Royal Marine Hotel, Brora - Scotland on Sunday Travel

Marine Hotel Brora, which has recently undergone a £1.6m renovation. Pic: Ewen Weatherspoon

Situated just an hour’s drive from Inverness, the four-star Royal Marine Hotel, Brora is a popular stop-off heading north along the popular North Coast 500 route.

Part of the Highland Coast Hotels group, it is fresh from a £1.6m renovation of all bedrooms and ground floor public areas, with a rebranded new restaurant and bar, resulting in a Scandi-Scot vibe against a backdrop of traditional features.

Consultations with the local community were part of the process and local traders and producers commissioned and when it came to the fine touches, work by Highland artisans was featured throughout the hotel. Pieces on display include work by Sutherland-based master potter Fergus Stewart, artists Sheenagh Harrison from Tain, Skye-based digital artist Cath Waters, Fenella Bound and Mouse MacPherson, with landscape and wildlife photography from Glynn Satterley.

With Insta-worthy beaches and lochs and mountains galore on the doorstep, the Royal Marine Hotel is ideally placed for exploring Brora’s stunning surroundings and sampling some Highland hospitality and is as much a draw for the local community as it is for visitors. As part of Highland Coast Hotel group’s commitment to the region, anybody living within 15 miles of a Highland Coast Hotel, such as Royal Marine, Brora, is eligible to apply for the new Highland Coast Hotels Community Card which provides a 30% discount in the restaurants and bars all year round, and a 50% discount off an overnight stay at any hotel from October to March inclusive.

Budget or boutique

It’s a four star hotel with an impressive renovation and restoration.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

One of the 21 bedrooms, which are decorated in a Scandi-Scots style. Pic: Contributed

You won’t be able to resist Brora’s beautiful beach right outside the hotel to work up an appetite and there’s whisky tasting five minutes away at Clynelish distillery, or Glenmorangie at Tain, as well as hiking, heritage walks, bike rides, fishing and paddle boarding. Take a trip to any number of castles in the area - Dunrobin is just five miles away, and if golf’s your bag, Brora has an 18-hole links course. Or just relax in the hotel and enjoy the Blisss [corr] spa’s treatments before feasting your eyes on the views outside or on the artwork indoors.

Room Service

There are 21 bedrooms - doubles, twins and suites - with beds from Inverness-based Highland BlindCraft Beds, an ethically run business employing and supporting visually impaired local people, part of the hotel’s commitment to using raw materials, traders and suppliers from the community in the refurbishment. Bespoke blankets from The Tartan Blanket Company bring a traditional touch to contemporary comfort in rooms that are decorated in the greens, blues and yellows of the surrounding landscape. Ensuites come with Arran Sense of Scotland toiletries and there are coffee machines and TVs.

For those who prefer self-catering there are two bedroomed Links Apartments and Links View Villas which are fully serviced and include the full services of the hotel, including breakfast, lunch, dinner and spa treatments.

The beach at Brora is just a stone's throw from the hotel. Pic: Contributed

Wining and Dining

Visitors can choose to eat in The Curing Yard Restaurant, the Megan Boyd Bar (named for the renowned fish fly tyer who lived nearby) and the James Braid Lounge (after the famous Open winner and course designer who was responsible for Brora’s own links course.

Expect oysters, seared medallion of loch trout, Highland lamb and sharing charcuterie boards and vegetarian and vegan options in The Curing Yard, light bites and sharing boards and cocktails named after Megan’s famous fishing flies in the Bar and Lounge.

Little Extras

Lochs, glens and mountains surround Brora, making it an ideal base to explore the Highlands. Pic: Contributed

The hotel is dog friendly, with a range of walking options from beaches to woodland to enjoy so your pet can come along too.

Guestbook Comments

A blend of Highlands hospitality and contemporary coastal chic gives the Royal Marine Hotel a flavour that is unmistakable Brora.

Prices start from £249 per room per night, inclusive of breakfast. The Royal Marine Hotel Brora has launched a ‘Summer Stays’ campaign for July to

celebrate the relaunch of the hotel. Stay three nights or more and get 20% off.

Royal Marine Hotel, Golf Road, Brora, Sutherland, KW9 6QS (01408 621 252 www.royalmarinebrora.com/www.highlandcoasthotels.com