ISLAND DREAMING

YSW on tour | Over the sea to Skye

Katie Bletcher travels to “the misty isle” to discover the delights of Duisdale House Hotel and the grandeur of Skeabost House Hotel

First stop,

Duisdale House Hotel…

Driving down Skye’s Sleat Penninsula I’m getting excited. I’m on my way to Duisdale House Hotel; one of the Sonas Hotel Collection’s three properties, and a former Victorian mansion which dates back to 1865. And turning into the driveway, it’s clear that the house has lost none of its charm. Colourful flowerpots adorn the entrance and we’re given the friendliest welcome before being shown to our home for the night. We’re staying in the hotel’s delightful cottage which overlooks the landscaped gardens, and this is where many of the couples marrying here stay. Stepping inside, it’s easy to see why.

The cottage’s main space combines the master bedroom and sitting area, with huge windows taking full advantage of the view of the garden and stunning Sound of Sleat beyond. The big windows also make this a MUA’s heaven, with plenty of natural light to ease your bridal prep, and all the space you could wish for getting ready. Besides this space, there’s a further double bedroom, wet room, and separate bathroom with a seriously stylish bath. But before I get to try it out, we make the two-minute walk across the road down to the pebbly beach, overlooking the mainland. If you’re looking for a picturesque seaside ceremony location, you won’t be disappointed. I can just see couples exchanging vows on the shoreline. But if you don’t fancy negotiating the stones, Duisdale’s front garden boasts the same view, or you could say ‘I do’ on the terrace. You really are spoilt for choice.

The living room in Duisdale’s master suite Local fare

Back inside we’re treated to dinner in the charming conservatory which again takes in that sea view. Dinner is a friendly affair, with staff chatting away to guests, and the food is simply superb. I try the tender venison with meaty oyster mushrooms and a side of potatoes cooked in seaweed and herb butter before sampling a refreshing strawberry and honeycomb dessert, served with a sublime pine sorbet. Intimate do or exclusive affair

Part of the beauty of Duisdale is its size. The boutique hotel lends itself perfectly to either hosting an intimate wedding for just you two or a select few guests, or taking on the entire hotel on an exclusive-use basis. The public spaces are richly furnished and I’m told owner Anne Gracie Gunn is largely responsible for the enviable interior design throughout the venues. The elegant lounge is the ideal indoor setting for couples to marry, exchanging vows in the bay window overlooking the Sound of Sleat. The light and airy conservatory is perfect for smaller wedding breakfasts while the adjoining dining room can comfortably seat 36 guests. (You can combine the two and accommodate larger numbers). Then the terrace or the bar are great options for your drinks reception.

A deluxe room at Duisdale

House party

Once the celebrations are finished your guests won’t have far to climb into bed in one of the hotel’s beautifully appointed bedrooms. They can choose from a standard or deluxe room, the cottage, one of the new lodges or the brand-new master suite - a really special space, complete with its own private conservatory, sitting room, feature bath

Until this trip I had never been to Skye, yet writing about Scottish weddings over the years I felt I had built up a certain awareness of the island. With its rugged Cuillin Hills, famed Fairy Pools and imposing Old Man of Storr, it’s a wedding photographer’s dream and I’ve seen countless achingly romantic shots of couples traipsing round the landscape in a state of just-married bliss. What I was less familiar with though were the venues where these couples can actually marry on the island. So when The Sonas Hotel Collection invited me to visit two of their Skye hotels I jumped at the chance and discovered just how beautiful a wedding here can be.

and rainfall shower. The perfect retreat for your first night as newlyweds.

skyehotel.co.uk/duisdale

On to

Skeabost House Hotel...

After a relaxing night in our cottage we head north, through Skye’s main town of Portree. I’ve got my kids in tow, so we pass the famed Old Man of Storr in search of dinosaur footprints at Staffin Bay before journeying on to our second venue, Skeabost House Hotel. While Duisdale was the embodiment of a stylish boutique hotel, Skeabost possesses an impressive whitewashed façade - complete with its own tower - and commands an enviable position on the shores of Loch Snizort. The largest of the three Sonas venues, Skeabost lends itself to exclusive-use weddings, with couples using the hotel’s spaces as they wish. It’s clear that Anne and her daughter Jennifer, who run Sonas, have lavished a lot of love and attention on Skeabost in the seven years it’s been in their possession, with Anne’s impeccable taste evident everywhere you look. We’re staying in the family suite and it’s a haven of peace and calm. Furnished in peaceful blues and greys with accents of rich green velvet it would be ideal for getting ready yourself or for accommodating guests with wee ones. And that’s part of Skeabost’s appeal. The hotel is grand enough to host elegant large weddings while possessing an array of bedrooms and suites to suit your guests, whether they’re attending alone, with family or even their fourlegged friends! The recently-refurbished Gate Lodge is just the latest addition. The grand tour Sitting on the edge of the loch, Skeabost’s grounds include a pier which juts out into the water and is a favourite ceremony spot for many couples. But if you fancy a bit more shelter from the elements, the hotel’s deck is another appealing outdoor option. Indoor ceremonies can be conducted in the conservatory, which has space for up to 64 guests in the main area alone and enjoys views over the loch, or in the lounge, which effortlessly blends the grandeur of a Scottish stately home with more contemporary features. Wedding breakfasts are served in the

The lounge at Skeabost

wood-panelled dining room where chef James Dixon is as accomplished at catering to large numbers as small elopements. Then it’s back to the conservatory for dancing and the evening reception and I’m assured 150 guests can happily party the night away here. Aside from the main reception rooms there are plenty of spaces to explore, all bursting with character. The billiard room is housed in the former chapel – the oldest one on Skye. Nowadays, the billiard table rests under a tabletop which easily sits 20 for a smaller wedding or an intimate dinner the night before. A further table can push the numbers to 26 and statement chairs at the end of the room are Skeabost’s very own answer to Posh and Becks’ wedding thrones! Next door the cocktail bar is a stylish nook for sampling the local gin or a signature cocktail while a concealed stair off the first floor leads to the recently refurbished tower which boasts 360-degree views over the 23-acre estate. There’s enough room for a table for two and I’m informed it has been the site of a seriously romantic proposal! Or once you’ve said ‘I do’ here, we reckon it would be the perfect spot for your first anniversary dinner. Any excuse to return! Set up for a wedding at Duisdale skyehotel.co.uk/skeabost

weddings@clunycastle.com @clunycastle

Find your happy ever after on Skye