The Best Scotland Hotels
- Nick, Editor
- Nov 7
- 13 min read
Our top 15 luxury 5-Star hotels in Scotland in 2025
Article summary>>
In this article, we take a look at our top 15 recommended luxury 5-Star hotels in Scotland, United Kingdom. In no particular order -
Gleneagles
The Balmoral
Inverlochy Castle
The Torridon
Glenapp Castle
Edinburgh Grand
Hoxton Edinburgh
Rusacks St Andrews
Prestonfield House
The Old Course Hotel
The Scott
100 Princes Street
The Old Manse Of Blair
Schloss Roxburghe
JA Mar Hall
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Scotland tours and activities
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Gleneagles.
Gleneagles: Set amid Perthshire parkland near Auchterarder, this 1920s baronial beauty marries heather-scented romance with purposeful, sporting polish, tweeds and tartans under crystal, crackling fires, a lobby that hums from fly-fishing at dawn to nightcaps at midnight. Bedrooms blend estate calm with contemporary craft: plaid accents, supple leather, cloud-soft beds and marble bathrooms; suites gaze to hills that shift with the weather.
Days unfold like a country-house wish list. Three headline golf courses, the King’s, Queen’s and PGA Centenary -ripple across 850 acres. Beyond the fairways: falconry, gundog lessons, clay shooting, off-road driving, riding, fishing on hill lochs, cycling, wild-swim dips and guided hikes. The Spa restores with a chandeliered pool, thermal suite and results-driven treatments; a sleek gym and studios keep intentions honest, while Little Glen and The Den charm younger guests.
Dining spans ceremony to crackle: two-Michelin-star Andrew Fairlie whispers luxury; The Strathearn delivers white-jacketed theatre; The Birnam leans Italian-mod; The Garden Café and the clubhouse keep things breezy; The American Bar shakes velvet-lit martinis; Glendevon stages afternoon tea with parkland views.
The vibe is country-sporting glamour with a wink, weekenders, families, golfers, celebrants, woven together by service that’s warm and properly proud, making it one of the best Scotland hotels
Location: about an hour from Edinburgh or Glasgow, with the Highlands beckoning north, Scotland’s great playground, perfectly arranged.
The Balmoral.
The Balmoral: Crowned by its famous clocktower at the east end of Princes Street, the grande dame presides over the city with kilted doormen, marble-floored halls and arrangements of heather that feel like a welcome from the Highlands. Bedrooms blend modern comfort with Caledonian character, tartan trims, tweeds, framed maps, plus cloud-soft beds and marble bathrooms; many keys frame Edinburgh Castle, Arthur’s Seat, or the glass roofs of Waverley Station below
Days unfurl in elegant rituals. Palm Court glows under its glass dome for afternoon tea, tiered patisserie, clotted cream, and the soft chiming of spoons. Evenings begin (and often end) at SCOTCH, the atmospheric whisky bar, where a kilted ambassador guides you through shelves of single malts. The flagship restaurant pairs Scottish produce with French finesse; brasserie spaces keep things lively and seasonal. Downstairs, the spa quiets the city, pool, sauna, steam, and deft, restorative treatments, while a well-equipped gym faces the rooftops.
The vibe is grand but unstuffy: festival-goers, families, honeymooners, and literary pilgrims all folded into a hum of purposeful elegance.
Location: on the seam of the Old and New Towns, seconds from Waverley Station, a stroll to the Royal Mile, galleries, and gardens, Edinburgh’s story at your doorstep, with The Balmoral as its most handsome chapter.
Inverlochy Castle.
Inverlochy Castle: Ten minutes from Fort William, this 19th-century baronial mansion sits beside a mirror-calm loch with Ben Nevis rising like a stage set beyond the trees. Inside, time softens: drawing rooms with blazing fires, oil portraits and silk damask, a baby grand waiting for dusk. Bedrooms (many with lake or mountain views) are deeply cosseting, with four-posters or carved antiques, cloud-soft linens, and marble bathrooms made for lingering; a few suites add bay windows that turn rain showers into theatre.
Days take on a Highland rhythm. Borrow wellies for woodland walks, try clay-pigeon shooting on the estate, or cast a line on a nearby loch with a ghillie. There’s tennis on the lawn in fine weather, a snooker room for late evenings, and discreet in-room spa treatments that restore after hikes on the Nevis Range. Dinner is a hushed, white-tablecloth affair, seasonal Scottish produce handled with finesse, while afternoon tea in the blue salon could convert the hurried to the contemplative.
The vibe is old-world and heartfelt: honeymooners, walkers, multi-gen celebrations, looked after by a team who remember how you take your whisky.
Location: on the Road to the Isles, near Glenfinnan, Glencoe and the Great Glen, wild Scotland at your doorstep, with the castle as your candlelit refuge.
The Torridon.
The Torridon: Set on a 58-acre estate at the head of Loch Torridon, with Liathach and Beinn Alligin rising like ramparts, this Victorian baronial lodge turns drama into comfort, tartan and tweed under high ceilings, fires crackling, picture windows framing weather as theatre. Bedrooms are individually dressed, with handsome fabrics, freestanding tubs, little decanters for nightcaps, and many look straight to water and peaks.
Days slip into an adventurous rhythm with Torridon Outdoors: guided hikes to corries and ridgelines, sea-kayaking on glassy mornings, e-biking quiet glens, archery and clay shooting when clouds gather. Evenings restore the balance. The fine-dining 1887 traces Scotland’s larder with elegant precision; the more relaxed Bo & Muc leans hearty and local. In the whisky-rich Torridon Bar, shelves are lined with hundreds of malts and a house-distilled gin.
The vibe is luxurious yet unbuttoned: walkers dropping rucksacks beside armchairs, honeymooners claiming window seats, families plotting tomorrow’s route over maps and Islay peat. Service is warm, can-do, and quietly proud of its place.
Location: on the wild Wester Ross coast along the NC500, within striking distance of Applecross and Shieldaig, vast skies, sea and mountain at your doorstep, with the hotel a lamplit refuge when the weather rolls in.
Glenapp Castle.
Glenapp Castle: Tucked in 110 acres of woodland and walled gardens above Scotland’s southwest coast, this late-Victorian baronial pile greets you with crackling fires, stained glass, and salons hung with portraits that seem to approve of your arrival. Bedrooms are unabashedly romantic, four-posters, velvet and tweed, tall windows framing the Firth of Clyde, balanced by marble bathrooms and the soft hush that makes lie-ins inevitable.
Days follow a Highlands-to-sea rhythm. Stroll herbaceous borders and glasshouses, follow woodland trails to red-squirrel country, or let the hotel arrange a sea safari by fast RIB to Ailsa Craig and the islands beyond, puffins skimming the bow, seals blinking in the swell. Clay shooting, archery, falconry and stargazing keep the estate pleasantly absorbent; in-room massages restore after weather-kissed adventures. Evenings begin with canapés in the drawing room and a proper dram; dinner unfolds in panelled rooms where the Scottish larder, Galloway beef, local shellfish, and garden vegetables, meet elegant French-leaning technique.
The vibe is candlelit and heartfelt rather than hushed and formal: honeymooners, walkers, multi-gen celebrations, looked after by staff who remember names, preferences, and tomorrow’s plans as if they were their own.
Location: near Ballantrae on the Ayrshire coast, with views to Ailsa Craig, Arran and, on a clear day, the Mull of Kintyre, wild seascapes at your doorstep, a lamplit refuge when Atlantic weather rolls in.
Edinburgh Grand.
The Edinburgh Grand: Set in the former Royal Bank of Scotland headquarters on St Andrew Square, the building keeps its Art Deco poise, polished stone, fluted columns, and brass details, while the interiors purr with contemporary comfort. The accommodation is a collection of chic apartments (from studios to multi-bed suites): herringbone floors, velvet-soft sofas, fully fitted kitchens, and marble-and-tile bathrooms with excellent pressure. Big sash windows frame rooftops and spires; blackout blinds and cloud-soft beds make late mornings a pleasure.
Amenities play the long-stay card beautifully: a discreet gym, thoughtful laundry facilities, and a concierge who works modern magic (from restaurant hunches to Highland day trips). The showpiece is the high-ceilinged salon bar, once a banking hall, now an elegant perch for cocktails and a bite; elsewhere, handsome lounges suit laptops, newspapers, or a lazy dram.
The vibe is residential-luxe rather than hotel-formal, weekenders, business travellers, design lovers, looked after by a team that’s warm, efficient, and unfussy.
Location: on St Andrew Square at the seam of Old and New Towns, steps to Multrees Walk, Harvey Nichols, and Princes Street; a five-minute stroll to Waverley Station and ten to the Royal Mile. Edinburgh’s best is just a walk away.
Hoxton Edinburgh.
The Hoxton, Edinburgh: Spread across 11 unified Georgian townhouses in Haymarket, its bones are period, sash windows, stone steps, dressed with Hoxton’s crisp, contemporary swagger: herringbone floors, warm woods, playful art. Bedrooms (there are 214) are compact but clever, with cloud-soft beds, good lighting, and walk-in showers; a handful add tubs for post–Arthur’s Seat soaks.
Downstairs, the lobby-bar hums from flat-white to nightcap, and Patatino, the house trattoria, leans sunny and sociable (think Amalfi-bright plates with a Scottish wink). There’s also an intimate cinema for cult classics and rainy evenings, plus a flexible events space for everything from screenings to weddings.
The vibe is relaxed, design-savvy and local-minded: a mix of weekender couples, creatives with laptops, and theatre-goers pausing en route to the Old Town. Staff are quick, friendly and unfussy, the Hoxton way.
Location is the clincher. You’re minutes from Haymarket Station and a stroll from Princes Street, the Old Town, and Edinburgh Castle, close enough to walk, far enough for a breather. When the weather turns, retreat to the lobby’s glow and let the city swirl outside the sash.
If you like your Edinburgh stay equal parts heritage and buzz, this is your key.
Rusacks St Andrews.
Some hotels borrow a view; Rusacks St Andrews is the view. Standing sentinel over the 18th fairway of the Old Course, the 1887 grande dame has been freshly refitted with a wink to golfing lore, heritage tartans, handsome leather, curated memorabilia, tempered by clean-lined, contemporary comfort. Bedrooms feel clubby and calm: cloud-soft beds, marble-and-brass bathrooms, and bay windows that frame the links and West Sands Beach like living panoramas. Suites up the theatre with freestanding tubs and picture-perfect window seats for sunrise over the North Sea.
Dining is a highlight. 18, the rooftop showstopper, pairs prime Scottish produce with cinematic views; its terrace at golden hour is reason enough to stay. The Bridge keeps things brasserie-bright, while One Under Bar is a snug, wood-panelled refuge for a post-round pint or a wee dram by the fire.
Between rounds, you’ll drift through lounges layered with books and leather, linger on wind-brushed terraces, or walk the strand to let the sea clear your head. Service is warm, unfussy and deftly local, insider tee-time tips, a rain plan that still feels like a win.
Location: on the Old Course, steps to the R&A, five minutes to St Andrews’ medieval lanes, university quads and cafés, where golf’s mythology and Scotland’s coastal romance meet, perfectly framed.
Prestonfield House.
Prestonfield House: This 17th-century baroque mansion, tucked beneath Arthur’s Seat in a sweep of lawns and ancient trees, feels like a country estate smuggled into the city. Inside, the mood is gloriously theatrical, crimson velvets, silk damasks, candlelit salons, portraits and curiosities, curated with James Thomson’s signature flourish. Bedrooms and suites are unabashedly romantic: canopied or four-poster beds, crackling fireplaces, velvet-lined armchairs, and marble bathrooms with freestanding tubs; many look over parkland where peacocks patrol like old retainers.
Rituals define the day. Breakfast drifts into afternoon tea in panelled drawing rooms; a dram by the fire becomes a prelude to dinner at Rhubarb, the house restaurant, where Scottish produce arrives with a touch of theatre. Lounges invite lingering; libraries tempt with a last glass; and the 20-acre grounds make a persuasive case for a stroll between showers. Concierge can arrange city jaunts or a round at the neighbouring golf course; chauffeured transfers keep arrivals and curtain calls seamless.
The vibe is baroque romance with a conspiratorial wink, honeymooners, celebrants, festival-goers, all looked after with warm, old-school poise.
Location is the clincher: a 10-minute taxi to the Royal Mile and Old Town, yet wrapped in gardens that hush the city, Edinburgh’s drama on tap, with a lavish refuge to return to.
The Old Course.
The Old Course Hotel: shouldered up to the 17th “Road Hole” with windows that drink in the links and West Sands Beach beyond. The look is handsome and clubby: herringbone and leather, tweed accents, picture windows, and marble-and-chrome bathrooms made for a long post-round soak. Many rooms frame golfers threading fairways like chess pieces; suites add bay windows, fireplaces and the kind of armchairs that turn a dram into a ritual.
Days find their rhythm between golf and indulgence. Tee off across a clutch of storied courses, then retreat to the vast Kohler Waters Spa for hydro pools, thermal suites and expert massages; the gym is serious, classes plentiful. Dining runs the spectrum: elevated plates and sea-bright views at Swilcan Loft, classic grill comforts at the Road Hole Restaurant, and the Jigger Inn, a low-beamed, memorabilia-lined pub, for legendary fish and chips and a celebratory pint. Rooftop cocktails at sunset feel like a benediction on the town.
The vibe is polished but unbuttoned: golfers, celebrants, design-savvy weekender couples, looked after with warm, can-do precision.
Location: St Andrews, a stroll to the R&A Clubhouse, the Old Course first tee, university quads and medieval lanes; dunes and strand at your doorstep, St Andrews’ romance in every direction.
The Scott.
The Scott feels like a little private world. Set within the leafy Pollock Estate at the foot of Arthur’s Seat, this restored Victorian mansion trades in character, sweeping staircases, stained glass, velvet sofas, and fireplaces that seem to hold the city’s chill at bay. Bedrooms are richly dressed and quietly indulgent: deep colours, tactile fabrics, cloud-soft beds and marble-and-tile bathrooms; a handful add freestanding tubs and bay windows that frame parkland views.
Public rooms encourage lingering. A snug bar pours classic cocktails and Highland drams; drawing rooms double as spots for a slow coffee or a nightcap by the fire. Mornings unfold with a generous Scottish breakfast, smoked fish, farm eggs, and good bread, while thoughtful touches (proper tea trays, umbrellas at the door, staff who share local shortcuts) make the house feel more townhouse than hotel. There’s a petite gym and estate paths for pre-breakfast loops beneath the crags.
The vibe is intimate, romantic, and a touch theatrical. Honeymooners, weekending couples, and festival-goers, looked after by a team that’s warm, proud, and quietly on the beat.
Location: minutes to Holyrood Park for hikes and views, a stroll to the Royal Mile, Holyrood Palace and the Old Town, with buses and taxis whisking you to New Town galleries and restaurants, Edinburgh’s drama on tap, with a cosseting refuge to return to.
100 Princes Street
100 Princes Street: Red Carnation’s boutique outpost occupies a restored townhouse on Edinburgh’s grandest boulevard, its bay windows looking straight across Princes Street Gardens to the Castle, so close you half expect the ramparts to answer your toast. Inside, craftsmanship leads: carved wood, rich textiles, Scottish art and subtle tartans, all layered with just enough modern gloss to keep things crisp rather than clubby.
Bedrooms feel intimate and residential, cloud-soft beds, handsome joinery, and marble-and-tile bathrooms; several keys claim those coveted castle-front outlooks, with window seats that turn sunrise (and fireworks) into private screenings. Downstairs, a jewel-box dining room spotlights Scotland’s larder, East Coast seafood, Highland game, foraged brightness, while the bar leans whisky-forward with deft cocktails and a civilised hum. Expect polished touches rather than pomp: a snug library-lounge, thoughtful all-day dining, and a concierge team that sketches gallery walks and hill paths with insider ease.
The vibe is refined, romantic, and quietly cosmopolitan; festival couples, design lovers, and weekending Scots folded into a warm, unfussy rhythm of service.
Location: on Princes Street at the seam of Old and New Towns, steps to the Royal Mile, the National Gallery, and Waverley Station, Edinburgh’s greatest hits on foot, with your own front-row salon to return to when the city lights up.
The Old Manse Of Blair.
The Old Manse of Blair: In a sweep of birch and beech near Blair Atholl in Highland Perthshire, this 19th-century manse has been reborn as an intimate luxury hideaway, flagstones warmed by rugs, sash windows catching soft hill light, fires set to a welcoming crackle. Bedrooms and suites are individually dressed in rich textiles and calm, contemporary tones; expect cloud-soft beds, deep tubs or walk-in showers, and those small, thoughtful gestures, good coffee, fresh flowers, a proper tea tray, that turn a room into a refuge.
Days fold into a Highland rhythm. Wander the lawns toward the river and field paths, detour to nearby woods for red squirrel sightings, or explore grand neighbours, Blair Castle, lochs and waterfalls, before returning for a slow drink by the fire. The house restaurant leans proudly local: Perthshire venison, East Coast shellfish, seasonal garden brightness, and desserts that arrive like a promise kept; the bar’s whiskies and small-batch gins invite unhurried comparisons.
The vibe is cosy-chic and quietly celebratory, weekenders, walkers, wedding parties, looked after by a team that’s warm, can-do and instinctively kind.
Location: just off the A9, minutes to Pitlochry, on the gateway to the Cairngorms, wild Scotland close at hand, with a lamplit manse to come home to.
Schloss Roxburghe.
Schloss Roxburghe: Ten minutes from Kelso, this baronial manor, reimagined with a whisper of continental “schloss” polish, mixes stone fireplaces, tartan textures and velvet sofas with clean-lined, contemporary rooms. Bedrooms in the main house cocoon in tweeds and heritage hues; newer wing suites add terraces, deep tubs and floor-to-ceiling views across lawns and fairways. A handful of woodland lodges turn weekends into house-party idylls.
Days take on a pleasing Borders rhythm. Tee off on the 18-hole championship course, then drift to the spa, a calm, pine-scented refuge with an outdoor heated pool, sauna and steam, before a book by the fire. Country pursuits are woven into the fabric: salmon fishing on the Tweed, clay shooting, archery, falconry displays, and miles of estate walks (dogs welcome, and doted on). Evenings gather at Charlie’s for modern Scottish plates, Borders lamb, Tweed Valley beef, just-landed shellfish, paired with a thoughtful cellar; the bar pours Highland drams and fireside nightcaps with clubby ease.
The vibe is dressed-down grandeur: golfers and weekending couples, multi-gen families and field-sport aficionados, looked after by staff who are warm, can-do, and quietly proud of place.
Location: rolling Scottish Borders on your doorstep, Floors Castle and river walks minutes away, and roughly an hour to Edinburgh or Newcastle, rural Scotland, perfectly framed.
JA Mar Hall.
Some country houses play at grandeur; JA Mar Hall wears it with ease. Set on a wooded estate above a wide, silvering sweep of the River Clyde, this 19th-century baronial mansion greets you with turrets, sweeping staircases and fire-warmed salons that smell faintly of polished wood and peat. Bedrooms balance heritage and hush, high ceilings, tall windows, tartan or tweed accents, cloud-soft beds, and marble-and-tile bathrooms primed for unhurried soaks. Many key frame lawns roll toward the water and the Kilpatrick Hills beyond.
Days find an easy rhythm between fresh air and indulgence. Tee off on the estate’s parkland golf course, then make for the spa: a tranquil pool, thermal suites, and treatments that lean Scottish, heather, sea salt, wild herbs, without the sermon. Afternoons unfold as they should in a grande dame: afternoon tea beneath chandeliers or a fireside dram in a clubby bar. Dinner skews local, river-bright seafood, Highland venison, buttery tatties, handled with quiet finesse.
The vibe is relaxed, romantic, and nicely unbuttoned, weddings on weekends, golfers and spa-weekenders midweek, held together by service that’s warm, can-do and never stiff.
Location is the quiet luxury: minutes from Glasgow Airport, about half an hour to the city, and a scenic hop to Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, a country-house escape with Scotland’s west coast and culture on tap.
Best Scotland hotels, Top 15 Article 2025
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