Pool House

SET ON THE RUGGED SHORES of Loch Ewe, Pool House offers its guests nature in close-up. Overlooking the clear waters of the loch, this lochside Scottish hideaway practically rubs shoulders with the wildlife outside its doors, where local residents include seals, herons and otters.

Even the distractions of wildest nature can’t detract from the luxury that awaits inside. Awash with Victorian splendour, Pool House is a feast of antique portraits and porcelain, roaring fires and top-notch cuisine. Atmospheric suites come with Victorian brass, French antiques, fireplaces, clawfoot baths and canopied beds. Happy guests have included actress Kate Winslet and other big showbiz names.

Public rooms are equally full of charm – the cosy library is stacked with books, while the Billiard Whisky room is a cosy setting for a malt or two. Rooms are splashed with golden light at sunset and lucky guests may even spot a sea eagle or two or – in wintertime – the northern lights.

Wildlife spotting

Go overboard in The Diadem suite (styled on the lines of the Titanic), with its 1912 bathtub and glass canopied shower. You can spot seals from your front window and the only sinking you’ll be doing is into the vast seven-foot square four-poster.

Stargaze in the gilded dining room, with its hand-painted zodiac ceiling, over pre-dinner canapes with your fellow guests. Award-winning fare here makes full use of locally-farmed meat and produce.

Hike on rugged mountain trails outside, take the stunning drive from Poolewe to Ullapool, count the blooms in sub-tropical Inverewe Gardens or simply de-stress in this utterly relaxing hideaway in the midst of the Scottish wilderness.

© Room for Romance