has a number of public rooms, warmly lit by wood fires in the season, and the perfect place to have a pre-dinner drink. Dinner is served no later than eight, but the cuisine is worth bending your plans for. Lots to do in the surrounding area.

For a Scottish Adventure

• The Fife Arms in remote Braemar, is a seriously luxurious choice, with all the opulence of high Victoriana, and all the mod cons technology can provide. The 46 rooms and suites are all individually themed and designed, and the art collection is really something — the hotel is owned by art dealers, so you can expect to see the odd Picasso or Freud on the walls.
• Knockinaam Lodge is a hunting lodge turned small hotel. Both Churchill and Eisenhower are known to have stayed here, and they probably marvelled at the same unspoiled views of the Scottish coastline from beside a cosy tiled fireplace. They undoubtedly also ate well, and that hasn’t changed either, the lodge has 3 AA Rosettes. There are ten rooms, three of which are dog friendly.

For the Scottish Islands

• Just a shirt drive from Skye Bridge, Kinloch Lodge is a converted 17th century hunting lodge, owned by food writer Clare MacDonald, and her husband Godfrey, who’s Clan Chief. So it’s got foodie, and historic credentials, and the result is a spectacularly beautiful, Michelin-starred restaurant, with 15 elegant, traditional rooms filled with natural light and beautiful antiques. The cosy sitting room has an open fire and an enviable collection of whisky, and the views are incredible.
• Mull’s Glengorm Castle is a wonderfully castle-y castle, complete with turrets, crenelations, and a short of chateau grace? It’s also beautifully positioned, overlooking the sea, on a hill surrounded by green, just outside of Tobermory. There are only six guest rooms in the castle, all of them individually decorated, as if they’re rooms for guests of the family, rather than paying guests, and that feeling carries over into the public rooms - the grand dining room, and the lounge with wood-panelled walls and roaring fires, and the library with its complimentary whisky. There are seven self-catering cottage on the estate, and a cafe inside the castle’s old stable and workshops. Families are most welcome.

For Golfers

• The Gleneagles Hotel is a beautiful old grand dame resort hotel in a stunning Perthshire setting, surrounded by championship golf courses. You might have heard of it, but what you might not have known is how perfect it would be for a family holiday: offering the opportunity to try falconry; take a riding lesson; go clay pigeon shooting; play tennis or go fishing, swimming or cycling; or use the pitch and putt course. There’s also a range of places to eat and a spa, so there’s a lot of five star luxury to offer parents too.
• Links House is a really charming Highland hotel set on one of Scotland’s most picturesque golf links: Royal Dornach. Feeling distinctly Scottish, with tartan soft furnishings, the odd antler, and oil paintings depicting the changeable beauty of the Highlands, this hotel has just eight rooms and suites, plus a fine dining restaurant known for its local sourcing, and an extensive wine and whisky collection. Also perfect for hunting and fishing.
• The Old Course Hotel is a golfer's dream. Smart and sophisticated, the large property features opulent rooms and suites with fairway and beach views, as well as superb food and a world-class spa. A historic landmark for an indulgent stay in St Andrews — complete with lots of golf!

Best of Edinburgh

• In a prime position at the top end of the Royal Mile close to Edinburgh Castle, and offering a combination of intimacy and Gothic decadence, it’s hard to find somewhere more memorable to stay in Edinburgh than the Witchery by the Castle. The nine rooms that now occupy this 16th century building are theatrically opulent, with gilded ceilings over four-poster beds, oil paintings over wood panelling, candlelight and swathes of jewel-coloured velvet. The restaurant is known for its Scottish cuisine and for its atmosphere.
• The Fingal is a retired lighthouse tender turned luxury, 23 room hotel, and now anchored in the hip area of Leith. Cabins range from classic doubles to decadent suites. The design is luxurious with brass fittings, leather, and rich hues. A glamorous ballroom is ideal for a party and there's a fabulous little restaurant too. She's now part of the Royal Yacht Britannia trust, and is Scotland's first luxury floating hotel.

Best of Glasgow

• Located in Glasgow’s West End, Blythswood Square is a spa hotel in a wonderfully central spot. Part of this hotel, the bit overlooking the square, used to be the RAC building, and the rooms here are more traditional, with more contemporary decor in the modern extension. Our Gurus enjoyed the monochrome and pillared entry hall, the heather-coloured highlights, the tweed accents, and the excellent breakfasts.
• The Hotel Indigo Glasgow is a contemporary, 94 room hotel, close to Glasgow’s Central Station. Expect bold patterns and great lighting, with a similar vibe in the Marco Pierre White restaurant downstairs. A very easy hotel to head out exploring from - most of Glasgow’s highlights are within walking distance.

For a Remote Retreat

• Mint Croft is a couple of converted Highland buildings in a spectacular, water-view spot on Skye. The accommodation is all self catering, but they do offer breakfast. One of the buildings has a turf roof, with exposed stone walls and a freestanding stone bath. The other suites has two storeys and a good sized living room, and this is the reason our Gurus recommend this property to families. Peaceful and secluded.
• Killiehuntly is a luxuriously converted farmhouse, with just six rooms and self-catering cottages, in a picturesque spot within the bounds of the Cairngorms National Park. The decor has been recently reimagined Scandi-style, in a myriad of greys to match the exposed stone walls, but the open fires and wooly throws keep things cosy. Meals are served at a communal table, and the offering is traditional Scottish. Remote, peaceful, and ideal for getting back to nature.

For Loch Views

• Elegant and intimate, the Loch Ness Lodge is a serene choice on the shores of Loch Ness. Part of the intimacy comes from having just seven rooms, all of them individually decorated with inspiration from the incredible Highland views that surround them, but some of the feeling of intimacy comes from the remote location. The lodge’s spa is impressive, considering the few rooms, it’s got a hot tub and sauna and a very good therapy menu. There’s no restaurant, but the lodge does off breakfast and a fancy afternoon tea. The ideal retreat, but also perfect for walkers, deer stalkers and cyclists, and anyone who fancies their hand at archery, shooting, or off road biking.
• On the edge of Harris’s Loch Leosavay, nestled against a heathery, granite hill, is the very castle-y structure of Amhuinnsuidhe Castle. If you like battlements and turrets in remote, romantic settings, this is the accommodation for you. Inside are 21 rooms and suites, all spacious, and traditionally decorated with a collection of antiques and oil paintings. There’s a library, and several elegant sitting rooms and lounges, and there’s plenty to do on the estate - from salmon or trout fishing to stalking and birdwatching.

Prefer a Private Apartment or Cottage?

• If you'd prefer the privacy of a self-catering option then browse through the wide variety available online with our partner, Booking.com.

Travel Information

• Scotland’c collection of airports includes Edinburgh Airport, Glasgow Airport, Aberdeen Airport, Dundee Airport and Inverness Airport.  And there are smaller airports and airfield serving the islands.  
• If you want to hire a car we recommend you visit our online partner, Rentalcars.
• There’s always a reason to visit Scotland.  The most popular season to visit is probably the summer, but that’s partly because it’s when families of school-aged children take their holidays, and when many international guests visit Scotland and the UK.  Summer is certainly a great time to visit: you’ve got a chance of seeing some Highland Games events, and this is the busiest time of year for festivals and special events.  If you’re not tied to school holiday travel, and especially if you’re a keen walker, spring and autumn are excellent times to visit, spring for the sunshine and wildflowers, and autumn for the colourful foliage.  If you’re planning to play a lot of golf, the courses open in May.  Whenever you’re visiting Scotland rain is possible, so it’s best to be prepared.  

Still not sure where to stay?

•  You could refine your search by location? to the best places to stay in the Highlands and Islands? or the best hotels on the Inner Hebrides? or Outer Hebrides? or the Cairngorms?
• Or you could refine by the type of hotel you’re looking for? consider our Gurus recommendations for the best pubs-with-rooms in Scotland? or the best Scottish country house hotels?
• Or you could contact one of our friendly Gurus for personalised advice.