Duisdale House Hotel vies to become Scotland’s Greatest Escape
One of Skye’s most charming destinations, Duisdale House Hotel, is proud to announce it has successfully made it to the final round of the hit BBC Scotland TV show in hopes to be named Scotland’s Greatest Escape.
One of Skye’s most charming destinations, Duisdale House Hotel, is proud to announce it has successfully made it to the final round of the hit BBC Scotland TV show in hopes to be named Scotland’s Greatest Escape.
The historic boutique hotel on the Sleat peninsula in the south of the Hebridean island shared its signature style of warm hospitality to win the ‘Island and Coastal’ category during last night’s programme (8pm, 10th April, BBC Scotland & BBC iPlayer) hosted by Scottish presenter and actor, Grado.
The episode saw Grado and the judges, Marina Hugget and Vanessa Kanbi, experience all the delights synonymous with a stay at Duisdale, with Grado joining Peter Macaskill of Loch Eishort Mussels to grade fresh mussels for the highest quality to then be prepared by Chef Stephen Crichton in the hotel’s two AA rosetted restaurant.
Judges also had the pleasure of embarking on a tour with the ‘Skyefari’ team to spot the legendary ‘Skye 5’ animals – golden eagles, white-tailed eagles, otters, seals and red deer – and enjoy historical tales by the fireside with Duisdale’s resident storyteller, Coinneach Maclean.
After immersing themselves in the culture of Skye, the judges then scored Duisdale on four categories, including accommodation, activities, customer service, and overall experience, focussing on the quality of their hotel stay and service provided by the Duisdale team, alongside the ‘tales by the fireside’ event and activities provided by Skyefari.
The perfect combination of authentic local experiences and warm highland hospitality won over the judges and allowed Duisdale to secure its place in the final representing the ‘Island and Coastal’ category. final of Scotland’s Greatest Escape airs on Wednesday 17 April at 8.00pm on BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer.
From a stay in comfortable and contemporary rooms, and the warmest of Skye welcomes, the judges enjoyed their full Duisdale guest experience with judge Marina Huggett commenting: “I was blown away by the experience we had here. For me this was the ultimate highland hospitality from start to finish."
The Sonas Collection was founded by local to the island Anne Gracie-Gunn and her late husband Ken. Duisdale is part of the family-run boutique hotel portfolio alongside its sister venues on Skye – Skeabost and Toravaig – and newest addition to the collection, Knipoch House Hotel in Oban.
Director Anne Gracie-Gunn commented: “It’s a great honour to have been selected as one of the 21 finalists by the judges of Scotland Great Escape and overjoyed that we have won our category last night. Not only is it an honour for me but also for our team of hard working, loyal colleagues who enable us to reach this level. We strive to do our best in everything we do and it is imperative to deliver a genuine and heartfelt welcome for our guests throughout the world.”
In the final episode airing on 17th April, viewers will find out whether Duisdale House Hotel sails ahead of the competition to become the champion of champions on Scotland’s Greatest Escape.
Guests can recreate the judges’ experience themselves as Duisdale House Hotel hosts monthly ‘Tales by the Fireside’ events open to both residents and non-residents to learn about the mysteries and legends of Skye, from sea kings to villains, to the real tales of Bonnie Prince Charlie. On 11th May 2024, Coinneach will be telling all about the Beltane Fire Festival and booking in advance is advised: https://sonascollection.com/event/tales-from-the-fireside/
Since filming was completed, Duisdale House Hotel has launched in-room spa treatments and has embarked on the next project to create a bespoke boutique spa including salt wall, chromotherapy, and treatments to be completed later in the year.
Sonas was founded on Skye by Anne Gracie-Gunn and her late husband Ken from their passion for sailing and desire to showcase the beauty of the Hebridean waters, the Gaelic language and culture, through exceptional hospitality.
For more information and to book a stay, visit: https://sonascollection.com/our-hotels/knipoch/
