Winter warmers: whisky lover’s guide to hotels in Scotland

When in Inverness, this five-star hotel is the ultimate abode for sophisticated travellers and when it comes to premium booze, it has pulled out all the stops for guests who want to sample and take a deep dive into the national spirit! In honour of its location in the Highlands, Ness Walk offers a stunning range of whisky tasting tours and experiences.

Take a seat in a deep leather armchair in the bar and prepare for the Whisky Flights experience: the expert bar team will serve you a selection of whisky flights to taste, carefully curated with options to delight each palette from their local dram to smoky malts from the Isle of Islay.

The hotel’s Tour of Scotland experience is your opportunity to sample a whisky from each of the five key whisky regions: Speyside, Highland, Campbeltown, Islay and the Lowlands. And if you’re in the mood for a spectacular road trip, the hotel will show you the way, via its Spirit of the North Coast 500 experience. Scotland’s answer to Route 66, The North Coast 500 is a 500 km coastal road and you can discover four drams on the route starting in Inverness and finishing on the most northerly point of Scotland’s mainland.

Ness Walk, room rates start from £145 per night.

This charming five-star hotel in Perthshire owned by Wimbledon superstar, Andy Murray, is the ultimate paradise designed for tennis buffs while still rolling out the best of Scottish hospitality, which means whisky, what else?

You can sip whisky in the hotel bar or take the opportunity to enjoy a full-day, bespoke tour of three local Perthshire distilleries of your choice. It’s a great excuse to explore the beautiful Perthshire countryside by road, stopping off to learn about the distilling process, the history of whisky-making and, of course, sample this world-famous spirit.

The hotel can also book you onto the  ‘Heart of Scotland Tour’ which combines spectacular views with whisky explorations. This full-day excursion takes you to the city of Perth, with visits to Scone Palace, Dunkeld, and the Victorian town of Pitlochry, and then moves on to see the exquisite panorama of Queen’s View, which takes in views of Loch Tummel, Schiehallion and Glencoe, followed by the villages of Tummel Bridge and Aberfeldy, and a drive through the sublime Sma’ Glen. Tullibardine Distillery, where you’ll enjoy a tour and a well-earned dram, is the final stop.

Cromlix, room rates start from £310 per night.

Leave the rum to the pirates — when onboard Scottish vessels only the finest whisky will do. In the heart of the fair city of Edinburgh, you can enjoy all the fun of a ship experience on a boat that doesn’t rock because it never leaves its dock!

Fingal is a luxury boat that’s been transformed into a unique floating hotel moored in the city’s waterfront and offers fine dining and whisky tasting with wonderful views. Here, you can work your way through the whisky menu under your own steam, or request a guided tasting experience.

Fingal, room rates start from £300 per night.