The Highlands always hold a certain romantic charm — but so dramatic is the landscape of Rannoch in Perthshire that Hollywood has come calling.
A frequently used location for Sony’s Outlander television series about the Jacobites, and a longstanding favourite of movie industry scouts, the area has enough magnificent vistas to satisfy even the most insatiable of sightseers.
Needless to say, I was excited by the prospect of visiting. Visions of panoramic hilltop views and bracing fresh air came to my weary, city-hardened mind and, although there was a distinct lack of rugged clansmen to be seen crossing the moors, I wasn’t left disappointed.
Tucked against the eastern bank of Loch Rannoch, the village of Kinloch Rannoch plays host to Dunalastair Hotel Suites. After some recent renovations, this Victorian hotel now offers luxury accommodation for guests from all over the world. Welcoming everyone from mountaineering thrill-seekers looking to scale the surrounding Munros to couples in search of peace and quiet, it has become a hub for the local community and visitors alike.
“Remote” doesn’t quite cover the seclusion of Kinloch Rannoch. The mobile bank, library and fish and chip van only come once a week. The nearest railway — the aptly named Rannoch station — is 40 minutes by road and sees only about three trains a day from Glasgow.
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Being another famous location for the likes of the Harry Potter films and Trainspotting, the station itself has attracted quite a few visitors.
Most hole up in the little platform tea room there, digging into the glorious array of homemade cakes — a pastime I happily supported under the guise of sampling the local produce.
The three-tiered carrot cake alone was worth the 90-minute round trip, especially when supplemented with a pit stop at Edradour. The latter is one of Scotland’s smallest traditional whisky distilleries, where the fine single malt cut through the sugar nicely. Including an hour-long tour and two drams of whisky, it was great value at £7.50.
Fantasies of driving the kind of impressive routes you see in car adverts come to life on the journey to Rannoch. From Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee it takes about two hours and is quite spectacular once you get off the motorway. Open roads offer a great show of the verdant, dappled landscape and, once you reach Loch Tummel, you’ll be hugging its banks all the way to the village.
Surrounded by such soaring peaks, the obvious thing to do is to strap on your boots and go for a walk. A half-hour skip up Craig Varr, which happens to be just behind the hotel, will give you a great view of the loch cutting through the neighbouring Munros. It is ideal for skiing and sledging once the snow falls, for those courageous enough to give it a go.
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Hardy hikers might prefer the 10km walk up and down Schiehallion or the longer but flatter 20km amble around the loch, where sightings of red deer and buzzards are more common.
Get out on this route for an early morning jog, as I did, to enjoy having it all to yourself.
Those who would rather be on the lake than looking at it can also get involved with all manner of water sports from kayaking and paddle boarding to fishing — all of which can be booked for as little as £5.75 from Kinloch Rannoch Outdoor Centre.
So much adventuring makes for weary bones, and Dunalastair is a great place to rest. Though slightly corporate, the rooms are spacious and comfortable. There’s a sofa in each one, but the large, comfy bed is where you’ll want to relax after schlepping out in the cold.
A small kitchenette complete with fridge and microwave makes it easy to rustle up simple meals, which can be bought from the village convenience shop. The hotel restaurant, Edina’s Kitchen, is also worth a visit.
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Serving up breakfast, lunch and dinner, the menu is seasonal and uses local produce. Hearty dishes such as rib of beef and sea bass with curried potatoes will fill you up, but make sure you leave room for pudding — the fruit crumble was particularly good.
A full cooked breakfast will set you back £12.50 while a three-course dinner costs about £34 without drinks — fairly pricy but, then again, it’s the only restaurant for miles around.
If you’ve still got space, head to the adjoining lounge for a nightcap, where squashy sofas and low lighting offer more ambience than the dining room. Sadly, there’s no roaring fire, which seems a pity in the winter.
With its grey and white colour scheme and distinct lack of tartan, it’s hard to shake the feeling that Dunalastair is missing a trick when it comes to cosiness. But what the décor lacks in warmth, the staff certainly make up for, making a stay at this well-placed hotel worthwhile. You’ll be welcomed, well fed and tended to, which is really all you need after a long day out in the elements.
Kinloch Rannoch is the place to go when you need to recuperate. Eat, sleep and exercise until your heart is content, and enjoy the solitude of the place. Up there, the rat race doesn’t exist.
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For more information on Kinloch Rannoch visit kinlochrannoch.com. Dunalastair Hotel Suites start from £155 per night; dunalastairhotel.com