Kinloch Lodge

About Kinloch Lodge

Kinloch Lodge stands at the foot of Kinloch Hill on the tranquil shoreline of the sea loch Na Dal, in the wooded southern peninsula of Sleat. It has been a Macdonald family home for centuries and a hotel for around fifty years, and the two identities have never quite separated — guests are received into what still feels like a private house, with fires lit in the drawing rooms and portraits of clan chiefs on the walls.

The kitchen is the reason many people come. Founded on the cooking of Claire Macdonald and now run by a team building on that legacy, it works almost entirely from Skye and the surrounding waters: langoustines and scallops from the local boats, island lamb and venison, foraged coastal greens. The restaurant has carried a string of accolades over the years and remains one of the most serious dining rooms in the Highlands. Whisky flights, a well-chosen cellar and an unhurried pace round the evening out.

Bedrooms are split between the original lodge and a newer wing, all individually decorated in soft Hebridean tones with loch or hillside views. It is about ten minutes from the Armadale ferry and forty from the Skye Bridge, which makes it a natural first or last night on the island, though most guests end up staying longer than planned. Walkers can start straight from the grounds; the Cuillin are an hour north.