Travel: Luxury and comfort at Skye's Edinbane Lodge

Have you ever watched TV while lounging in the bath with a drink in hand? I hadn’t either until very recently.

Edinbane Lodge on the Isle of Skye is set within a restored 16th century hunting lodge. Despite its history, its two new riverside rooms are luxurious modern comfort epitomised.

The bedroom was beautiful, a huge super king-sized bed at its heart, dark wood features and a green velvet sofa contrasting with clean white walls. Outside we had our own private patio area, the river flowing right along the bottom of it and a fire pit seating area ready for an evening tipple.

I never thought I would say a bathroom would be the highlight of a stay, but this was like something from a movie, a gorgeous freestanding bath in the middle, TV built into the wall, mirror that lit up and played music and a rainfall shower that almost challenged the elements outside. Almost.

My boyfriend Aidan and I were only in Skye for a fleeting visit and the weather did not treat us well. Luckily though, it meant we didn’t feel guilty about spending every possible moment in our room. As soon as we arrived, the hotel robes were popped on and feet flung up as we cosied down to watch TV as the rain – and hail at one point – battered the roof and patio.

When 7pm arrived, it was time for the main event: dinner. Calum Montgomery is chef patron at Edinbane Lodge, and every evening, he wows guests with his Taste of Skye tasting menu.

I started the evening with a negroni while Aidan went for a crisp white wine. We agreed the team has managed to strike the perfect balance in the restaurant – tartan and exposed stone nodding towards its hunting lodge past and modern touches, including consistently gorgeous crockery by Edinbane Pottery, keeping it fresh.

It isn’t hard to see why both Calum and Edinbane Lodge are highly decorated when it comes to awards. The tasting menu features 12 courses, but they are small so entirely manageable. Size shouldn’t be taken as an indication of flavour though. There wasn’t one dish we didn’t like, even those we were initially unsure about on the menu.

Though it was tricky to choose, our favourite dishes were the Uig landed monkfish with groundkeeper Willie’s carrots, the Glendale hogget with Denhead Farm asparagus and black truffle and the hand dived Loch Greshornish scallop with seaweed butter sauce – the biggest and best scallops we have ever had. The Wye Valley rhubarb with spiced white chocolate dessert was heavenly, the perfect way to end the meal.

It can be difficult to strike the right balance of flavour, portion size, quality and price when it comes to tasting menus, but Edinbane Lodge has hit the nail on the head. We felt like celebrities the entire night, with service that was top class without being posh or stuffy.

We were lucky enough to chat to the lovely Calum after our meal. He told us all about his friends and family dotted around Skye who make sure he is always serving up the best the island has to offer. The passion he has for Edinbane Lodge is clear, and that made us appreciated our meal and stay even more.

Suitably full, we headed back to our room. I am not usually a bath person, but nothing would have stopped me hopping in with a dram from the mini-bar in hand. We both had the soundest sleep we remembered having for a long time.

After breakfast the next morning – which was in itself a spectacular affair with multiple courses – I will happily admit that we sat in our room until one minute before check-out time because we really did not want to leave.

The heavens remained firmly open on our second day in Skye. We drove around the island with the intention of stopping off at a beach or for a walk, but one attempt left us soaked. Luckily, we had lunch plans that made us forget all about it.

I had been admiring Cafe Cuil in Carbost on Instagram for a long time. Owner Clare Coghill opened the cafe in London before giving in to the call of home and moving it back to Skye. It was busy when we arrived, so we were lucky to get a gorgeous table right by the window.

We spent a ridiculously long time perusing the menu, completely stuck for what to choose as everything looked incredible. Finally, we went for the Scotch pancakes with rhubarb, gingernut crumble and gorseflower mascarpone, roast tattie hash with Scottish chorizo, caramelised cabbage and a fried egg and some mac and cheese bites with truffle mayo on the side.

Once the food arrived, the table looked like it could have been plucked from my dreams. Everything was gorgeously presented but it wasn’t style over substance as we enjoyed every bite, the local produce delicious. We spent the majority of the drive back to Inverness discussing the food we had eaten in the last 24 hours.

We are headed back to Skye in June for a full week and I can’t wait; a weekend isn’t nearly enough to enjoy the spectacular island. Who knows, we might even get some sun next time!

P.S. Chef Calum and his family bought the then derelict Edinbane Lodge in 2017 and fully renovated it before opening a year later. The restaurant was awarded 4 Rosettes by the AA in 2022, the first in the Highlands to attract such an accolade. It has also been recognised in The Michelin Guide and won Restaurant of the Year at the Scottish Excellence Awards in 2023. You might recognise Calum himself from BBC’s Great British Menu.

Factfile

Rooms at Edinbane start at £349 per night and the tasting menu from £140, with wine pairings an additional £80. To book a stay or meal, go to edinbanelodge.com

Cafe Cuil is open Wednesday to Sunday between 10am and 4pm.