price of two. See website for details. Perfect for: Monster-spotters and eco-loving romantics seeking a short break with a difference. R o o m s : From £48 per person per night, including breakfast. The Lovat is offering List readers a complementary upgrade on all bookings made before the end of the year. For telephone bookings quote ‘The List’; for online bookings enter ‘The List’ as the promotional code. ■ The Lovat, Loch Ness, Fort Augustus, PH32 4DU, 0845 450 1100, www.thelovat.com THE GLENELG INN, KYLE OF LOCHALSH This former coaching-inn is a unique, quirky place to stop off while waiting to go over the sea to Skye. The Glenelg feels like a haven of comfort and warmth after negotiating the slalom journey down past the Iron Age brochs from the village. It has six bedrooms combining bright, cosy, quaint prettiness with views of the wild grandeur of the Kyle outside. The showpiece master bedroom is kitted out with sailor-stripes, a rattan chaise longue, opulent bathtub and a telescope through which you can spy on the descendants of the otters who inspired Gavin Maxwell’s Ring of Bright Water as they do whatever otters do. There’s a brasserie serving great food from the local farms and fisheries – the venison is highly recommended – and deep armchairs in which to curl up with a selection from the Inn’s stash of old books, plus obligatory crackling log fire. The hotel bar is popular with hikers and locals alike, with good conversation, real ales and frequent spontaneous outbursts from the live musicians who make the place their regular hangout. A grand location to get a genuine slice of West Highland winter life. Perfect for: Lone travellers, local culture, fireside frolics. R o o m s : From £40 per person per night including breakfast. ■ The Glenelg Inn, Glenelg, Kyle of Lochalsh, Ross- shire, IV40 8JR, 01599 522273, www.glenelg-inn.com
CRINGLETIE HOUSE, PEEBLES Twenty miles south of Edinburgh lies the baronial sandstone splendour of Cringletie House, with its enormous armchairs, splendid rugs, and people who know the proper way to fold a napkin. This is the place for a traditional country-house experience; it features all the gorgeous, old-fashioned touches you would expect: Chesterfields, gold-leaf and floral arrangements abound, the staff are wonderfully attentive, the formal restaurant serves fresh produce from the walled garden and, for those in the mood for a bit of winter sport, there’s giant chess, golf putting and croquet in the grounds. There’s a lovely old reading room, where you can hide away with a book in comfort and tranquility, strike some languid laird-of-the-manor poses in the hotel bar, or take a warming bath with accompanying yummy toiletries courtesy of Molton Brown. Check out the ornate baroque ceilings in the drawing room (they’re wonderful) or just retire to your boudoir with a complimentary decanter of whisky or sherry for those in the deluxe and junior suites. Perfect for: Splashing out on country-house chic, anniversaries. R o o m s : From £150 per night including breakfast. ■ Cringletie House Hotel, Edinburgh Road, Peebles EH45 8PL, 01721 725750, www.cringletie.com
Visit www.list.co.uk for more winter travel The Albannach
Cringletie House
The Glenelg Inn 5–19 Nov 2009 THE LIST 13