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At The Torridon, hospitality ’tis grand

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In the craggy mountains of the Scottish Highlands, The Torridon is a jewel that sparkles with history, romance and genuine hospitality.

It’s the ideal place to experience, if only briefly, a slice of leisure and privilege, indulging in such activities as clay pigeon shooting, archery and Scotch sipping.

If you have ever had the good fortune of visiting The Torridon, you will be pleased — but not surprised — to learn that the property was named AA Hotel of the Year for Scotland for 2012-2013 at the recent AA Hospitality Awards.

The awards, judged by AA inspectors and industry professionals, are among the most prestigious in the British hospitality industry. Winners are recognized for excellence, success, a dedication to raising industry standards, and a commitment to the overall guest experience.

Sited on 58 acres of parkland overlooking a sea loch, The Torridon is set in a remote and lovely cranny in the western Highlands.  While the public spaces echo the hotel’s Victorian roots with opulent wood paneling and crackling fires, the 19 guestrooms are large, luxurious and comfy, with a fresh, contemporary feeling.

Niceties include Egyptian cotton sheets, duck-down feather duvets, flat-screen televisions, iPod docking stations, free WiFi, a tea and coffee maker, sparkling and still water, and Tunnock’s teacakes, a round shortbread biscuit covered with Italian meringue and encased in a thin layer of chocolate.

Fancy a sit-down dinner? The Torridon Restaurant has earned three AA Rosettes as a fine-dining establishment. (In the lounge, we enjoyed the option of ordering a large glass of wine or the regular pour. The regular is a generous portion, at least 6 ounces. The large is pretty much filled to the rim, which means your server will be walking very carefully to ensure your libation arrives intact.)

A night cap, laddie? The clubby Malt Whisky Bar features 350 varieties of Scotches. The next morning, enjoy a hearty Scottish breakfast.

Small and intimate, it’s a fine place for a family holiday or a corporate retreat. No worries about getting bored in a remote location. There are lots of activities on property and nearby to keep guests of any age and interest occupied. Outdoor options include hiking, kayaking and mountain biking. Guides and instructors, helpful and handsome, are on site.

Or stroll about the kitchen garden on your own, then swing by the barn to pet a shaggy Highland cow in the hotel herd.

The Torridon is romantic as well as rustic, which makes it a popular wedding and honeymoon destination, including celebrations for same-sex couples and their loved ones.

A friendly hotel manager told me about the wonderful wedding weekend The Torridon hosted for him, his partner and their families. I, in turn, waxed rhapsodic to my daughter, a bride-to-be, and now The Torridon is on her short list for the destination wedding she and her fiance are planning.

Rates start at £220 — that’s $349 USD — for a classic bedroom and breakfast, but vary by room type, season and length of stay.  The Torridon offers a variety of packages throughout the year, focusing on everything from family fun to romantic retreats and from adventure-filled days to relaxed evenings.  Current offers focus on Christmas and Hogmanay, the Scottish New Year. I can’t imagine a better spot to sing Auld Lang Syne.

Like The Torridon, Connoisseurs Scotland is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.  The hospitality group’s 30 members include four of the world’s finest golf resorts (Cameron House, Gleneagles, Turnberry and St. Andrew’s Old Course) and several outstanding city-center properties, including Prestonfield, one of only two 5 Red Star Hotels in Edinburgh; the newly refurbished Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle; and two destinations with Michelin-star restaurants, the sumptuous Inverlochy Castle Hotel near Fort William and the warm and elegant Kinloch Lodge on the Isle of Skye.

Extra! Extra! The Scotsman delivers good news for guests

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The Scotsman, a luxury hotel sited in a Victorian era newspaper building, is good news for travelers to Edinburgh.

It’s so close to the Royal Mile of museums, shops and restaurants that a newsboy could easily hurl a Sunday paper there.

Extra! Extra! In addition to location, The Scotsman offers friendly, efficient service and such vintage charms as a coal fire glowing in the lobby grate. The magnificent Italian marble staircase, which the brass used to climb to the executive offices, remains in place.

I am upgraded to an editor’s suite, which features a bay window and an antique desk that might have been around when The Scotsman published its first newspaper at the site in 1905. Closets and the TV are behind raised-panel doors crafted from the deep, rich wood you would expect to find in the library of a country house in an Agatha Christie mystery novel. The windows are dressed with heavy, tweed curtains. The bathroom is large and well-appointed with a huge tub, heated towel rack and a radiator so efficient it will dry hastily rinsed socks in an hour flat.

The Scotsman also stocks Highland Aromatics, the best darn shampoos, lotions and soaps I have ever enjoyed on my travels. (More on the line in a future post.)

The hotel is part of Connoisseurs Scotland, an association for unique luxury properties throughout the country. Like a daily newspaper delivered to your doorstep, The Scotsman focuses on every-day courtesies. There is a chute in the entry way to the suite, where room service can deliver food and drink. I place my shoes in the chute for a complimentary shine. The next morning I find what appear to be new shoes. But, no! They are the same, serviceable Mary Janes, splendidly cleaned and polished.

There’s also the North Bridge Brasserie, the hotel restaurant, which focuses on traditional Scottish fare and locally sourced produce, meats and fish. A few nibbles from a recent menu: roasted North Sea squid with smoked Shetland mussel fritters; Loch Lomond Arctic char with a warm salad of Ayrshire new potatoes and grilled leeks; and Chef Paul Hart’s twist on traditional Scottish haggis, topped with Glenfiddich single malt whisky jelly.

With his piercing blue eyes and bristle of white hair, Ivor, the affable and efficient doorman, looks a lot like my grandfather, Allan Sinclair II, whose father hailed from Scotland. Ivor, who donned his kilt when the hotel opened in 2001, is grandfatherly in his helpfulness, patiently giving directions to the spa through The Scotsman’s warren of corridors.

The cavernous space that once accommodated the presses is now home to a stainless steel swimming pool. The pool is surrounded by other aquatic amenities, including a steam room, hot and cold shower heads and a whirlpool spa.

Both the pool and fitness center are open to local members, which gives guests an opportunity to mingle with Edinburgh natives. Chatting with the locals in a bubbling whirlpool is a decidedly civilized way to gather shopping tips.

Prices start at around $250 for a studio room, including VAT, full Scottish breakfast and spa access. Expect a copy of The Scotsman at your door, bright and early.