Kinloch Lodge
Wine and Dine at a Michelin Starred restaurant
What amazed us most?
Kinloch Lodge is a truly unique place, with a magical backdrop, on the mysterious Isle of Skye in Scotland. This charming, cosy and discreetly luxurious hotel with a Michelin-starred restaurant is like no other on the island.
Why should you come here?
It’s an ideal place for food lovers and photographers. You should definitely come here to experience an excellent dinner prepared by the famous chef, Marcello Tully, to enjoy the silence, to take a trip around the beautiful island, and to have afternoon tea just like King Hussein did.
THE MOST
special thing about the hotel
The hotel is located on the tranquil shoreline of the wildly romantic Isle of Skye, about a six-hour drive from Edinburgh. It used to be a hunting lodge for the prosperous and honourable Macdonald clan three hundred years ago. They owned half the island in olden times and have links to royalty.
In the 20th century, the lodge was used as a highland home for Claire and Godfrey Macdonald and then, in 1952, it was turned into a family hotel, where they brought up their four children. In 1974, Clare Macdonald became the cook in the family hotel. A couple of years later, she wrote several cookbooks, won prestigious awards and made the hotel famous in the process. In fact, it's so popular that King Hussein came to Kinloch Lodge for tea in 1986 during his travels.
Even nowadays Lady Macdonald runs cookery classes and demonstrations, and everyone can join in.
Interesting fact – during the seventies, bed and breakfast at Kinloch Lodge cost... 5 pounds per person and dinner was 1.75 pounds...
Today, the family live in private apartments on the Black Isle, but the lodge has maintained the warmth of its hosts, with charming portraits of the Macdonalds' ancestors lining the walls, photos of the family throughout the property and historic pieces from the private collection of Claire and Godfrey Macdonald.
We felt the warm highland hospitality from the moment we entered the hotel. The fireplace was on, so the Lodge was prepared for the changeable Skye weather. The homely drawing room invited us to sit back and relax with a cup of tea and one of the books from the large library. You feel like the hosts are around somewhere or have just popped out for a while. The intimate and informal atmosphere was not spoiled by a traditional reception. We were invited into the cosy drawing room to have a welcome drink and to fill out the necessary forms.
The hotel is now run by Macdonald’s daughter Isabella, helped by Marcello Tully, the chef who brought a Michelin Star to the Kinloch Hotel and Restaurant in 2009. Marcello comes from Brazil originally but, for many years, he lived and worked in London. When he got the offer to join Kinloch Lodge, he didn't think twice. The head chef provides an exquisite menu that changes daily, using the very best local and seasonal products. We were really impressed by Marcello’s special Mallaig hake with an Indian influence, and the west coast scallops with warm roe mousse, citrus and ginger was my highlight.
Marcello doesn’t like saying “no” to his guests. He always tries to please his customers and to find the best solution to tricky problems. For example, he was happy to help organize a birthday breakfast for one of the guests right on… the hill opposite the hotel. And he cooked his special lamb for my husband, which was not on the menu that day.
Kinloch Lodge has 19 renovated rooms split between two whitewashed lodges. They are all individually decorated and filled with antique pieces and prints. Most of the rooms have views of the loch (lake in Gaelic). We loved the wonderfully comfortable super king-size bed covered with crisp Egyptian cotton sheets and cosy lambswool blankets. It made us want to stay in bed all day long...!
HOW TO MAKE
the most of your stay
Book a room in the new South Lodge with terrific views over the loch. With separate communal drawing rooms, with different table games, you will not get bored, even during the long winter evenings.
Treat yourself to one of the spa rituals. The wide variety of treatments at Kinloch Lodge will help you to relax and recharge. The small but intimate spa centre is run by Anita Myatt, a popular health specialist in Scotland. She has been working in the Midlands since 1985 and has been teaching reflexology, aromatherapy and herbalism to students for the last fifteen years. In 2002, she was invited as a consultant to St. James Palace to meet HRH Prince Charles.
Take a break and attend cooking classes with award-winning cook and best-selling cookbook author, Lady Clare Macdonald, or the Michelin-starred chef Marcello Tully. Lady Clare is self-taught and is passionate about home cooking. Her recipes are easy to follow and practical.
Another class offers the chance to watch Marcello in action, creating one of Kinloch’s fine-dining menus, to learn more about the workings of a professional restaurant kitchen and then enjoy the dishes, accompanied by fantastic wine and whiskey tastings.
WHAT ESLE
to see and do around
The Isle of Skye is a unique island to the west of Scotland, approximately a six-hour drive from Edinburgh, or about a 13-hour drive from London. Mountains, rivers and waterfalls are the main treasures of this gorgeous place. There are a number of castles and other places of interest we recommend visiting, as well as the stunning landscape.
For example, Dunvegan castle, the oldest, continuously inhabited castle in Scotland with a great seal colony located just below the castle; Portree, the capital of the island and the only place on the Isle of Skye where one can find a bit of bustling town life: banks, a police station, hotels, tourist shops, bars and restaurants; the Talisker popular whisky distillery, where tours and tastings can be arranged.
One more must-visit place is located on the mainland, just a 30-minute drive from the hotel – the 13th century Eilean Donan Castle. As one of the most iconic images of Scotland, Eilean Donan is recognised all over the world. Photos of the castle can be seen on different souvenirs, post cards and paintings. It’s one of the most visited and important attractions in the Scottish Highlands.
HOW TO
get here
Kinloch Lodge is located on the southern end of the island, just a 20-minute drive from Skye Bridge. Skye Bridge was built in 1995 so getting to the island is very comfortable nowadays.
You can get here by car from London or Edinburgh via the bridge. The most convenient way is to drive from Inverness, the capital of Scotland. The drive to Kinloch Lodge from Inverness Airport takes a little over two hours.
Another way to get to the island from the mainland is to take the ferry from Mallaig. The trip takes about one hour and 15 minutes.
A chat with the Head Chef
Mr. Marcello Tully
When I got an invitation to join the Kinloch Lodge team, I left busy London without a moment’s hesitation. I fell in love with the island and was happy to relocate with my family. On the other hand, we had a serious aim – to get a Michelin Star for our restaurant and be the first on the island. Seven years ago, we did it!
Since then, I have been enjoying the calm and idyllic life on the island, which I call a Chef's Paradise. Can you imagine? You can find the best ever products here: sea food, venison, lamb and vegetables. To have a good end product, one needs to begin with great ingredients. We have it all here: local lobsters and brown crabs, an oyster farm, and I am on friendly terms with the local scallop divers. We need just a couple of hours to have all of these fresh products in our kitchen. Our guests always appreciate it. The Isle of Skye boasts two Michelin starred restaurants. Popular and busy Birmingham has four, Liverpool, just one, and Manchester has failed to receive a star in the last 40 years.
