Glenmorangie House

Glenmorangie, on the north-east coast, is not only one of Scotland’s most famous distilleries, but also an eye-poppingly glamorous pitstop on the NC500 after 17th-century Glenmorangie House was given a makeover by Russell Sage, the interior designer responsible for transforming The Fife Arms in Braemar from a tired old Highland hotel into a flamboyantly decadent bolthole.

Nudging up to the spectacular Moray Firth coastline, there are nine sumptuous rooms, six in the main house and three in separate one-bedroom cottages, each a visual, fantastical feast – fans of minimalism should look away – loosely themed around whisky. The toucans and tiger on one bedroom wall are a nod to the tropical flavours of Reserve, a distillery blend. The golden hues of the morning room are designed to conjure up barley fields, one of whisky’s key ingredients – with sheaves of barley on the mantelpiece and wildflowers sprinkled across the bespoke wallpaper.

Communal dinners celebrate the area’s rich natural larder, naturally with whisky pairing an option, while activities on offer, along with the complimentary tour of the distillery, include falconry, foraging and star-gazing.