Duisdale House Hotel
Isle of Skye Once a hunting lodge, now a luxurious island hideaway
IT’S the small touches that can make a hotel stay really special, the attention to detail which makes all the difference.
Like the glass of fizz we received on booking into the Duisdale House Hotel, on the stunning Isle of Skye.
We were led into a wonderfully cosy lounge, complete with huge comfy sofas and open fire, while our bags were carried to our room.
Duisdale House is a former hunting lodge, built on the Sleat peninsula, in the south of Skye, in 1865.
It’s surrounded by beautiful mature gardens, home to trees planted 150 years ago – enormous chestnuts and a towering monkey puzzle tree looking particularly grand.
The fine old Victorian house has been transformed into an 18-bedroom boutique hotel – an effortless blend of antique charm and modern sophistication that was named Scotland’s Independent Hotel of the Year in 2015.
In the lounge we were soon joined by a young Canadian couple. For years, they said, they’d dreamed of coming to Scotland. They stood at the enormous windows, looking over the Sound of Sleat to the mainland, glasses in hand, as the mighty mountains of Knoydart poked through clouds tinged pink by the setting sun.
“It’s everything we’ve ever imagined,” they said.
Our large bedroom was front-facing, sharing that superb view with the lounge downstairs. It was immaculate, with a queen-size four-poster bed, well-stocked mini-bar and an en suite with bath and shower.
Duisdale House is one of three Skye hotels bought by Anne Gunn and her late husband Ken. The other properties are close by – the Torvaig, further along the peninsula, and Skeabost, which is the only hotel on the island with its own golf course.
Anne was born on Skye and the hotels are run very much as a family business – her daughter and son-in-law both work with her.
Chatting to Anne, it’s clear she’s hugely passionate about offering the best possible customer service. That ethos, with her local knowledge and family atmosphere, make the Duisdale an incredibly welcoming place to visit.
The Duisdale is a four-star “small hotel” and it has a very fine