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The Fife Arms

The Fife Arms

Sunday Times Hotel of the Year 2019, the Fife Arms is a Victorian Coaching Inn that has been imaginatively restored in a resolutely Victorian style with a unique charm and is located in the historic Scottish village of Braemar amidst the majestic landscape of the Cairngorms National Park. As a fascinating passion project from international art dealers Hauser & Wirth, there are over 12,000 pieces of artworks and antiques here, and interior designer Russell Sage, working in collaboration with local historians, ensured that every square centimetre of the hotel evokes the traditions and customs of the Scottish Highlands.

Rooms : 46 Bedrooms and Suites   Type : Couples, Active Outdoors, Art, Royal

OVERVIEW

Each room has its own decor, and highlights a piece of the hotel’s history and art curated over 3 years: A quaint fireplace, a pub that’s been the local living room for as long as the locals can remember, an armoury, a watercolour created by Queen Victoria herself or the woody scent that drifts along the corridors and recalls the area’s plants and flowers… It’s a place where time seems to stand still, and adding to this surreal scene is the hotel’s spa, and restaurants , which are highlights in their own right.

There is The Clunie Dining Room where the art of wood-fire cooking comes to life, and The Drawing Room, with walls covered in Scottish art and antiques, while elsewhere, Elsa’s Bar brings a little Art Deco glamour to the mix, inspired by the signature style of fashion icon Elsa Schiaparelli who frequently visited.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • The Flying Stag, Braemar’s long-standing pub, and the beating heart of the village where, every night, regulars rubbing shoulders with visitors creates a magical atmosphere.
  • The local craftsmanship you can admire around every corner.
  • Art Collectors Paradise. There is an original Picasso and a Lucian Freud on the walls, and a watercolour by Queen Victoria herself.

ACCOMMODATION

Discovery Family Suites

  • 4 Persons
  • 54m² / 600ft²

Our Discovery Family Suites combine two rooms (Nature & Poetry and Scottish Culture) each with ensuite bathrooms. These individual rooms celebrate pioneering figures in Scottish history.

Scottish Heritage Family Suites

  • 4 Persons
  • 66m² / 711ft²

The Scottish Heritage suites offer the combination of two Scottish Culture rooms. Both rooms are ensuite with a separate shower and bath.

Majestic Family Suite

  • 8 Persons
  • 93m² / 1002ft²

The Majestic Family Suite offers a combination of a Royal and Victoriana suite. With their rich colours and furnishings, two living areas and elegant bathrooms with freestanding baths, this is our most luxurious family option.

Artist's Studio

  • 29m² / 312ft²

Inspired by The Bloomsbury Group and the interiors they created at Charleston House, the room features hand-painted walls in the bedroom and bathroom. With a cabin bed, the studio provides an artistic escape with stunning views over the Cairngorms National Park.

Croft Rooms

  • 19m² / 205ft²

Inspired by a traditional Scottish croft house, our cosiest rooms feature a charming, traditional cabin bed that’s spacious for one or snug for two. Each bed has been hand-painted by artists with some featuring scenes of the surrounding Scottish landscape.

Nature & Poetry

  • 24m² / 275ft²

Our Nature and Poetry Rooms feature artwork and objects made from natural materials such as heather, horn and tweed. The rooms feature beautiful wooden headboards with words by Scottish poet, Alec Finlay, carved into them. Interconnecting rooms are available.

Scottish Culture Rooms

  • 30m² / 323ft²

From literature & astronomy to engineering & exploration, Scotland has produced leading figures in fields such as science and the arts. These names & stories have inspired the Scottish Culture Rooms which are situated throughout the hotel. Interconnecting rooms are available. Disabled Access.

Victoriana Suites

  • 36m² / 388ft²

The Victoriana Suites reflect the hotel’s history as a 19th century coaching inn. Richly decorated with antique furnishings, period wallpaper and original artwork, the suites offer stunning views over Braemar. For families a sofa bed & interconnecting rooms are available.

Royal Suites

  • 57m² / 614ft²

Inspired by some of Braemar’s most noble visitors, our Royal Suites are richly furnished with antiques, artworks and even objects that once belonged to these historic figures. For families a sofa bed and interconnecting rooms are available.

DINING

The Flying Stag

The Flying Stag was created by the renowned artist, James Prosek, who is known for his paintings of unique, hybrid animals. ALL menus are focused on local, seasonal produce and are updated daily.

It was said that if you were looking for someone in Braemar, the first place you should look was the public bar at The Fife Arms. Newly christened The Flying Stag, the public bar continues to be the social centre of the village. With regulars rubbing shoulders with visitors, the bar has a vibrant atmosphere with animated conversation and live entertainment. The bar offers local beers, Scottish whiskies and spirits accompanied by a menu of bar snacks and hearty Scottish dishes.

The Clunie Dining Room

With menus created by Executive Chef Tim Kensett, The Clunie Dining Room showcases the art of wood-fire cooking.

The Drawing Room

The Drawing Room brings together art and history. The walls are covered in The Fife Arms tartan, which was designed specially for the hotel and the room is richly furnished with Scottish art and antiques. The room is a place to relax and unwind over coffee, afternoon tea or a drink at cocktail hour.

Elsa’s Bar

An exquisite jewel box of a bar, Elsa’s brings Art Deco glamour to the Highlands. Inspired by fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli’s signature style, love of shocking pink and “bon mots”, this bijou bar offers champagne and hand-crafted cocktails that are beautifully presented. The perfect spot for a pre-prandial aperitif or a late-night digestif, the bar showcases Scottish spirits and elixirs.

ART

The Fife Arms contains over 16,000 antiques, artworks and curios including several site-specific works by world-renowned contemporary artists. We offer special art tours for our guests, which allow you to experience the world class art which can be found throughout the hotel, from Pablo Picasso, Lucian Freud, Gerhard Richter and Bruegel to site specific commissions from contemporary art stars and water colours by Queen Victoria and Prince Charles. To find our more about the Fife Arms art collection, click HERE.

ACTIVITIES

Nature

Surrounding the hotel & the village of Braemar is the extraordinary Cairngorms National Park. Visitors can walk out of the hotel & within 5 minutes be on walking trail which will lead you through historic forests of heather and Scot’s Pine before you emerge at the top to experience a panoramic view of the village & Deeside valley.

Walking

There are 40 Munros accessible from Braemar, from Ben MacDui to Beinn Bhareac, offering a wealth of hill walking. The network of local paths & tracks are suitable for all abilities & also offer the perfect opportunity to experience the wonderful native flora and fauna, red squirrels, ptarmigan, osprey and red deer.

Foraging & Private Walks

The Fife Arms has an in-house forager Natasha Lloyd, who is passionate about sharing her expert knowledge of the local plants and vegetation. Both adults and children will love these guided walks.

Fishing

The River Dee is one of the most famous salmon rivers in the world and it runs just past the hotel. The Salmon season starts early February and runs until the end of September. Sea trout is available during the summer months but Rainbow trout is available all year. The hotel has its own rod room for guests to store their equipment.

Map Masters

Learn the art of navigation with a practical, hands on course that teaches the basics of map reading including using features, contours and grid references. You will discover how to plan your journey through the Cairngorms National Park and use a compass to take and follow a route which will direct you to hidden treasure.

Murmuring Forest

Uncover the mysteries of the forest and meet some of its wild inhabitants with a private guide. You will learn secret stories about some of Scotland’s most native trees, as well as their past & present uses. We’ll explore the sounds of the forest & the lives of the animals that live in it.

Time Travel

Go back in time to see how people of the past lived and worked in the remote glens surrounding the hotel. With a private guide, you’ll explore the ruins of a remote village and learn about the lives of its inhabitants.  To finish off the trip, you’ll also make an ancient form of light, similar to one these inhabitants would have used.

Whiskey

Braemar has plenty of local attractions to keep you busy during your stay. The local whisky distillery is ‘Royal Lochnagar’ at Crathie by Balmoral Castle. Further afield you will find Speyside and Highland distilleries, both boutique and established.

The Braemar Gathering

The Braemar Gathering takes place annually on the first weekend in September and welcomes thousands of visitors. It’s the only Highland Games with a Royal Patron, HM Queen Elizabeth II, who attends every year to see the best of the best toss the caber, battle it out in tug o’ war or perform the traditional Highland fling.

Winter Sports

For novice or beginners, Glenshee is 3,504 ft of mountain winter adventure that beckons skiers and snowboarders alike.

FAMILY

Our Family Room is a treasure trove of fun for children of all ages.

With board games, books and table football plus a play kitchen, DVD player and Xbox with an array of different games, this is the perfect hangout for your little ones.

Don’t miss the red squirrels hidden throughout the room, all knitted by the ‘Deeside Knitwits’.

Treasure hunt around the hotel. Each young guest will receive a set of instructions which ask them to find certain treasures located throughout the hotel. Once completed the hotel will share a prize with each successful treasure hunter!

LOCATION

HOLIDAY IDEAS / SAMPLE ITINERARIES

  • "A true joy to stay here, an art collectors paradise oosing with comfort and enormous imagination"

    Holly Tobin

GET IN TOUCH
 

ACCOMMODATION COLLECTION

Glenapp Castle

Sunday Times “Best Places to Stay Hotel” 2020

As you sweep up the long tree clad drive you will glimpse the beautiful façade of Glenapp Castle; encapsulating the romance of the Scottish Baronial style with magical towers, turrets, and crenellations. Oak panelled halls lead to the heart of the castle offering stunning views out to sea and the famous volcanic outcrop of Ailsa Craig. Beyond that you can see the Isle of Arran, Holy Island, and, on a clear day, the hills of Northern Ireland. Also available for exclusive use.

Rooms : 17 individually designed rooms with stunning views

Type : Couples, Families, Outdoor Actives, Golfers

Ballyfin

Built in the 1820’s, Ballyfin has long been admired as the most lavish Regency mansion in Ireland. Here classical grandeur meets with a landscape of rolling hills, follies  and ancient grottoes in the magnificent property, set at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains. Ballyfin has been designed as a home-away-from-home making the experience entirely intimate. Enjoy estate-grown food prepared by award-winning chefs, take part in wine & whiskey tastings in the cellar, enjoy treatments in the spa, swim, or simply spend an afternoon in the large library, finishing with a fireside cocktail in the Ballyfin Bar.

Rooms : 20 Luxury Bedrooms and Suites  Type: Couples, Active, Historic

Corinthia London

Rooms: 225 rooms, 51 suite, 7 penthouses          Type: Couples, family, city break, wellness

View entire accommodation collection

Braemar

  • "Incredible service ! The BEST tour guides, tour options and always available to help smooth over any "snafus" that we ran across during our vacation. 5-star, A+ rating from us."

    Clients of Jessica Thompson, Fairway Travel, Virtuoso

  • "....their time in the U.K. was PERFECT – loved everything you guys did for them, and sang praises for everyone! Thank you!! "

    Connie Hanes, Herff Travel

  • "Everyone, from the Tour Guides to our excellent driver, were amazing. All aspects of the trip were beyond expectations. Even changing our day schedule for outside reasons (like the airline sending my bag to a city 120miles away) they were always happy to help and move the schedule around so we could keep enjoying our trip. Everyone made us feel at home and like family."

    Client of Leah Molinari, Molinari Travel, Gifted Travel Network

  • "Dream Escape was the trip of a lifetime. Excellent choice of hotels, tour guide was awesome, the planned tours were wonderful and very informative."

    Client of Trisha Rathke, VIP Travel Designs, Gifted Travel Network

  • "Dreamscape designed an itinerary that combined an exploration of Scottish history and culture and a visit to some of the filming locations for the hit TV show Outlander. The tour guides provided were personable and knowledgeable and responsive to our interests. Our driver who was with us for the entire trip was professional and pleasant and again, flexible and sensitive to our interests. The hotels were magnificent and the pacing of the trip, spending at least two nights in each hotel was perfect. The itinerary was everything we wanted!"

    Client of Susan Morley, Journeys around the World, Cadence

  • "Sally Strange was wonderful so knowledgable, friendly and fun. 100% would use her services again. We feel like we have a friend for life! We LOVED our tours, where we ate lunch, and spending the days with Sally......Thanks (once again!) for looking after our clients so well. We so appreciate you. "

    Lauren Ainsley, Black Tomato

  • "Rosie...thank you for giving us such a world-class experience in Scotland. Everyone had such a wonderful time and your presence was a large part of that. Your warmth and generosity in taking care of us on our little excursion is so beyond appreciated and I can’t wait to work with you again soon."

    Alex Martinetti

  • "Thank you so very much for the amazing trip to Scotland that you planned for us!! It was truly a once in a lifetime fabulous family trip!! Not only were the accommodations perfect, the activities were above expectations, given the people involved with so much knowledge and compassion for what they do....Many, many heartfelt thanks for making this trip so very special for our family. "

    Clients of Kristen Meckem, Kristen Meckem Travel, An Affiliate of Brownell

  • "I work regularly with Michael Davies, who I can not praise enough! Michael is a gem to work with and always delivers extraordinary client itineraries. "

    Jennifer McCrea, Boutique Travel Advisors

  • "We cannot thank you enough for all you did for us during our stay in Scotland! We loved every minute of it....and we loved you teaching us the history of each town and visit. "

    The Pogue Family - Clients of Amy Spence, Strong Travel

  • "We are so grateful for professionalism, expertise, and purely fun personality to entertain and educate our clients in all things royal! I do believe it was a smashing success. 😊"

    Pat Bowden, Red Letter Travel, an independent affiliate of Brownell

  • "Michael does such an outstanding job with making sure every itinerary he works on with me is well thought out. He is attentive to detail and always allows for the clients interest to be reflected in their tours. He makes sure that the perfect tour operator and chauffeur is paired with each client. I wanted you to know what a pleasure it is working with Michael and knowing my clients will always be well cared for when traveling with Dream Escape! "

    Jennifer McCrea, Boutique Travel Advisors

  • "Without a doubt, what made all of it so special and unforgettable was having the true pleasure of having Sally Strange as our guide. She was truly incredible..so full of life, energy, amazing historical knowledge anywhere we visited was extraordinary. Her sense of humor and fun personality made her extra special. Sally was a winner in every way."

    Clients of Betsy Talbot, Travel by Talbot (Brownell)

  • "Your team excelled on all levels! The execution of the itinerary was flawless!!! Well done. The clients LOVED Sally and this was just the second note from them about how exceptional she was. "

    Cathy Major, Cerulean World Travel

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    Krista Boyles, Unique Romance Travel

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    Marieta Carrrero, Boost Journeys

  • "I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone at Dream Escape who helped in making the Gialamas' visit to London special. I know Dream Escape has many people behind the scenes that work on making an itinerary such as this flow seamlessly and I just wanted to say thank you for all of your hard work! "

    Jennifer McCrea, Boutique Travel Advisors

  • "Activities & Tours - All the events and guides were outstanding.- Guides - Simply the best. All of them. All outstanding! "

    Black Tomato Clients

  • "Thank you for everything you did to make the entire trip, special presentations and events so special. It has added a sparkle in my life!"

    Gretchen Ashworth Stewart, Client

  • "Dream Escape, to no one’s surprise, is the best in the business. I cannot begin to thank you for crafting a perfect vacation for these clients. They had nothing but fabulous things to say about each and every event."

    Nancy Ebel, Virtuoso Travel Advisor

  • "Couldn’t have asked for a better 1st trip to London!......The sites we saw were the best & Sally, you went above & beyond to make it memorable"

    Shannon Marie Long - Reed and Mackay

  • "Delightful to spend time and see the incredible city of London with you all. Dream Escape for a flawless job in seeing the best bespoke sites, Sally you are amazing. Thank you again as this was amazing"

    Josh Whitaker - Owner, Rudi Steele Travel

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    Rob Arrow, Al Tayyar Group

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    William A Heim, Client

  • "I had the most wonderful time with you and learned so much...What you offer is rare and much needed in the truly exclusive travel world. "

    Jean Newman-Glock, Signature Travel Network

  • "You were the heart and soul of the trip….I truly admired your sunny personality, sense of humor, organization and professionalism.  You also demonstrated  that a guide’s work is never done as you were constantly researching….. Did you ever rest??? "

    Sharon Delano, Frosch

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    Thomas Cohen, Client

  • "THANK YOU a zillion times over for choosing/assigning Rosie to be with this family.  She MADE the trip for them – there’s no other way to put it! "

    Jill Jergel, Frontiers International Travel

  • "Our holiday in Scotland now tops their lists of best trips…… To their growing list of amazing and memorable first-time experiences, our sons may add fishing for trout and salmon on the River Tay; steering a motor boat on Loch Ness; and taking private guided tours on Culloden Moor Of the eight full days we were in Scotland, Alex and Mattie thought each and every day was the best"

    Michael Guadarrama & Trammi Nguyen, clients of Peter Carideo. CRC Travel

  • "All six of us were deeply moved by the whole experience. Bravo Dream Escape "

    Max Levy, Direct client

  • "Thank you Karen and all of the staff and guides affiliated with Dream Escape…..the Flemings are having an awesome tour of Scotland. You all have made me look like a star! "

    Joni Gerace, The Travel Society, LLC

  • "Thanks for all your help and we can chalk this one up as a big success!   Our anniversary celebration was all we could have hoped for "

    Clients of Courtney Regan, Affiliate of Brownell Travel

  • "Rosie was MORE than outstanding – she went out of her way to help us in every regard...She was so knowledgeable – we all loved her"

    Jill A. Jergel, Frontiers International Travel

  • "I cannot thank you, Nicola and all the Dream Escape “clan” for the wonderful care & attention you have provided, and are providing for my clients"

    Cindy Evans, Travel Consultant

  • "I hope I have another opportunity to work with Dream Escape in the near future. The company is so professional, yet approachable and easy to work with. It has been a pleasure!"

    Carole McFarland, Universal Travel

  • "Dream Escape is delivering in a superb manner. Jim Johnston is a great driver and one of the best guides we've had - I wish to very much thank the Dream Escape Team for fulfilling a Dream…"

    Donald M. Davis, President, Luxury Travel, Inc.

  • "Thank you all so much it's great to have trusted friends on the ground to take care of our clients!"

    Peter Carideo, CRC Travel

  • "The trip was great.... Dream Escape is the name of the game"

    Ann Lipschitz, Worldview Travel

  • "Your level of service is just outstanding"

    Debra Fini, VWTI

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    Financial Times, How to Spend it

  • "It was, without doubt, one of the most spectacular weekends I have ever had"

    Country Life

  • "David Tobin’s an ace at getting inside private castles and estates and he’s well connected.... "

    Conde Nast Traveller Magazine

  • "The level of service they provide is outstanding. They truly care about every aspect of the trip to ensure you have a fantastic stay. Rosie is a hidden gem of a tour guide. Just fabulous."

    Yvonne Malka, Signature Travel Network, April 2018

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