Checking In: Loch Lomond Arms
Discover Loch Lomond Arms, an eccentric Highland hideaway, where memorable rooms, loch-side adventures and plenty of Scottish charm await …
VIBE A love letter to the Highlands.
BACKSTORY This former 17th-century coaching inn has been transformed by interior designer Russell Sage, whose previous projects include The Fife Arms, Braemar and The Goring, London. Known for his maximalist vision, his £8.5m renovation of Loch Lomond Arms is no exception, weaving together the history of the Colquhoun clan, owners of the surrounding 45,000-acre Luss Estates. Notable details include ceilings adorned in Tunnocks Teacake wrappings, taxidermery galore, upcycled antiques, fascinating moodboards, family portraits brought to life with QR codes, plus a colour palette reflecting the surrounding landscape of Beinn Dubh and Ben Lomond mountains.
ROOMS There are 14 bedrooms, each named after a notable Colquhoun ancestor, decorated according to their passions. Mine, The Wallabies & Jaguar, honoured Fiona, Countess of Arran, a Scottish powerboat racer known as the fastest woman on water. She drove an E-type Jaguar, had a pet badger and introduced wallabies to Loch Lomond! Fermoie fabrics, hand-painted furniture, antiques, a four-poster bed, Arran bath products and tartan elements made this one of the most beautiful rooms I’ve ever stayed in.
FACILITIES Guests check-in at the Map Room where they are given a fob watch as a room key. The ceiling is adorned with charts and maps, the walls lined with whisky bottles. This is the place for morning coffee or private cocktail experiences and whisky tastings in the evening. The Stag and Two Hounds, where breakfast is served to residents, is a cosy pub with handprinted paper by Dundee artist Freya Cummings and portraits of family members wearing masks of the animals they cherished. The menu of Scottish classics is enticing, kippers with butterflied smoked herrings, tattie scones, Arran wild boar, and a Floating Island of caramel, almonds and Drambuie custard. For dinner The Treasury restaurant serves a more elevated menu.
DO Set sail on the hotel’s private yacht, Beau Jangles, for a tour of the Loch’s 34 islands.
DON’T Miss Sir Iain’s Lochside Kilted Dip & Dive – a guided kayak journey to a secluded island with wild swimming and a private chef-prepared lunch.
DO Visit Luss Distillery where there are tours, tastings and the chance to blend a bespoke gin. The village is postcard perfection.
VERDICT Extraordinary; a destination in itself. Overnight stays start from £265. www.lochlomondarms.com
