Details
Day One
However you choose to arrive in Scotland, we’re here to offer advice and to make any arrangements you might need. Should you set off from Edinburgh, for example, it’s a two-and-a-half-hour road-trip across the Firth of Forth on the Queensferry Crossing in to the Kingdom of Fife, soon traversing Highland Perthshire and onward amidst the soaring landscape of the Cairngorms to the genteel Alpinesque village of Braemar.
Your Hotel in Braemar
Describing this glorious property with mere words couldn’t be more difficult. The granite Victorian structure has been a fixture at the centre of this mountain community for over a century, its best days having disappeared in the rear-view mirror some decades ago. Enter new owners in 2018, embarking on a wildly ambitious programme of refurb, remake and remodel, creating an overwhelmingly beautiful place to stay. The attention to detail in every nook, from the carefully chosen furniture both antique and modern, to the specifically created art that appears at every turn, alongside world-class dining and impeccable service that combine to make this one of the best new hotels in Britain.
Day Two – Discovering Braemar and Royal Deeside
Take your time to enjoy a fine breakfast – in bed, perhaps – before heading out to take in some of the delights within easy striking distance of your hotel. This fabulous location attracts outdoor-lovers like a moth to a flame, and the in-house ghillies are on-hand to provide advice and maps to help you make the most of the local landscape. Local paths and tracks take you away from it all in moments, or the more intrepid will love any of the 40 Munroes on the doorstep, with red squirrel, osprey, ptarmigan and red deer all making regular appearances. Sound a little tiring? Maybe some of the superb driving routes fanning out from Braemar are more your thing, interspersed with the odd castle or two. We’ll make sure you have all the information you need to make the most of your time.
Day Three – West Across the Highlands and Over the Sea to Skye
A superb day on the road awaits as you make your way west today. Cross some of the highest mountain passes in the UK, skirting Speyside malt whisky country on your way through the Highland capital of Inverness. Away from the city, our special route takes you high above mighty Loch Ness before travelling through vast Glen Garry and past famous Eilean Donan Castle on your way to the Skye Bridge. Once on the island, it’s a short drive on to the Sleat Peninsula and one of Skye’s finest hotels.
Your Hotel
Something of a legendary place is your base for the next two nights here on Skye. Hidden away down a long driveway, this 16th-century hunting lodge is run by members of the family who built it some 500 years ago. Even on this spectacular island, the beauty of this whitewashed jewel and its location simply takes the breath away, while inside the friendly family owners just know how to make guests feel special, with calm, refined bedrooms coalescing alongside quite stunning food to make any stay here a memorable experience.
Day Four – Private RiB Trip from Armadale
After breakfast take a short drive south to the tiny port of Armadale. Here, meet your local skipper for a thrilling private RiB ride on the waters surrounding the island, experiencing its shoreline from a unique perspective. You’ll see the bustling port of Mallaig on the mainland before entering Loch Nevis, with remote Knoydart Peninsula to the north, Seal Island aptly named just offshore. Your pilot is a lifelong native of the area, the perfect guide to bring this incredible location to life.
Day Five – A Private Island in Argyll
Head back to Armadale this morning to catch the short ferry-crossing to Mallaig. From here, drive the Road to the Isles to Fort William, passing through the shadow of Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest peak, skirt shimmering Loch Linnhe, the slender island of Lismore rising in its waters, your private-island hideaway overlooking.
Your Hotel
What could be more romantic than staying on your own private island? Cross the rickety bridge from the west coast mainland to this idyllic hideaway and you enter a different world – a world of luxury, seclusion, and not a little eccentricity! You’ll discover intriguing contrasts and pleasant surprises at every turn.
The Baronial castle-style hotel sits proudly as the centrepiece of the sprawling estate, with an atmosphere of intimacy and informality belying its five-star status. If the weather is a little inclement, there’s nowhere cosier to relax and enjoy afternoon tea or your favourite tipple by the fireplace in the wood-panelled lounge. On bright days, take time to explore the island – you’re free to roam. What really makes this place special is the child-like pleasure of wandering along secret woodland pathways, past lichen-covered trees and discovering rocky coves where you’re unlikely to meet another soul save for a few playful otters or seals swimming out to sea.
At the end of a busy day of joy and relaxation, unwind further in the acclaimed restaurant where the head chef creates a daily-changing menu boasting much local produce: salads, herbs and vegetables from the kitchen garden, fish and seafood from surrounding waters and meat and game from nearby estates. Whatever you do, leave room for some cheese from the famous farmhouse trolley, which simply must be seen to be believed.
What to see and do
Your stay includes free use of the golf course and driving range, gym, sauna, steam-room and swimming pool. We’ve included a couple of massage or beauty treatments for you to choose from, while others are available subject to an extra charge – just let us know and we can pre-book these for you. If you’d like to venture further afield, the bustling harbour town of Oban, gateway to the islands, is less than half-an-hour away, with easy day-trips possible to Mull and Iona, amongst others.
You are also perfectly located to visit a number of gardens, including Kinlochlaich House, with its nursery, Ardchattan Priory and Barguillean Angus Garden, or a little further south the National Trust garden of Arduaine. There are also numerous castles to visit nearby, including Dunstaffnage, as well as the infamous, and quite stunning valley of Glencoe.
Day Eight
Today you return to Edinburgh or Glasgow via the classic roads of the West Highlands, relaxed and ready to begin a new chapter of your lives together.
Pricing
£2845 per person in April & October and £2995 per person from May to September.
Prices are for seven nights in five-star hotels on a bed and breakfast basis, with dinner provided on Skye and in your private island hotel. A private RiB trip from Skye is included, as well as a ferry crossing for car and passengers from Armadale to Mallaig and two spa treatments at your final hotel.
For that extra special touch, room upgrades are available at all hotels from around £30 per person per night.
Car rental is not included, but available from around £25 per day – do just let us know.
Before your departure, you will receive personalised holiday information including full directions, recommended routes, and suggestions on places to visit depending on your interests and our local knowledge to ensure you get the most from your honeymoon.
All holidays and room types are presented subject to availability at specific hotels.
This holiday can be fully tailor-made to create your perfect, personalised honeymoon – just get in touch and we would be delighted to help.
