A world away close to home
With four-star quality and breathtaking surroundings, the Bridge of Orchy hotel proves a short trip can take you a long distance
WITH trips to usual holiday hotspots likely to be on hold for a while, travel destinations closer to home are likely to appeal more.
So, where to go in Scotland that’s not too far to travel yet feels like you are escaping into another world after long periods cooped up at home?
Before coronavirus, my partner and I took a trip north up the A82 – one of the most scenic routes in Scotland – to stay at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel in northern Argyll, 20 minutes from the spectacular south-west Highlands.
Nestled at the based of five Munros – Beinn Dorain, Beinn Mhanach, Beinn a’Chreachain, Beinn Achaladair and Beinn an Dothaidh – the hotel offers four-star luxury and you may even be treated to sightings of red deer, eagles, ospreys and red squirrels on a stroll along the river just 100 yards from the hotel.
And with a train station a couple of hundred yards up the hill from the hotel, it is the perfect base if you want to explore the Highlands, Glencoe, Skye and beyond by rail rather than car.
The village of Tyndrum, and the famous Green Welly Shop, is 10 minutes’ drive if you need a change of scene, a quick snack and a bit of retail therapy.
The dog-friendly hotel is a two-hour drive from Glasgow, two-and-a-half hours from Edinburgh and a stunning two-hour train journey from Glasgow on the West Highland Line.
It has 32 rooms in total, some in the main hotel and others in the surrounding cottages and timber lodges.
The bar and restaurant is a hive of activity as Bridge of Orchy is a popular stoppingpoint on the West Highland Way, so you will be rubbing shoulders with weary walkers, Munrobaggers and holidaymakers with dogs.
We were warmly welcomed by the excellent staff and after a quick drink and a bit of banter with the barman, headed through to the restaurant.
We’d been told the food was worth the drive – and we weren’t disappointed.
The Bridge of Orchy Hotel’s awardwinning head chef David Hetherington has come up with a menu full of mouthwatering dishes.
He uses fresh locally-sourced ingredients and serves up Scottish classics – but each with a unique twist.
David – who once competed in BBC’s MasterChef, The Professionals – is from Arrochar in Argyll and worked at the Loch Lomond Arms Hotel in Luss, and The Finnieston in Glasgow, before returning to his home region.
He says his mission is to create a “foodie haven in the Highlands“and the popularity of the restaurant is a sign that he’s well on the way to achieving his dream.
We started with Potted Smoked Ham Hough with wholegrain mustard, piccalilli and a crispy quail’s egg (£6) and Grilled Hot Smoked Salmon with warm potato salad (£8).
For mains, we opted for Braised Shoulder of Duntarrin Far Lamb, with crispy sweetbread, potato terrine and artichokes (£18) and Butter Roast Loin of Pork, with pistachio crumb, carrots and Dijon mustard (£16).
All the dishes were wonderful and the empty plates told the story. The weather in northern Argyll can be wild, and it was a howling gale when we stayed in Bridge of Orchy, but the room was warm and we had a perfect night’s sleep on the comfortable
bed. As we prepared to leave the next day, it was with sadness that we couldn’t stay longer – always a good indicator that an hotel has ticked all the right boxes. In virus-free days, we probably will…