Luxury Highland retreat get revamp for 2008

Proprietors of family-run rural retreat, The Loch Torridon Country House Hotel, have pooled their award-winning hospitality portfolio to create a contemporary new brand for 2008: The Torridon.

Comprising the newly upgraded Torridon Hotel; the fine dining Torridon Restaurant; the Torridon Inn; Torridon Activities, and the Torridon Boat House, The Torridon offers a unique range of quality accommodation, restaurants, bars and activities in an idyllic loch-side location on the spectacular north west coast of Scotland.

Managing director, Dan Rose-Bristow, says: “Fusing all the different elements under The Torridon brand means that guests are more aware of the full spectrum of facilities, dining, drinking and accommodation options we have here in this beautiful corner of the Highlands.”

Blissful bolt hole
Located just a few hours from London (via Inverness), Edinburgh and Glasgow, The Torridon is set in 58 acres of parkland on the shores of Upper Loch Torridon at the foot of Ben Damph. Its proximity to historic Eilean Donan Castle, the Isle of Skye and tranquil fishing villages Applecross and Plockton, make The Torridon an ideal base for exploring the imposing Highland hinterland. Equally, the tranquil surroundings promote total rest and relaxation!

The 19-bedroom Torridon Hotel, a former shooting lodge built for the first Earl of Lovelace in 1887, has been sympathetically and stylishly upgraded, marrying the original character of open fireplaces and the wood-panelled malt whisky bar – boasting some 320 malts – with elegant modern fabrics, fittings and furnishings.

Many of the luxuriously appointed en suite bedrooms feature Victorian roll-top baths, while all come with fine Egyptian cotton linen, satellite television and a bespoke selection of Molton Brown toiletries*. The hotel is also available for exclusive use, from corporate events to birthday, anniversary and wedding celebrations.

For more secluded accommodation, the Torridon Boat House provides outstanding self-catering for four people in two spacious bedrooms. A short stroll along the shoreline from the hotel, the Boat House enjoys fantastic loch and mountain views in sumptuous surroundings.

Meanwhile, comfortable accommodation, good food and real ales are the order of the day at the Torridon Inn. Situated 100m from the hotel near the shores of the loch, the cosy inn houses 12 simply furnished en suite bedrooms, some sleeping up to six people each.

Award-winning restaurant
Residing in the hotel, the Torridon Restaurant prides itself in using the finest local produce in season and has 2 AA rosettes. Further recent accolades for esteemed chef Kevin John Broome and his kitchen brigade include Best British Cheeseboard 2007 (UK Cheese awards); Best Dish ‘Roast Beef’ 2007 (Restaurant Magazine awards); and Highlands Dining Out Experience 2007 (Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards). In addition to locally sourced seafood, game and meat, The Torridon’s dedicated kitchen garden supplies the restaurant with fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs most of the year – as well as flowers for the hotel.

Activities and wildlife
Named Scottish Activities Hotel 2006 and 2007 (Scottish Hotels of the Year Awards), Torridon Activities boasts some of the best walking, mountaineering, rock climbing and kayaking in the UK. Further activities include gorge scrambling, guided glen walks, archery, clay pigeon shooting and mountain biking.

Wildlife enthusiasts are well catered for too with a coastline rich in marine wildlife such as sea otters, seals and sometimes ospreys and sea eagles, while the protected mountain areas are home to red and roe deer, pine martens and the pygmy shrew to name a few.

Events
The Torridon is located in an area of exceptional natural beauty with a wealth of outdoor activities and wildlife as well as an abundance of fantastic indigenous produce. An exciting calendar of events throughout the year celebrates this and 2008 highlights include a Navigation Skills course, a Painting Weekend, the Torridon Kitchen Experience and the forthcoming Glorious Cheese Weekend (22-24 February).

For all the latest events and special offers, visit Thetorridon.com.

*Choice of Molton Brown toiletries, bed linen and variety of bespoke extras available by completing the Guest Preferences form 5 days prior to arrival.