Glenmorangie House, UK Hotel

UK

Taking its name from the Gaelic gleann mor na sith, meaning ‘ glen of tranquillity’, there’s some irony as the dining room at Glenmorangie House erupts in roars of laughter. The communal dinner is at the heart of the experience at the Highland hotel, which is modelled on a traditional country house knees-up, with touches like an honesty bar and self-service tea and coffee making guests feel instantly at home.

Glenmorangie Whisky’s ‘brand house’, a 15-minute drive from the distillery, has long had a dual purpose as a hotel, but since a revamp by the maximalist Russell Sage Studio, it’s become a place of pilgrimage for whisky lovers around the world. A giraffe guards the door – a reference to the unusual height of the whisky stills – and each communal rooms reflects a part of the whisky- making process. It’s in the Barley Room that the party starts, where a setting sun radiates against gold, hand-painted wallpaper. Drams are poured and guests move to the dining room, where molten light fixtures hang from the ceiling and an antique dresser has been ‘charred’ to represent the ‘toasting’ of whisky barrels. Does it have a touch of the Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen about it? Perhaps. But is it fun? Undoubtedly. Modern Scottish set-menu dinners include clever, subtle flashes of whisky. Guests retire to flamboyant rooms bedecked with four-posters, heavy drapes and a liberal use of tartan – a manifestation of the brand tagline: ‘kind of delicious and wonderful’.

Doubles from £300, including breakfast.

Words by Rachel Walker.

This article was taken from the Christmas 2024 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.