Scotland
Lundies House, Tongue
Setting foot inside Lundies House, you physically feel your soul lighten. Your shoulders drop, you exhale, you relax. A former manse, this ancient home has been lovingly restored to take the shape of a contemporary boutique hotel. Blending Nordic know-how with the gentle brooding of the Scottish Highlands, the result is something that the owners have dubbed ‘Scandi-Scot’. A quick glance proves this moniker to be more than accurate with pared-back decor running through the bedrooms, locally sourced cuisine served in the dining room and a fire gently smouldering in the lounge.
Location
Up in the northernmost fringes of Scotland, Lundies House commands sweeping views across its old stone walls to Castle Bharrich, the Kyle of Tongue and the imposing Munro of Ben Loyal. It’s so remote, trains don’t even run here. While it sits a two-hour direct drive from Inverness, Lundies House is best reached as a stop along the iconic North Coast 500. Snaking up the east coast towards John O’Groats, head west whence the road goes no further and deep into this land of arresting natural beauty.
Your Room
True to their Scandi roots and surrounding landscapes, the colour scheme of each of the bedrooms is kept neutral with tones of heather, moss and mole. Crowned not by luxuriant king-size beds (though those are spectacular too), but by freestanding baths, the rooms at Lundies House are designed for the deepest relaxation. Our pick goes to the Gwendolyn where the bath sits in a large picture window overlooking the behemoth of Ben Loyal in the distance. But we also love the Flora, tucked away in the eaves of the manse with a romantic box bed beneath the window, as well as the Bothan which takes the humble butler’s abode and transforms it into a two-bed family home dripping in minimalist chic.
Why we like it
Lundies House doesn’t offer a restaurant, it offers a Dining Room – a beautiful, mural painted, bespoke furniture clad Dining Room. There are no menus, just a daily changing three (or four, your choice) dinner menu and a breakfast of fresh-baked bread, homemade preserves and cooked delights. Abiding by an ethos of simple, well-prepared food, the produce takes centre-stage. As it should, with Lundies House drawing on their own kitchen garden, local game, fresh-caught fish and even a spot of foraging to serve fresh, seasonal ingredients. On those warmer of Scottish nights, Lundies takes the dining experience outside, gathering guests around the heated courtyard table for a barbeque beneath the starlight.
