Glenmorangie House

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

An historic whisky distillery in the Scottish Highlands brings new energy to its hospitality offering with the unveiling of a boutique hotel.

Words: Lauren Jade Hill • Photography: © Sim Canetty-Clarke

Over the past 175 years, Glenmorangie has made its name through distinct whisky blends that are produced using mineral-rich water from Tarlogie Spring, distilled in Scotland’s tallest copper stills and aged in the finest casks.

Located on the shores of the Dornoch Firth, the distillery established its hospitality arm in the 1980s, taking over Cadboll House, a 20-minute drive from the main operation and home to landscaped gardens and the ruins of a 13th century castle. Originally an invite-only venue for entertaining corporate clients, Glenmorangie House – a farmhouseturned-boutique-hotel overlooking Moray Firth – became accommodation for the distillery’s visitors in the 1990s. As such, it has long been the setting for convivial dinner parties and whisky drams by an open fire, and the recent redesign pays homage to this character, pairing its celebrated home-away-from-home ambience with an elevated whiskyinspired hospitality concept.

The maximalist interiors of Russell Sage Studio now represent the elements that go into whisky, as well as taking inspiration from particular whisky expressions, resulting in a reimagined guest experience that showcases the house, distillery and surroundings. “Our aim is to be a little more playful now,” explains Stuart Smith, Glenmorangie Brand Home Manager. “The market has changed so much for

Whisky-inspired gastronomy forms the backbone of Glenmorangie House’s culinary offering, while the distlilling process has also influenced the property’s decor

spirits, particularly whisky, so to stay relevant we have to connect with a wider audience. We want to give our guests an experience, show them what we’re about and help them understand our philosophy in terms of creating whisky, then pair that with our accommodation and gastronomy offer.”

Guests are greeted in the Morning Room rather than a formal reception area, and with only six guestrooms in the main house, the focus is on socialising. Notably, there are no TVs in the rooms, so everyone comes together for pre-dinner cocktails and a dinner partystyle evening ending with whiskies by the fire. “There’s a real energy to the place,” Smith continues. “We have such a diversity of people sharing stories, some of whom are into whisky and others who are travelling through. One of our greatest joys is when we get someone that hasn’t really drank whisky before to come and join us and by the end of the stay they’ve experimented, tried different blends and found something that they love. It’s satisfying knowing we’ve opened their eyes to a new world.”

For the interiors, Russell Sage took on the challenge of bringing Glenmorangie’s vision to life, pairing his signature style with rich elements associated with whisky production. “We looked into how the various Glenmorangie blends lend themselves to different sensations and how we could represent that in each of the guestroom concepts,” reveals Sage. “The most impactful elements are colour and use of light, but what makes it really interesting for me is the layers we’ve created in each space with curios hidden away for guests to find in cupboards and drawers.”

In the hotel’s public areas, the Morning Room now represents barley through golden decoration, while the Dining Room, home to a 22-seat banqueting table, represents the molten heat of Glenmorangie’s copper stills with its blackened sideboard and orange-red colour scheme. The Tasting Room nods to whisky’s use of water through blue hues and glass décor, and the cosy Buffalo Room reflects the time whisky spends ageing in wooden casks.

“The spirit of the building remains the same but it’s a new way to tell the story,” says Sage. “One of my favourite spaces is the Morning Room. It was a real pleasure to turn the entire room gold and give people that sensation of being in a field on a summer’s day.”

Upstairs, the six bedrooms – Home, Reserve, Autumn, Nectar, Sunset and Wild Wood – pay tribute to particular Glenmorangie blends. The Reserve room draws inspiration from the distillery’s 19-year-old reserve for a desert island concept integrating pineapple lamp bases, a letter in a bottle and the jungle prints of Henri Rousseau. Paying tribute to Glenmorangie’s Nectar d’Or tipple, the Nectar room channels the scents of a French patisserie.

Set back from the main house is the Cask Cottage, an homage to the distillery’s innovation with casks around the world. The Malting Cottage pays tribute to the malting process and the Marriage Cottage celebrates Glenmorangie’s Director of Whisky Creation, Dr Bill Lumsden, and his approach to blending.

Whisky-inspired gastronomy is a key part of the overall experience, with Head Chef John Wilson leading guests on shoreline and field foraging excursions, hosting whisky and cheese pairing sessions and demonstrating how different blends can be used in ceviche. Predinner mixology sessions pair the distillery’s whiskies with complementary ingredients like honey from the resident bees.

Hearty breakfasts, including the Cadboll breakfast with local meats and tattie scone, are served around the Tasting Room’s communal table, and each four-course dinner served in the Dining Room is a reflection of the locale. Expect dishes ranging from roast beef with a whisky jus to a barley-infused dessert.

“Scotland is graced with fantastic produce from Aberdeen Angus beef to Highland fine cheeses,” Smith enthuses. “Sometimes our chef takes inspiration from these products, other times he pairs a dish directly with the whisky, or uses whisky in the cooking process. Each night, the chef has free range to create a menu using the season’s products.”

Smith concludes: “To encapsulate it all, we’re looking to give people an experience that’s a little different; the idea of doing things differently has always been a part of the Glenmorangie mantra.” IN A BITE Owner / Operator: The Glenmorangie Company Interior Design: Russell Sage Studios Menu Design: Zero Studios Head Chef: John Wilson House Manager: David Guthrie www.theglenmorangiehouse.com