Dornoch Castle Hotel

Dornoch Castle Hotel occupies a 15th-century castle in the middle of the small coastal town of Dornoch, directly opposite the 12th-century Dornoch Cathedral. It is a hotel with 21 rooms, and only part of it is the castle: nine rooms are located within the old building, while the others are in a modern extension. If sleeping behind castle walls is the point of your trip, ask for one of the castle rooms when you book.

The castle rooms

The nine castle rooms are described as unique, with a variety of views that include the colourful garden and Dornoch Cathedral. Selected rooms across the hotel are pet-friendly, so dogs can come along too.

Whisky and food

The hotel is known for its whisky. Its bar is award-winning and holds a wide selection of rare and unusual bottles, and it has been rated the number one whisky hotel on whiskybase.com. Next door, Dornoch Distillery is one of the smallest whisky distilleries in Scotland, producing roughly 12,000 litres of alcohol a year; because of its size, tours are not offered.

The Garden Restaurant looks out over the formal walled gardens and serves local produce. For something more intimate, the Vault offers private dining with wine and whisky pairing. There is also a guest lounge, and takeaway pizza is available until late evening.

The area

Dornoch is a compact, historic town, and the hotel is at its heart on Castle Street. It also sits along the North Coast 500, the 500-mile scenic route that loops around the north coast of the Scottish Highlands from Inverness, which makes it a natural overnight stop on a road trip.