The Good Hotel Guide is the leading independent guide to hotels in Great Britain & Ireland, and also covers parts of Continental Europe. The Guide was first published in 1978. It is written for the reader seeking impartial advice on finding a good place to stay. Hotels cannot buy their way into the Guide. The editors and inspectors do not accept free hospitality on their anonymous visits to hotels. All hotels in the Guide receive a free basic listing. A fee is charged for a full web entry.
The Good Hotel Guide
About Us
Independent
Recommended
Trusted
Independent
Recommended
Trusted

Romantic Hotels in Scotland
Scenic walks and romantic country house hotels in Scotland From the dramatic vistas of the Highlands to the character of the Borders and the awe-inspiring natural landscapes of the coast, Scotland is brimming with historic tales of romance and fairytales across the centuries thanks to its ruggedness and beauty. Scotland's hotels also play a part in its modern day romance.
Knockderry House, Cove
Featured Hotels with Special Offers
Forss House
Thurso, Highland
'Hogmanay Celebration' Special Offer
Under the big skies of Caithness, wrapped in woodland and a curve of the River Forss, this Georgian mansion offers the grandeur of Scottish country-house living but with modern-day warmth and comforts.
Knockinaam Lodge
Stranraer, Dumfries And Galloway
10% Discount Special Offer
Where the road ends and the Irish Sea begins, this former Victorian hunting lodge with a private cove is secluded, unapologetically traditional and rich in comforts and good food.
Shieldaig Lodge
Gairloch, Highland
'Christmas Package' Special Offer
Whale watching, spectacular sunsets and starry, starry nights are among the wonders at this Victorian former hunting lodge on a wooded estate lapped by Loch Gairloch.
Cringletie House
Peebles, Scottish Borders
'Winter in the Scottish Borders' Special Offer
It's worth the expense to stay and eat in this 'lovely and historic house with delightful staff', conclude readers. Relaxed and easygoing, the Victorian Scottish baronial hotel on a 28-acre estate has plenty of comfy seating around log fires in bar and lounges.
Scarista House
Isle Of Harris, Western Isles
Last minute Easter Break Special Offer
The long drive is worth it to this edge-of-the-world location, where a Georgian manse, with pretty, traditional rooms and superb food, overlooks a long sandy beach.
Cavens
Dumfries, Dumfries And Galloway
Winter Special Offer
'Visiting Cavens is like stepping back in time to a traditional country-house hotel,' writes a reader of Angus Fordyce's Georgian mansion, set in open countryside close to the dunes and salt marshes of the Solway coast.
Foyers Lodge
Foyers, Inverness-Shire
Any time 5% Discount Special Offer
'Ideal if you want a place to unwind or as a base to explore from', this small, intimate hotel is surrounded by wild beauty on the quieter shore of Loch Ness. Owners Anna Low and Philip Crowe are 'wonderful hosts'.
More Romantic Hotels in Scotland
Viewfield House
Isle Of Skye, Highland
With porte cochère, crenellated tower and fine Victorian interiors, this country house overlooking Loch Portree is redolent of the history of the Macdonald family, who have lived there for more than 200 years.
Burnside Cottage
Caithness, Highland
With distant views to the Orkney Islands, and with the ferry just half a mile away, this unusual, eco-friendly, dog-friendly B&B is perfect for guests who want space, privacy and imaginative food morning and evening.
Eddrachilles Hotel
Scourie, Highland
Fiona and Richard Trevor are perfect hands-on hosts at this former manse with breathtaking views across Badcall Bay to Assynt, immaculate, comfortable bedrooms, imaginative cooking and a truly warm, hospitable vibe.
Kilcamb Lodge
Strontian, Highland
In a beautiful location on the shore of Loch Sunart, where otters swim in the waters and red squirrels scamper around the land, this 18th-century lodge offers country-house comforts and plenty of Scottish flair, ranging from tartan fabrics to homemade shortbread.
Mingary Castle
Kilchoan, Highland
Within a medieval castle and Georgian house above the Sound of Mull, this remote restaurant with rooms has four fantastic suites, spectacular views, and no less memorable cooking by chef-proprietor Colin Nicholson.
The Shoregate
Anstruther, Fife
A formerly run-down pub at the top of the hill overlooking the harbour, this refurbished dining pub with stylish, highly characterful and generously equipped bedrooms, retains the fun and energy of a popular local, while serving seriously impressive, locally sourced food.
The Fortingall
Aberfeldy, Perth And Kinross
A boutique hotel in every sense (if you love the furnishings you can buy your own), this sublimely situated Arts and Crafts Victorian country house is a perfect base for outdoor pursuits, with fine-dining restaurant, onsite pub, and picnics to order.
The Ship Inn
Elie, Fife
The catch of the day could be Shetland hake in the restaurant or nifty fielding on the sands at this pub-with-rooms overlooking the Firth of Forth, with its own beach cricket team.
Prestonfield
Edinburgh
With peacocks in the garden, kilt-wearing staff, fire-warmed sitting rooms and antiques at every turn, this 17th-century country house is an indulgent place to stay.
Coll Hotel
Isle Of Coll, Argyll And Bute
Beside the ferry landing, with views to Mull and Staffa, this family-run hotel and island social hub has smart, uncluttered bedrooms, and short menus of locally fished and farmed produce.
Galson Farm Guest House
Isle Of Lewis, Western Isles
On the north-west coast of the Isle of Lewis, Elaine Fothergill and Richard Inger invite you to their traditional Hebridean farmhouse to switch off, unwind and relax.
Coruisk House
Isle Of Skye, Highland
A single-track road leads to this remote and intimate Skye 'black house', with views towards mountains and the islands of Rum and Eigg, simple, chic bedrooms, and a restaurant serving a four-course set menu showcasing superb island produce.
Flodigarry
Highlands
With panoramic sea views to the Torridon mountains, cottage annexe rooms and suites. this Victorian former hunting lodge near the northern tip of Skye has been refurbished by new owners but remains reassuringly traditional.
The Bridge Inn at Ratho
Edinburgh, Midlothian
Expect a cheerful welcome at this pub with rooms, which stands by a bridge over the Union Canal in a conservation village.
The Dipping Lugger
Ross-Shire
Crafted from an 18th-century manse on the waterfront, this restaurant with rooms owned by Robert Hicks and Helen Chalmers is full of charming surprises.
Edinbane Lodge
Isle Of Skye
Award-winning chef Calum Montgomery has transformed a run-down 16th-century hunting lodge into a splendid restaurant with rooms showcasing the produce of his native Skye in exquisitely presented dishes.
Knockendarroch Hotel
Pitlochry, Perthshire
With contemporary country-house comforts, a wide choice of bedrooms, glorious views , and modern Scottish cooking in a light-filled dining room, Struan and Louise Lothian's well-cared-for hotel is a lovely place to relax, and a great base for walkers and cyclists wishing to explore the Perthshire countryside.
The Three Chimneys and The House Over-By
Isle Of Skye, Highland
Decorated in cool Scandi-Scots style, this former crofter's house on the shores of Loch Dunvegan is a celebrated restaurant showcasing local produce, with spacious bedrooms painted in soothing shades in a house across the courtyard, and views to the mountains of Harris and North Uist.
The Fife Arms
Braemar, Aberdeenshire
Swiss gallerists Iwan and Manuela Wirth have had a Highland fling at this 19th-century coaching inn, where you can sip cocktails in a bar inspired by Elsa Schiaparelli, eat pub grub in the Flying Stag, opt for fine dining under the chandeliers in the restaurant, sleep in a suite adorned with Victoriana, relax under a Picasso, and gaze at Bruegel over your breakfast porridge.
Bunchrew House
Inverness, Highlands
There are glorious views from this 17th-century country-house hotel with later baronial embellishments, set in gardens and woodland on the shore of the Beauly Firth, with traditional bedroom styling (perhaps a four-poster or half-tester bed, a view across the water), and a formal, fine-dining restaurant.
Kinloch Lodge
Isle Of Skye, Highland
Antiques and ancestral portraits fill Lord and Lady Macdonald's hunting lodge, in a beautiful situation on the shores of Loch Na Dal. It is now run by daughter Isabella, with country-house bedrooms, a three-course dinner featuring home-grown produce, and a ghillie on hand for fishing, stalking and foraging.
Glenapp Castle
Ballantrae, South Ayrshire
A tree-lined drive leads to this splendid Victorian Scottish baronial pile and luxury hotel in landscaped grounds, where guests have a choice of opulent suites, and can opt to dine from tasting menus in the dining room looking out to Ailsa Craig or on home-grown produce in a 19th-century glasshouse within the walled kitchen garden.
Kilberry Inn
Tarbert, Argyll And Bute
Under a red tin roof on a scenic single-track road, this quaint, much-loved and welcoming restaurant occupies a former crofter's cottage, with five stylish bedrooms set around a courtyard and fire pit, and first-rate cooking of locally sourced ingredients.
The Torridon
Torridon, Highland
In a sublime setting on a wooded estate on Loch Torridon, this baronial-style hunting lodge appeals to sybarites and sporty types, with amazing views and luxurious bedrooms, tasting menus sourced from the kitchen garden and farm, and a brasserie.
Moor of Rannoch-Restaurant & Rooms
Rannoch Station, Perth And Kinross
It's not quite the restaurant at the end of the universe, but there is a great sense of space at this cosy, dog-friendly hotel, in a wilderness landscape of lochs and lochans on the edge of Rannoch Moor, with simple bedrooms (no TV, no radio, no WiFi), and short but creative menus reflecting a passion for local produce.
Ardtorna
Oban, Argyll
Affordable deluxe bedrooms have a colour-changing wet room or spa bath and power shower at this purpose-built, eco-friendly B&B, where you can dine on platters by the log burner in the lounge, or on your own private terrace as the sun goes down over Loch Creran.
The Roseate Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Fingal
Edinburgh, Midlothian
A revamped former Northern Lighthouse supply ship berthed in a working dock in Edinburgh's trendy Leith district has been repurposed as this five-star hotel with glamorous Art Deco interiors, luxury cabin rooms and suites, a cocktail bar and fine-dining restaurant.
Cuillin Hills Hotel
Isle Of Skye, Highland
With possibly the best location in Portree, this former Victorian shooting lodge has spectacular views over the bay and Sound of Raasay to the Cuillin mountains. Now a family-run hotel, it has smart contemporary bedrooms and serves locally sourced, traditional dishes along with the views.
Monachyle Mhor
Lochearnhead, Stirling
This remote restaurant with rooms beside Loch Voil has some unexpectedly smart contemporary bedrooms with the odd wacky touch, and quirky options such as an 1850s wagon, a ferry cabin, yurts and treehouse in the grounds. In the restaurant, locally sourced and foraged or home-grown ingredients appear in sophisticated modern Scottish dishes.
Scenic walks and romantic country house hotels in Scotland From the dramatic vistas of the Highlands to the character of the Borders and the awe-inspiring natural landscapes of the coast, Scotland is brimming with historic tales of romance and fairytales across the centuries thanks to its ruggedness and beauty. Scotland's hotels also play a part in its modern day romance. Nestled into beautiful spots surrounded by forests and wild flowers where love blooms with the spring on scenic walks and hikes across wild and sweeping vistas. Equally, the rich culture of cities and villages is tantalising and seductive in its warmth and character, showcasing a tradition for good food and better drink that has been perfected over the centuries whether you happen to be enjoying time in Edinburgh, Glasgow or out on the Isle of Skye. Where the Italians may have a monopoly on gentility and the French have a talent for sweet talking, Scotland's romance is echoed through a long line of poets and writers who fell in love with the breathtaking magnitude of the area's wildlife. While a holiday fishing may not sound like a traditional recipe for romance, it is hard not to let these natural surroundings do the talking, even if it is with a large salmon in tow. Then again, on a more refined scale, Scotland is home to some spectacular architecture, spas and excellent chefs. The likes of The Witchery by the Castle or Ardanaiseig have reputations not merely for places to bewitch your other half, but also as awe-inspiring hotel wedding venues bringing style and eccentricity to the occasion that the whole family and all guests can enjoy.



