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.