Killiehuntly Farmhouse hotel review: Scandinavian style in the Cairngorms

A luxurious new offering in the Scottish Highlands from Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen coins a new style we’re calling “Scandi-Scot”

Killiehuntly Farmhouse in the Cairngorms offers a unique blend of Alpine chalet, Scandi-chic and Scottish tradition

Killiehuntly is not your average Scottish farmhouse. This was clear the minute I clocked the sleek, black helicopter on the lawn, whereupon I slid down in the driver’s seat, crept round the back of a renovated watermill and hid my old, battered Golf among the Range Rovers.

Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen is collecting Scottish estates – he now owns the second-largest haul of private land in Scotland. Killiehuntly, at 4,000 acres, is a mere sprat compared to his other properties – Glenfeshie (43,000 acres), vast swathes of Sutherland in the far north, and a string of other Cairngorms properties besides this one.

Killiehuntly was bought in a dilapidated state: Povlsen and his wife, Anne Storm Pedersen, purchased the 17th-century property when the previous owner passed away. The restored estate opened in June this year as something of a departure for the Highlands: not a traditional Highland lodge (usually “exclusive hire”), nor a design-led B&B or boutique hotel. Killiehuntly, in fact, feels more like an Alpine mountain chalet, with interiors concocted from an array of influences – Storm Pedersen and her friend, Swiss interior designer Ruth Kramer, have achieved a look you might call “Scandi-Scot”.

There's no tartan at Killiehuntly, with interiors instead rendered in simple but luxurious greys and taupes

That means no tired tartan: instead, you have traditional Scottish (Orkney chairs) blended with contemporary Danish design. The colour palette is muted greys and taupes – aside from a sumptuous purple velvet sofa in a small reading room. In the hallway, there’s a pile of Norwegian jumpers you can borrow to stave off the Scottish chill – very Scandi-chic. Think of it as “hygge in the Highlands”; like staying in the weekend home of a Danish dignitary.

Location

Killiehuntly is just south of Aviemore in the Cairngorms National Park, in the heart of the Scottish Highlands. However tempting it might be to hunker down in the farmhouse’s sleek surroundings, there’s too much wild beauty around to justify staying indoors too long.

The Killiehuntly dining room, where you can fill up on local fare after a hard day's hiking

Nearby Loch an t-Seilich tempts fishermen with Arctic char, and there’s no shortage of local walking routes: an easy trail along a boardwalk around Uath Lochans offers stirring views of Farleitter Crag. Aviemore is one of Scotland’s most popular ski resorts, but summer also offers fantastic climbing and biking – Killiehuntly has mountain bikes available to borrow and plenty of route maps. Keen wildlife spotters can visit Britain’s only free-roaming reindeer herd on Cairngorms moorland.

There are just four rooms, with bespoke, handmade beds, Swedish mattresses and Lithuanian linen

Comfort

There are just four rooms in the farmhouse, all named after trees: Elm, Birch, Alder and Oak. Each is different, but all have bespoke beds with headboards handmade by a local carpenter, and are topped with Swedish mattresses, hand-embroidered Lithuanian linen and soft grey tweed throws.

Stylish touches, such as this throw, include sheepskin from the Shetlands and furniture handmade by local craftsmen

I stayed in Elm, the Farrow and Balled walls almost teal, bare floorboards accented with a soft woven rug. The large, private bathroom had a roll-top tub perfect for a soak after a hike in the hills, and toiletries by Danish lifestyle brand Meraki. A rucksack hanging on a hook on the wall was yours to borrow for a picnic – nice touch. Refreshingly, there’s no TV (and less refreshingly, no mini bar); just a notebook for penning your thoughts. In true Scandi style, it’s all luxurious simplicity: the sort of place you want to hole up with a good book and never leave.

Killiehuntly is also a working farm, and serves food made with its own produce. I spent my evening chatting over gin and tonics with guests from Italy here to hike, bike and recharge, before a dinner of hot smoked salmon salad and roast guinea fowl. Breakfast included eggs from the estate’s own hens. As well as the four rooms in the farmhouse, there are a couple of self-catering options.

The Killiehuntly kitchen serves up wholesome spreads, using the working farm's own produce wherever possible

You’ll soon be able to buy much of Killiehuntly’s enviable homeware, bed linen and beauty products in a small shop set to open in the renovated steading. Items will include grey sheepskin rugs from a tannery in Shetland, and furniture especially commissioned for the house from local craftsmen.

Essentials

Killiehuntly Farmhouse & Cottage, By Kingussie, Highland, PH21 1NZ (01540 661 619; killiehuntly.scot). Double rooms cost from £240 per night, full-board.

Wi-fi: Free

Parking: Free

Access: Not wheelchair accessible

Rooms: ****

Value: ****

Service: *****

Getting there

Killiehuntly is around 40 miles south of Inverness and about four miles from Kingussie (the East Coast train line between Inverness and Edinburgh stops here). There are flights from around the UK to Inverness Airport. From Edinburgh Airport it’s just over 100 miles – a two-hour drive up the A9.