Luxury Scottish Island retreat

HIT THE HIGH ROAD

CARSON BLACK heads north to a luxurious Scottish island retreat.

How does this sound: your own three room luxury chalet with kitchen, bedroom and en-suite with large dressing room, Egyptian cotton linens and Molton Brown Bath products, sitting room with 40inch TV, B&O stereo sound system piped throughout, private conservatory leading to your own private garden with hot tub, plus five star gourmet meals just a phone call away, and room service?

And there’s more: a sumptuous spa with a 17metre swimming pool, gym and recreation hall, next to a nine hole golf course, an all-weather tennis court and a croquet lawn.

All this in a remote 300 acre private island accessed only by a single track bridge along a two-mile driveway.

And the best bit? There aren’t many people around so you can have the run of the place pretty much to yourself. Perfect for all travelling misogynists.

This is the ultimate get-away-from-it-all holiday. And it’s in the UK.

I spent a weekend there and I’m tempted not to tell you where it is because I want to keep it all to myself. Except that would be unfair and I’d be bankrupt pretty quickly.

So here goes:

It’s a beautiful three mile by one mile island called Eriska, about six miles from Oban on the south western end of the Scottish Highlands at the end of the Great Glen. There is only one building (or complex of buildings to be precise), and that consists of a Victorian main house built in the form of a Scottish castle. It’s been in private hands for over one hundred years and the present owner, Beppo Buchanan-Smith, runs it as a 5* luxury hotel, spa and sports complex.

With just 25 individually designed ‘rooms’, you will not feel crushed. As a guest you have the run of the place, including the under-populated gym complex and golf course.

When, and if, you get tired of the island – and Beppo says there are many guests who just lock themselves away to be undisturbed by the hubbub of the real world outside – you can access the beauty of the west coast isles and lakes. Your are also on the doorstep of the Highlands. So there’s plenty to explore. All the usual Scottish pursuits are on hand nearby: superb fly fishing, hunting in season and mountain climbing. The high peaks aren’t far off for skiers in winter, either. For the eco-friendly this is a bird watchers paradise – a golden eagle has been be spotted swopping down off the higher ground further north.

The main house, built in 1884, is home to a bar, library, lounge and restaurant. as well as some of the luxury suites. At 10pm every evening the local badger sett empties to take a walk around the gardens and stop by the conservatory where they pick up scraps of feed from the kitchen. These badgers know what a photo-call is all about and they are never late for eager guests, 10pm each night without fail.

The food is a gourmet’s dream. The four-course menu changes each night and comprises locally reared fare when possible. There is also an impressive cheese trolley with 40 varieties from all over the world to choose from.

Head chef Simon MacKenzie served his time under Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White. He was one of the youngest 3 rosette head chefs in Britain.

I tasted the local poached sea bass and the Scottish venison, both served as part of the ever changing three course sampling menu. These I complemented with locally reared scallops to start and fabulous roast plums for desert and the overwhelmingly choice of great cheeses from across the world with coffee and, of course, the local Oban Scotch.

One mention for the breakfast fare. What better way to set you up for a day in the highlands and islands than porridge with a touch of Scotch, followed by Scottish smoked haddock, coffee and toast spread with locally reared honey. Certainly one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever experienced anywhere in the world.

Oban is close by, a welcoming working fishing town and island hub. The local Oban Scotch distillery is worth a tour, and the malt it produces is smooth, light and easy on the palette. You can take day trips on the frequent ferries to Mull and the other isles and Oban is on a mainline train route. Glasgow is two hours away, Fort William, an hour.

This is Scotland so the weather is unpredictable, but Eriska is on the west coast, which enjoys a more sheltered and milder climate than elsewhere in the country: the Irish Sea waters are warmed by the Gulf Stream. But if you’re an outdoors person, the weather doesn’t matter. And if you’re a get away from everyone and everything person, then the weather doesn’t matter either: you can spend your entire time indoors in luxury with gourmet food delivered right to your room.

We travelled by road from Oxford in a Skoda Yeti, which had bags of room for our luggage and was as smooth as silk over the rough terrain we had to tackle on route. The handling was terrific and the little touches made the journey seem luxurious and fun rather than just another road trip.

On the way up north to Eriska we stopped off enroute in Glasgow for one night, staying at the Glasgow Central Travel Lodge. It is easy to find and to park nearby, for this is a very centrally located hotel, just a stone’s throw from the major stores, shops, theatres, museums and restaurants. A well-run, very reasonably priced, friendly hotel, with good food and facilities, it is ideal for travellers and holiday makers alike, but we noticed it also had a thriving business clientele. Breakfast was excellent, plenty of choice and swiftly served. Glasgow was certainly worth the stop - there is so much to see and do – a real taste of Scotland.

On the way back down south, we made a pit stop in the beautiful Lake District, where we chose the Best Western Castle Green Hotel in Kendal. We picked it because it is on the edge of lovely countryside, with fantastic walks, yet also just a few minutes stroll from the centre of Kendal, with its shops, cafes and ancient streets. Dinner was a fine four course affair and the staff were exceptionally helpful. Families are welcome and we met a lot of walkers who said they returned to the hotel year after year because it provided good value and a warm welcome. A great base for a walking holiday and to explore the many intriguing towns and villages around.

Heading up north was certainly worth the trip and we’ll be hitting the high road again.

Go Eriska:
By train from Glasgow to Oban, then taxi to Eriska.
Fly from most UK airports to Glasgow.
By road: approx. 10 hours from London.
Hotel info:
www.eriska-hotel.co.uk Tel: 0370 800 7578
www.bestwestern.co.uk/Castle_Green Tel 0345 025 4163
www.travelodge.co.uk/Glasgow Tel 0871 984 6141