The Fife Arms

High Victoriana meets modern luxury at the miraculously reinvented Fife Arms in Braemar, unveiled for Christmas 2018 with much press and bagpiping after a magnificent multi-million-pound makeover by art dealers Iwan and Manuela Wirth, the Swiss co-presidents of Hauser & Wirth. (They own galleries in London, New York, LA, Hong Kong, Zurich — and Bruton, Somerset, where they also have proved their form in the hospitality business with Durslade Farmhouse). To find such a luxury hotel in Scotland, let alone in the remote Highlands, is about as rare as a budgerigar in the Arctic. This will be a huge boom to tourism and the locale. With 46 eye-poppingly amazing rooms (individually themed and as eclectically wonderful as is possible within the bounds of good taste and design), and 95 staff to service the place, virtually the whole community has been involved in some way or other. Local grandee Araminta Campbell designed the house tartan and tweed (brilliantly used on walls, floors, uniforms and curtains), the local deer horn specialist has created cornucopias of antler art and practical objets, Picasso, Bruegel, Freud and HRH Prince Charles hang cheek by jowl. No need to go to the National Gallery when you can stay here and marvel at the masters up close and personal! Beware if you are frightened of stuffed things, this is a taxidermist’s paradise – there is a red deer in the dining room, a mobile of flying snipe in the stairwell, and every sort of furred and feathered creature under glass – including a life-size waxwork of Queen Vic herself settled in a wingchair in the library. (“Our mystery guest” as front of house like to call her). There are grandiose suites, all royally named and appointed, but also a number of less expensive rooms which are no less luxurious. The Artist’s Studio room is a charming concept – up in the eaves with a cosy box bed, pots and brushes on the windowsills and amusing paint spatters on the floor. A very talented design team has been at work here. It may be a little over the top and about as far from minimalist as you can get, but the whole is expertly choreographed. You can eat smart in the Clunie Dining room which features wood smoke ovens and cubist muraled walls by Guillermo Kuitca, drink an inventive cocktail in the bar or try one of the hundreds of carefully curated whiskies, or even have a pint of bitter and fish and chips in the bustling Flying Stag pub. Come here to celebrate and relax, or to walk, stalk or fish. Majestic mountains surround you and the River Dee rushes past. Don’t be put off by the winding ascent past Scotland’s famed International Ski Resort, Glenshee, the journey is all part of the adventure.

And why might you ask would you ever want to come to Braemar (population 400) unless tossing a caber at the Gathering? Well, a visit to this incredible hotel alone will suffice. You will not be disappointed, whether with family, friends or your own good self.

 

Written by Caroline Townsend

• Shops
• Luxury products featuring the best of Scottish heritage
• Bar
• Bertie's Whisky Bar with over 365 whiskies
• Family Suites
• Offer boardgames, books, crafts & toys
• Private dining room
• In the Fog House, seating up to 28
• Restaurant
• The Clunie Restaurant
• Fireplace
• Parking
• Wifi
• Airport transfer
• Meeting Room
• Library

• Good wine list
• Room service
• Pet friendly
• Child friendly
• Bath robes
• Disabled access
• Suites
• Four poster beds
• Games room
• Conference facilities
• Safe

• Other Activities
• Stalking and shooting all available by arrangement
• Fishing
• Fishing on the Dee
• Learning
• Numerous whisky distilleries on your doorstep
• Great walks
• In the heart of the Cairngorms National Park
• Golf
• Braemar Golf Course, the highest in Scotland

• Theatre
• Pitlochry Festival Theatre
• Sights nearby
• Royal Deeside
• Skiing
• At Glenshee
• Wildlife Area
• Birdwatching

Why do people love staying in your hotel? The hotel is a visual feast for the creative traveller and for anyone who loves Scotland. It is a truly unique property and guests love being surprised at every step.

What is there to do in the area? Braemar offers a wealth of history and tradition as well some of the most wonderful scenery in the country. The Cairngorms National Park is a paradise for anyone who loves the outdoors, with great opportunities for low level walkers as well as climbers and mountaineers.

What kind of breakfast do you offer? We offer both continental and a la carte breakfast, using the best Scottish produce.

Do you offer other meals? And can you recommend good places to eat out locally? We have a traditional pub, The Flying Stag, offering fish and chips, burger and other pub classics as well as traditional Scottish dishes. We also have a stunning restaurant, The Clunie Dining Room, featuring British and Scottish contemporary dishes, cooked on the wood fire grill or in the wood fire oven.

Which are your most popular room types, and why? All our rooms are different and are dedicated to a personality or theme related to the local area, Scottish history or members of Queen Victoria’s family. The most popular are our Victoriana suites, a proper time travel experience to the Victorian times and a celebration of what Victorians loved, including the richness of the décor, the colourful wallpapers and original pieces of Victorian furniture.

What facilities do you have for children and can you fit extra beds in your rooms? We offer a children play room with playstation, fussball table, small play kitchen and lots of books. We have sofa beds in several rooms and quite a few options for interconnecting rooms.

What message would you like to give Hotel Guru readers? This is one of the most beautiful and unspoilt parts of Scotland. Come and discover it and learn all about the wonderful characters that have lived in and around Braemar over the last few centuries as well as be able to admire some incredible pieces of contemporary art.