Scottish bed & breakfast placed in world’s top ten

SCOTLAND has two of the world’s top ten B&Bs according to travellers who voted in a new survey.The Old Manse in Invermoriston, voted best B&B in the world last year, was this year named as the second best, while One Alloway Retreat in Ayrshire took eighth place.

SCOTLAND has two of the world’s top ten B&Bs according to travellers who voted in a new survey.

The Old Manse in Invermoriston, voted best B&B in the world last year, was this year named as the second best, while One Alloway Retreat in Ayrshire took eighth place.

Three of Scotland’s hotels were also named in the UK’s top ten luxury hotels: Prestonfield in Edinburgh (placed fourth), Blythswood Square in Glasgow (ninth) and the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh (tenth).

The results are announced today by travel website TripAdvisor in the tenth annual Travellers’ Choice Hotel Awards.

TripAdvisor spokeswoman Emma Shaw said: “These awards celebrate the best hotels in Scotland and beyond according to travellers themselves.

“Scotland performed extraordinarily well this year, laying claim to three of the UK’s best luxury hotels and two of the world’s best B&Bs.”

The awards recognise the world’s best properties across several categories, including best hotels, best B&Bs and best luxury hotels and are based on millions of reviews and opinions from travellers.

The Old Manse B&B is run from a family home near the shores of Loch Ness, which is said to offer “traditional Victorian style with all the comforts and luxury of modern living”.

The two suites feature king-sized four-poster beds, antique Victorian furniture, modern en-suite bathrooms, a private lounge and complimentary fresh fruit, flowers and a daily newspaper.

It is set in several acres of mixed woodland and formal gardens that offer regular sightings of red squirrels, sikka and red deer, pine martens and tawny owls.

Julie Mitchell, who runs the business along with her husband Martin, said: “We’re thrilled to be named a Trip- Advisor 2012 Travellers’ Choice award-winning B&B.

“We believe our commitment to providing our guests with outstanding service and value has helped us to become one of the world’s best B&Bs according to TripAdvisor travellers for the second year running.”

Over 99 per cent of visitors to The Old Manse give it the highest possible rating of “excellent”.

One visitor said: “The breakfast was excellent and is served in a wonderful room that overlooks the back of the property and the surrounding mountains.

“We even had breakfast one morning in the company of deer passing through the property.

“However, the best part of the entire stay was the friendship that we developed with Julie and Martin who operate the B&B.”

Another added: “The rooms are excellent but Julie and Martin are the real stars. It is rare to find people so attentive yet simultaneously so relaxed and natural.”

Number one for bed-and-breakfast accommodation was The Twenty One in Brighton, which climbed from sixth place last year to first this year.

One Alloway Retreat, a ten-minute walk away from Alloway village and Burns Cottage, is said to combine “excellent service with innovative design in a laidback atmosphere”.

One guest, who stayed last week with her husband, said: “Absolutely brilliant accommodation and wonderful hosts. Spotless, jaw-dropping attention to detail in all aspects.”

The top UK hotel this year was Charterhouse Hotel in Torquay, with visitors speaking of its “warm and genuine hospitality”.

Not London hotels made it into the UK top 25 last year or the year before. This year, three managed it: The Milestone Hotel, Hotel 41 and Haymarket Hotel.

Prestonfield was the top Scottish hotel. As one TripAdvisor traveller said: “Prestonfield is decadent, sexy and totally luxurious, but without the stuffiness.”

Best B&Bs and hotels

The world’s top ten B&Bs

1 The Twenty One, Brighton, East Sussex

2 The Old Manse, Invermoriston, Scotland

3 Riverside Hotel, Cumbria

4 Casa Portagioia, Tuscany, Italy

5 Kenley Hotel, Blackpool

6 The Green House, Sacred Valley, Cusco, Peru

7 Byfield House, Painswick, Gloucestershire

8 One Alloway Retreat, Alloway, Ayrshire, Scotland

9 The Manor Coach House, Worcester

10 Bindon Bottom B&B, West Lulworth, Dorset

The UK’s top ten hotels

1 Charterhouse Hotel, Torquay, Devon

2 Hillside Hotel, Isle of Wight

3 Rudding Park Hotel, Harrogate, Yorkshire

4 Beechwood Hotel, North Walsham, Norfolk

5 Crimdon Dene Hotel, Torquay, Devon

6 Yeoldon House Hotel, Bideford, Devon

7 The Chambers Park Palace, Leeds

8 Shelley’s, Lynmouth, Devon

9 Number Four at Stow, Stow-on-the-Wold

10 Bath House Hotel, Chard, Somerset