The Fife Arms
Braemar, UK
Backgrounded by Scotland's majestic Cairngorm mountains, a stay at the The Fife Arms feels like trip to a hedonistic Highland commune. The property, in the pretty village of Braemar, dates back to the 19th-century, but a 2018 makeover by the couple behind art collective Hauser & Wirth put the inn firmly on 21st-century travellers’ maps. Iwan and Manuela Wirth don’t do things by half: the art-filled Fife Arms has been transformed into a pastiche of Scottish Victoriana – a swagtastic, tassel-trimmed, tartan design extravagance where no taxidermy swan is too many, and no porcelain pup too kitsch. It’s a journey to get here, so when the candles are lit, and a Highland storm rages, a transient community is immediately conquered. The 46 guestrooms and suites are individually designed. The four-poster-bed packed suites nod to the village’s Royal relations in nearby Balmoral, while leading lights of scientific and artistic endeavour inspire cosier Scottish Culture Rooms. Those that find the razzle-dazzle overbearing should book a Nature & Poetry suites – gentler spaces that pair hand-carved headboards with tweedy textiles. Dining-wise, a pub, bar and restaurant on the ground floor are open to the public and guests, serving Scottish comfort food, Highland flora-spiked cocktails and old-fashioned pints.
Key Information
- Rooms: 46
- Starting Rate: $308
- Dining: The Clunie Dining Room
- Drinking: The Flying Stag
- At the Hotel: Golf, tennis, wild excursions, wild swimming, cultural events, fishing, spirit tasting, forading, horse riding, biking, hiking
- 4401339720200
- Visit The Fife Arms's Website
Location
Mar Rd, Braemar, Ballater, AB35 5YN
