You take the high road. Actually, you can take the low road if you prefer because I’m taking the train and will definitely be in Scotland afore ye. While the Highlands of Scotland are home to some of the world’s most spectacular driving country, my preferred way of getting there from London is always by train. Maybe it’s the lingering trauma of having my old Mk 2 Jaguar transported back from Provence after it overheated down there some years ago, but four and a half hours from central London to central Glasgow and straight behind the wheel of something suitably stylish is probably the way to go. Keeps the eco- conscience pretty clear, too.
Though the target of interest here is so remotely located that aside from arriving by helicopter, which remains possible, just getting there will involve something of a drive – but what a drive! I’m talking about the U. K’s most Northerly 5-star property, the Torridon, and recently now also home to the U.K.’s most Northerly Michelin-starred restaurant, located on the jaw-droppingly panoramic Loch Torridon, a sea loch, an hour and a half west of Inverness.
The Torridon was originally a hunting lodge constructed in 1887 by the first Earl of Lovelace following Queen Victoria’s adoption of the Highlands as her hidden go-to for getting away from it all. Victoria’s secret didn’t stay secret for long, though, with the titled and moneyed classes soon following dutifully on in her wake. 1887 was also her golden jubilee, and there’s no shortage of Victoriana instilled into the fabric of the building, not least the Drawing Room ceiling adorned with astrological symbols for which she had a particular affinity.
The Highlands of Scotland are enjoying a resurgence of interest with even hints of -whisper it – overtourism, not least on the North Coast 500, the 500-mile driving route around the far North coast. The N.C. 500, which in the Summer is replete with automotive eye candy, including Jaguar Mk2s, hopefully with their temperature gauges under control, actually touches on the Torridon, where the car park can be crammed with four-wheeled exotica.
What’s happening out along the often single-track roads is rendered irrelevant, however, once inside the Torridon’s sprawling self-contained 58-acre universe of pampered seclusion. In any event, the riposte to overtourism is surely off-season travel, as my unimpeded and bleakly beautiful Winter drive up through the mountains and lochs of the West Coast reaffirmed.
The property was acquired in 1992 by the parents of current owner Rohaise Rose-Bristow, who, with husband Dan, initially avowed to neither live in the Highlands nor operate a hotel, who’ve done precisely that since 1998. There can be little doubt that the overriding reason behind the Torridon’s burgeoning celebrity, taking it from a no-star to one of Scotland’s most celebrated 5-stars, is the hands-on, eat, sleep, breathe approach of Rohaise and Dan, who live next door.
The hotel has also recently been inducted into that international collective of distinctive owner-operated properties, Relais & Chateaux. With a bright new red Michelin star and a green one, the alignment with R&C and its long-established emphasis on gastronomy seems almost predestined.
The stately building wears its aristocratic heritage well. The reclusive fourth Earl, part of the inter-war big-game hunting “Out Of Africa” set, was still living there until the 1960s, when the arrival of the new road outside sent him and his taxidermied buffalo heads scurrying over to the other side of the loch. Rohaise, who has increasingly assumed oversight of the Torridon’s interior design, weaves stylish contemporary elements into this charming atmosphere of lingering old-world privilege.
There are 18 opulently conceived rooms within the principal building, many with breathtaking views over the loch, and a further 12 disporting a more restrained design palette in the converted stable block. There’s also the recently debuted Chestnut Cottage with its own log burner and outdoor bathtub for those in search of a little more seclusion.
Cradled, as it is, amidst some of the British Isles most spectacular scenery, with two Munros (Scottish peaks above 3000 ft) nearby, the Torridon’s recreational focus is fixed firmly on the surrounding open-air wilderness. The on-site purpose built centre, Torridon Outdoors proffers a multitude of opportunities from guided walks, kayaking, and swimming in the loch, to clay pigeon shooting and archery.
The Torridon, which has embraced self-sufficiency since its inception, boasts its own farms, an impressively well-tended and expansive kitchen garden for which the soil was brought over from Ireland, and a gorgeous herd of Highland “coos” meandering around waiting to be selfied. Together with the unassailable quality of the seafood, all of this amounts to ingredients of exceptional provenance heading through the hotel’s kitchen door.
And what’s going on inside that kitchen is currently the subject of intense interest. Aside from the Bo & Muc Brasserie, away from the main building serving a simpler menu, there’s the fine dining restaurant, 1887, both presided over by Head Chef, Danny Young. From the moment we were seated in the cosy little Whisky Bar in front of its spectacular wonder wall of 365 whiskies and served “snacks” of Mrs Kirkham’s Cheese & Onion Pie and Local Crab, Rhubarb & Basil, the taste buds began buckling up for a gastronomic ride that felt like it could be an interesting one.
And so it proved, once inside the plush velvety confines of the restaurant, as Chef Young began sending out the sensibly structured six or so courses of his tasting menu, immediately confirming an immersion into Michelin-star quality dining. Dishes such as Loch Torridon Langoustine with Vadouvan Curry, N25 Caviar & Coriander; North Sea Cod with Shetland Mussel, Nasturtium & Preserved Lemon, and Dry Aged Highland Venison proceeded to unfold into a joyous culinary tour de force.
There was a notable buzz about the room among the young, cosmopolitan and equally impressive waiting staff. Danny Young had apparently been VERY seriously encouraged to attend next day’s UK & Ireland Michelin Awards in Dublin, and by the time I came down for breakfast to confront what may well be the best croissants this side of the English Channel, he was already long gone. Before the day was out, he’d be a Michelin-starred chef and the Torridon, a serious gastronomic destination in its own right.
Whether it’s the otherworldly landscape, the dream-like driving, Danny Young’s tasting menu, or the great outdoors looking as great as it ever can or will, the attractions dangled by this exceptional property are manifold. Getting there’s easier said than done, of course, but then again, isn’t that the point?
@thetorridon | thetorridon.com
Annat, By Achnasheen, Wester Ross IV22 2EY
