Best Luxury Hotels in Scotland

Walk along York Place in the heart of the city, and you’ll see a row of beautiful historic Georgian townhouses. Within five is a beautiful, chic and contemporary hotel ready to steal you away from the bustle of the city. More than a place to rest your head at night, it’s a hotel that works to ensure comfort and luxury is at the forefront. With a business centre, health and fitness centre and luxury room amenities, they make it easy for you to access whatever you need during your stay. Don’t forget to take advantage of their spa-inspired rainfall shower, mini bar with complimentary soft drinks and snacks, WiFi, and 32” HD LCD TV in all King bedrooms. And when you’re too tired to stay up, you’ll be handsomely rewarded as you snuggle into crisp Egyptian cotton linens, perfect for a good night’s sleep.

Located in what was once home to renowned surgeon Joseph Lister, the beautiful townhouse now boasts a beautiful boutique hotel, a fashionable bar, The Huxley and a gourmet steak restaurant, Kyloe. With twelve individually designed guest rooms, you’ll find yourself surrounded by opulent luxury. From free WiFi to Bluetooth audio connectivity, wall mounted flat screen TVs, a fully stocked mini bar, complimentary daily newspapers and shortbread on arrival. More than day-time comforts, you’ll be bedding down with quality goose-feather pillows and duvet, the finest Egyptian cotton bedding and access to luxury toiletries to wash the day away.

Opposite the wide green space of Bruntsfield Links, in a charming neighbourhood, just a 15-minute walk from the heart of the city is the glamorous Black Ivy boutique hotel. A beautifully decorated terrace strewn with floral displays and lanterns greets arriving guests and provides a prime spot to watch the park and neighbourhood activity over a cocktail. Inside is an opulent, fashionable interior, home to a large Drafthouse bar and Conservatory Dining Room, as well as the 21 bedrooms. Each of the guest spaces takes on a luxe boho style, with pops of colour, period windows, stylish design and bathrooms replete with White Company ‘Noir’ toiletries.

If you want pure decadence and lashings of theatrical opulence for your next stay in Edinburg, look no further. House of Gods’ design is infused with deco-style drama at every turn – velvet cushions and heavy drapes, curtained four-poster beds, mahogany antique furniture, parquet flooring, fringed lampshades, oak panelled walls, gleaming freestanding gleaming Victorian tubs and palms. The colour palette revolves around dark, rich hues of deep red and rooms come full of surprises, like hidden TV mirrors and coffee machines secreted out of immediate sight. Lilith’s lounge features a curated cocktail list that’s inspired by rock n’ roll’s tales of hotel debauchery.

Return to a bygone era with a stay in one of the 17 bedrooms at this unique floating boutique hotel. Situated in the vibrant Shore area, the vessel provides 360-degree views of the Water of Leith from Edinburgh Castle to The Victoria Swing Bridge. First commissioned as a minesweeper for the Admiralty, it’s served as a pleasure yacht for the aristocracy, a WWII torpedo recovery vessel, an anti-mine calibrating yacht and a pub/events venue. Now it’s more resplendent than ever, offering vintage-inspired staterooms, cabins and berths, as well as an elegant bar and lounge, where the champagne is ever flowing.

A restaurant with rooms, this establishment feels bijou and boutique. It’s certainly a good option for foodies; whether you dine a la carte at The Stables, on pub staples at Broc Bar, or grilled dishes in the Garden, you’ll be tucking into award-winning food (Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand 2022 and 5 AA Gold Stars), that follows the hotel’s ‘From Nature to Plate’ philosophy. Book a beamed loft room, a four-poster suite, a superior room with patio doors, a double or a deluxe room – all come with The Bonnie Badger’s own bath products.

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.

Opt for modern accommodation in the city centre, right on the banks of the River Ness (some rooms have views directly over the fast-flowing water). Handy for the railway station, shops and nightlife, this serves as a great base for those wishing to tour the Highlands, but with plenty of places to go and things to do by day and after dark. There are 191 bedrooms spread over four floors, a kitchen for all-day dining and a lounge area, to relax with a beverage. AC Hotel caters equally well for families (including four-legged friends) and business travellers.

Found close to Culloden Moor, this was the place used by Bonnie Prince Charlie as lodging and battle HQ in Jacobean times. Now its 40 acres are given over to leisure and pleasure, with guests able to explore the expansive woodland and walled garden, fine dining on the best local produce at its Highland restaurant, sip rare whiskies in the traditional library and sleep in four-poster beds within the grand ivy-clad mansion house. You’ll be surrounded by an air of history in its 28 bedrooms, with large fireplaces, crystal chandeliers, tartan drapes, baronial architecture and antique furnishings from bygone eras.

Stroll a mere ten minutes from the centre of Inverness to discover this uber-trendy hotel – the city’s only to have five stars. The sleek, modern Rocpool Reserve, is contained in a Georgian mansion house and overlooks the River Ness. It has its own moody cocktail ‘r bar’ and Chez Roux (part of the wider Roux group) serving everything from amuse-bouche to hearty high-end fare and even special meals for your pooch. Four categories of bedrooms (11 in total) offer delights such as hot tubs, cabin-style saunas, balconies, oversized beds and Tassimo coffee machines, along with dark and dramatic decor. Valet services and beauty treatments are available on request.

Even closer to the ferry (fewer than five minutes walk), The Douglas Hotel is a boutique property overlooking the sea, with just 19 bedrooms, two suites and a lodge catering for four. Its origins date back to 1782 when it catered for the aristocracy; the hotel later became a medical practice and the doctor’s home, but, after falling derelict, was taken on by Sean Henry in 2010. The decor is both classic and fashionable, with plenty of tweed and plaid to reflect local culture. It has a bar and bistro, with a large terrace for boat and seal spotting on warmer days.

Just minutes from the ferry terminal at Brodick (staff collect guests in liveried vans), Auchrannie is set beside a burn, in the shadow of the mountains. Choose to stay in the spa hotel (best for families), the old house hotel, in a multi-bedroom lodge catering to groups, or at the far reaches of the resort in a couples’ timber-built one-bedroom retreat with a wood burner, a wood-fired hot tub, fire pit and wilderness views. All are within walking distance of the facilities; three restaurants, two pools, two thermal suites, a children’s play barn, an activities centre and games hall and ASPA for treatments.