Monachyle Mhor

Rooms

The 16 rooms inside the old stone farmhouse and its outbuildings have been gradually decorated over the years, making for an eclectic mix of styles, from unfussy classic to spoil-yourself-rotten luxurious. House Rooms tend to be more traditional and smaller, but have the best views over the loch. Courtyard Rooms are conversions of the horseshoe of outbuildings, and tend to be larger and lighter, with a distinct designer feel; the stupendous bathrooms are as good as they get.

Melanie, whose modern artworks you’ll see throughout the hotel, and Comrie-based interior designer Fiona Denholm have come up with some contemporary design ideas that make for plenty of pleasant surprises. Don't be surprised to find deer antlers and cobbler’s lasts in your bathroom, and windows between bedrooms and bathrooms. Ample use is made of natural materials, like wood, slate and linens, and designer furnishings sit alongside locally-foraged antiques. Everywhere you notice the attention to detail, from homemade biscuits, fresh milk and filter coffee, to L’Occitane toiletries. You even get a choice between feather or synthetic pillows. If you’re after unashamed luxury, go for one of the Feature Rooms: 2 have their own personal steam rooms - ideal for unwinding after a yomp on the fells - as well as a TV/DVD for rainier days, which you can watch from the sofa in front of your own wood-burning stove.

The only drawbacks are that some double beds are single mattresses zipped together; and we have heard that bedrooms can be chilly on arrival (though ours was toasty).

Features include:

• WiFi

Eating

The award-winning cuisine is one of the main reasons for coming. Tom's meals are stylishly presented and have heaps of flavour. His secret is the quality of his produce: as a farmer as well as a chef, Tom is unstinting in his search for the very best ingredients. Where possible, meat comes from the farm, and in the case of venison and pigeon, is locally shot. (What cannot be used in the restaurant goes into the pies sold at the Lewis’ Mhor Bread bakery in Callander). Fresh, sustainable fish comes from Scrabster every day. Vegetables, some grown on the hotel’s own veg plot, are whatever is in season.

For breakfast, enjoy a hearty cooked breakfast of Scottish smoked haddock, kippers or Cumberland sausages, with eggs from the farm. Lighter options are available for those who can’t manage the works at this time of day.

Lunch and dinner offer the best of what’s in the garden or the market. You’d be daft not to try the Orkney scallops (hand-dived of course) and oysters, and the farm’s lamb, pork and beef are superb. Unlike many other top-notch restaurants Tom takes vegetarians seriously and the veggie options easily rival the main menu. There’s a serious wine list too, carefully researched by Melanie who travels worldwide in search of the best suppliers. Water is from the hotel’s own spring. Choose to sit in the stylish light conservatory (great in summer for enjoying views of the loch while you dine) or the cosy panelled inner sanctum, ideal on cold winter evenings. Both are hung with Melanie’s paintings and family photographs.

If you fancy eating out, there are plenty of good options in Callander, 17 miles southeast. Top choice would be Mhor Fish, the Lewis’ upscale chippy, where you can select your fish from the fish counter and get it cooked in the manner of your choice. Alternatives include Callander Meadows or The Barley Bree in Muthill.

Features include:

• Restaurant

Activities

• Walking, whether it’s a stroll to the end of the glen (Monachyle means the ‘narrowing of the wetlands’), or a shin up the nearest peak, Stob Binnein (1165m). Monachyle lies in part of the Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park, an area with a variety of wildlife and a fragile environment. Ask the Lewis family for hiking ideas - and order a packed lunch from reception the evening before
  
  
• For more information on walks, cycle routes and birds/wildlife in the park, visit the David Marshall Lodge Visitor Centre, half a mile north of Aberfoyle on the A821. Several waymarked trails start from the Visitor Centre
  
  
• Mushroom foraging. In season, the hotel can provide you with your own forager (for a fee)
  
  
• Fishing: well, this is Scotland. The hotel will arrange a day’s fishing with boat, ghillie, permit and equipment. Expect to catch trout, Arctic char, or salmon. Deer stalking can also be arranged
  
  
• Visiting Rob Roy’s grave in Balquhidder, an evocative spot. Rob Roy MacGregor, made famous in the 19th century by Sir Walter Scott’s historical novel, was the wild leader of one of Scotland’s wildest clans in the 18th century. His grave has the words ‘Despite them’ defiantly etched on its headstone - a reference to the rival MacLaren clan
  
  
• Watersports, like water skiing, kayaking and windsurfing, can be enjoyed up the road at Lochearnhead
  
  
• There are heaps of great golf courses nearby - 52 of them within a 30 mile radius to be precise. The nearest course is in Callander, 17 miles away
  
  
• Bicycle hire can be arranged by the hotel - a great way to explore the Trossachs
  
  
• Shopping. Callander has plenty to offer if you enjoy buying outdoor clothing, drinking coffee, or just wandering. Pop to nearby Aberfoyle for one of the best butchers in the UK
  
  
• Beauty treatments, massages, facials are available in your room - just book in advance
  
  

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cooking classes
• Cycling
• Fishing
• Golf
• Hiking
• Horse riding
• Sailing
• Wildlife

Kids

Couples with babies, or with well behaved older children, are welcome in the hotel, including in the restaurant; in-betweens might not feel so comfortable here - the cabins might be better.

Best for:

Babies (0-1 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

The Cabin In The Trees is very family-friendly, with a double bedroom and a separate bunk room, plus a proper walk-in shower: perfect for an adventurous family wanting an off-grid escape.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available, Family Rooms

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Monachyle Mhor is situated on the banks of Loch Voil, in the Trossachs National Park in the Scottish Highlands.

By Air
Those visiting from afar should fly Glasgow or Edinburgh (80km). From Glasgow, you can take the seaplane straight to Loch Voil, in front of the hotel. The hotel can arrange; or contact Loch Lomond Seaplanes. It's also possible to drive from both airports (about 90 minutes). For a list of airlines serving these airports, click the links at the bottom of the page.

From the Airport
Taxis can be arranged by the hotel, or you may prefer to hire a car (see below).

By Car
The hotel is off the M9 towards Stirling, leaving at Junction 10 along the A84 to Callander. After Strathyre, it's about 9 km (4 miles) along a road hugging Loch Voil. There's a power outlet if you need to charge your car (bring your cables). See our car rental recommendations.

By Train:
You can take a train to Stirling, see Seat 61 for more details. From there a regular bus service runs from Stirling to Callander. From Callander, you'll need to take another bus, through Strathyre. Just before Lochearnhead you can be dropped off on the main road where the turn off to Monachyle is. But you'll need to do the last four miles by taxi, which the hotel can arrange.

Detailed directions will be sent when you book through i-escape.com

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