Best Luxury Hotels in Scotland

Once the city’s Parish Hall, this AC Hotel is embedded in Glasgow’s historic quarter. It’s found beside the emblematic George Square, close to mainline train stations, major attractions and the major players in the business world. While rooms are minimal and sleek, elements of the building’s period nature are spotted in aspects such as curved windows and ornate ceiling detailing. There’s a wealth of excellent restaurants and cafes on the doorstep, but you can also dine in-house at the Hazel Restaurant (which takes its name from the tree branch seen in the city crest) and in the AC Lounge.

Set on Scotland’s Sutherland coastline at the start of the North Coast 500, Royal Marine Hotel, Brora is an Arts and Crafts period country house, transformed into a coastal retreat, complete with a quintessential, yet contemporary Highland welcome. The building itself, designed in 1913 by the celebrated architect, Sir Robert Lorimer, as a private residence, was acquired by Highland Coast Hotels and reopened in 2022 following a £1.6 million refurbishment. The result is a 21-room bolthole, complete with dining space championing local produce, a cosy bar, set alongside one of the area’s most challenging golf links for its neighbour. A convenient hour from Inverness and the same onto to Wick and Thurso makes this the perfect base to either relax and explore the area or use it as a stepping stone on your journey around Scotland’s rugged highland coast.

With open views across the golf course to the Firth of Forth and Bass Rock, this is the hotel to choose if you want to be right beside the sea. The Marine has been restored to reflect its grand past, with tastefully chosen furnishings and textiles exuding a sense of old-world opulence and vintage flair, that’s as inviting as the outlook. Dine on local beef, game, and freshly landed seafood at The Lawn and order a cocktail or afternoon tea beneath the glittering chandeliers of the stylish Bass Rock Bar and Lounge. The French skincare brand Caudalie has partnered with the hotel to bring its spa treatments, designed using scientific techniques and active ingredients from the brand’s Bordeaux vineyards.

Set within 400 acres of majestic countryside, Cameron House is not only one of the best luxury hotels in Scotland, if not the UK, it also boasts breathtaking 360 degree views of the Scottish landscape and a stay here opens the doors for you to enjoy some of the best adventure sporting activities on offer in Scotland. Enjoy scenic bike hire trails, falconry experiences, pony treks, clay pigeon shooting, 4×4 off-road driving adventures, Segway safaris, as well as many picturesque walks and hikes curated by the hotel’s leisure and events team. Activities have been created with guests, locals and groups in mind, meaning each experience is perfect solo, with a partner, with your family and as part of a group. Combine this with award winning dining options and incredible luxury suites in the hotel’s ‘Auld House’ and you have the perfect combination for an unforgettable hotel stay in the heart of Scotland.

Back in the 16th-century, this was a hunting lodge. Now it’s a well respected, family-owned and run hotel in a remote part of Skye (although, most of Skye is by nature remote). Local craftspeople have been employed in the process of decorating this hotel, giving it a distinctly Scottish, yet upscale look. Homely rooms are all individually designed, with views of the nearby loch, fluffy robes and L’Occitane bath products. Guests can go foraging with the lodge’s own ghillie, take part in traditional country pursuits, play board games, dine on menus constructed to include ingredients from the Kinloch’s kitchen garden and drink at the honesty bar.

Overlooking the legendary Old Course and the dramatic Fife coastline, the Old Course Hotel is one of Scotland’s most celebrated luxury hotels. Home to world-class golf, the award-winning Kohler Waters Spa, and a collection of acclaimed restaurants and bars, it is a destination that balances active wellbeing with indulgent leisure. The five-star resort features 175 bedrooms, including 34 suites, each offering refined comfort and exceptional views across the links and sea. Dining venues include the Road Hole Restaurant, Road Hole Bar, and The Deck, joined by three additional restaurants and bars that bring together local produce and flavours within elegant dining settings.
The spa’s thermal suite features an enhanced hydrotherapy area and the UK’s first Espuro Foam Experience Steam Room, complemented by relaxation lounges serving warming teas in a tranquil setting. Its treatment menu showcases premium brands including Omorovicza, GROUND, Margaret Dabbs, and Phytomer, each selected for their natural efficacy and commitment to sustainable wellness. The Kohler Waters Spa also introduces Scotland’s most advanced contrast therapy experience, alternating between hot and cold to promote healing, highlighted by a striking KLAFS-designed snow and sauna cabin. Guests can unwind in soothing thermal spaces before embracing invigorating cold exposure, achieving a harmonious balance of restoration and vitality. Beyond the main resort, the hotel operates Hamilton Grand, a prestigious historic residence with 27 exclusive two-bedroom apartments overlooking the 18th green and West Sands Beach.

Five minute’s walk from the island’s main town of Portee, this four-star Manor Hotel, puts you a little further toward the busier parts of Skye. However, set on a hill and surrounded by mature gardens, with views across the coast, you can still enjoy a sense of peace. 34 bedrooms come with Nespresso coffee machines, Bose sound systems, Highland Soap toiletries and 300 thread count sheets. Seafood is the focus at the Chargrill Restaurant, which provides excellent views, seasonal menus and a wood-burning stove for cosy evenings eating beside the fire. During warmer months, guests can dine and drink out on the hotel’s terrace, overlooking the Cuillin Hills.

The Gleneagles Hotel is an institution when it comes to luxury getaways. Its conception came about in 1910 when the General Manager of the Caledonian Railway Company had the vision to build a large country house hotel built in the style of a palace in the picturesque valley through which his railway line ran. It was quickly coined ‘the Riviera in the Highlands” Set in an 850-acre estate with three championship golf courses and an unbeatable array of sporting activities to try. From equestrian and shooting to fishing and off-road driving, there is plenty to keep you entertained or for a more relaxing experience enjoy some time at the ESPA Spa. Whilst there are 232 rooms, the design of each is constructed to feel like a far more intimate, boutique hotel with a mix of traditional and modern interiors. Guests can enjoy dinner in the incredible Andrew Fairlie Michelin-starred restaurant, the only restaurant in Scotland to hold two Michelin stars or for something more casual The Dormy Bar & Grill serves a selection of delicious dishes.

Experience the refined elegance of Kimpton Blythswood Square Hotel & Spa, a landmark address in the heart of Glasgow. Set within a grand Georgian building overlooking Blythswood Square gardens, this AA Five Star hotel brings together nearly two centuries of heritage with a confident contemporary style. Guests can expect warm, attentive service, beautifully designed rooms and a destination spa set below ground, offering a calming retreat from the city. Dining is led by iasg, the hotel’s signature restaurant, where seasonal Scottish produce and seafood take centre stage alongside a well considered cocktail list. Daily Kimpton Social Hour adds a relaxed touch, with complimentary wine served each evening from 5pm to 6pm. It remains the only AA Five Star accredited hotel in Glasgow city centre, combining historic character with a modern luxury experience.

Hidden within 36 acres of Italian gardens and woodland outside of Ballantrae, this hotel lies close to the Ayrshire coastline. A late 19th-century baronial castle, it was first intended as the family seat for the Earl of Inchcape and holds a significant claim to fame – Winston Churchill was said to have discussed the D-Day landings while staying here in the 1940s. Pursuits for the well-heeled are a speciality – shooting, fishing and falconry, as well as tennis and croquet. Inside, guests can relax beside log fires, feast on six-course meals and peruse enormous wine lists. 17 bedrooms offer a period feel filled with antiquities and panelled or marble bathrooms include Penhaligon toiletries.

Perhaps one of the most romantic hotels in Edinburgh, The Witchery, is a boutique hotel which is intimate, opulent and offers an exceptional fine-dining experience with an award-winning wine list. Located at the gates of Edinburgh Castle, in a 16th-century building, the hotel boasts a rich and colourful history that is intertwined into the guest experience. Each of the nine suites are dramatic and theatrical – some with a four-poster bed, some with a roll-top bath for two, some with original portraits and tapestries-  and all with flamboyant style. Stay here and be transported to a bygone era.

There is something extremely romantic and magical about escaping to a private island for a holiday and the 300 acres of stunning land that is the Isle of Eriska certainly does not disappoint. This is the setting and the perfect backdrop for those guests choosing to stay at the Isle of Eriska Hotel and Spa. For over four decades the Buchanan-Smith Family worked hard on developing and nurturing this hotel which has flourished into a luxury destination offering guests peace, tranquillity, outdoor pursuits and much more – all with a touch of luxury. The hotel comprises of 34 bedrooms with 16 bedrooms in the main house, 5 spa suites located in the gardens with private hot tub, 2 garden cottages and 6 hilltop reserves along with a self-catering house option which is a short drive from the main hotel. Fine dining in the Hotel Restaurant or something more casual on The Deck can be enjoyed by residents and non-residents.