If all those scenes of Balmoral Castle in The Crown as well as the latest Princess Diana movie have you longing to stalk the moody, majestic Scottish moors, the Fife Arms could be the answer to your prayers.
Located in Braemar, only a few miles from the Queen’s country estate in Balmoral, the 19th-century inn was acquired a few years ago by Swiss gallery owners Iwan and Manuela Wirth, co-founders of Hauser & Wirth galleries. They gave the property a complete top-to-bottom renovation.
The result is a 46-room refuge that feels like a boutique hotel, albeit one dropped down in the midst of breathtaking landscapes. But the views aren’t just on the grounds or out the windows; they’re also on the walls. Taking advantage of their day jobs, the Wirths have stippled the inn’s baroque décor with pieces by Lucian Freud, Man Ray, Louise Bourgeois, and other artists.
But don’t worry: they’ve retained many of the period and local touches—from stags’ heads and antlers on the walls to tweed coats and kilts on the staff. The best touch of all, however, may be the Artist’s Studio. Perched at the top of the stone building, it not only affords views of the Cairngorms, a range of local mountains, but makes you feel like you’re in a private garret, as it draws on the life of Duncan Grant, a local artist who became a leading member of the Bloomsbury Group. Along with other artists, he transformed a nearby farmhouse into a live-in work of art by painting on the walls and doors. It’s a room that inspires and invites. And, unlike Princess Diana, you’ll actually find yourself longing to return to this part of Scotland.
Michael Hainey is a Deputy Editor for Air Mail and a co-host of the Morning Meeting podcast