Prestonfield, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Driving up the private road to Prestonfield, I soon realize that this is a place full of surprises. Only a short ride from the heart of Edinburgh, this boutique hotel manages to feel like a secluded country home. The 17th-century manor is set on its own parkland at the base of Arthur’s Seat , where Highland cattle and peacocks freely roam the grounds that extend onto a putting green.

The facilities

Setting foot inside Prestonfield only welcomes more surprises. My bags are quickly whisked away by attentive, kilt-clad staff who anticipate your every move. The dark, opulent decor is a stark contrast to the white facade and bucolic exterior. Heavy crushed velvet curtains in rich violet and crimson line the halls, rendering this boutique hotel more gothic than pastoral. The seductive atmosphere is at its best during the evening, when the lights are dimmed and candles line the corridors.

Prestonfield is the ideal hideaway for shut-ins, but it’s worth it to venture to Rhubarb to sample the Scottish fare. The award-winning restaurant is now run by John McMahon, famed for catering Madonna’s wedding. Although there is no bar, they offer 24-hour bar service and several sitting rooms to enjoy a fine malt. I recommend the Whisky Room, with antler chairs and oil paintings that date back to the original house. For privacy, head upstairs to a secluded two-person sitting room often used for proposals and intimate tete-a-tetes. It’s spaces like these that make it a pleasure to discover the many surprises of Prestonfield and make it easy to soon feel at home.

The rooms

Sumptuous fabrics are carried into Prestonfield’s 33 guestrooms, with velvet bedspreads, over-sized pillows, and tassels galore. Be sure to request a room with a newly refurbished bathroom - the deep roll-top baths are the perfect way to enjoy a complimentary bottle of champagne (and the heated towel racks are a wonderful touch). The shower rooms in Room 1 and 3 were created for disabled use, with two overhead rain showers and jets on all sides.

I was lucky enough to catch a quick glance at Prestonfield’s newly renovated Owner’s Suite situated on the top floor where the original bedrooms were once housed. This two-room suite is a museum of sorts with antiques and objets d’art from James Thomson’s private collection. The rustic rooms are more in keeping with the interiors at the Witchery, Thomson’s other boutique hotel in Edinburgh. All the mod cons are still there, with flatscreen TVs and other high-tech gadgets discreetly hidden behind wood panelling.