Newhall Mains is a meticulous reinvention of the traditional “Mains” building, the Scottish term for the principal buildings of a farm or working estate. Once listed as ‘at risk’, this family-run property has been sensitively transformed into a boutique hotel by owner Euan Ramsay and his family, opening in 2021 after an extensive restoration.
Designed by London-based Kelling Designs and brought back to life by a team of Highland craftsmen, the exteriors have been faithfully restored using traditional materials such as stone, lime render, lead and slate. Inside, the classic quadrangular layout has been reimagined for the twenty-first-century traveller, with underfloor heating, en suite bathrooms, bespoke furniture and individually crafted fabrics throughout.
The estate offers five cottages and four double bedroom suites, each individually designed and decorated to deliver an eclectic yet functional take on Highland hospitality. Newhall Mains is the only luxury accommodation provider in the UK with its own airfield, and it was awarded a Michelin Key in the inaugural 2024 awards, an honour it has retained. It was also named among the Top 20 Hotels in the UK in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards 2025.
At Newhall Mains, guests can choose from five individually themed cottages and four double bedroom suites, all offering elegant interiors in secluded yet welcoming surroundings. The hotel and restaurant are open from 1 April to 31 October each year, while the cottages remain available through the winter at reduced rates. Cottage stays start from £600 per night and bedrooms from £290 per night, both including a farmhouse breakfast in the hotel restaurant.
The cottages range from a cosy two-bedroom family cottage overlooking the airfield and Ben Wyvis, to the largest property, Red Gates, a grand three-bedroom family cottage in an eighteenth-century coach house with private garden and views of Jacob sheep. There are also two one-bedroom cottage suites, Majestic and Divine, each spread over two floors and featuring details such as floor-to-ceiling windows, freestanding bathtubs, log-burning stoves and Louis XIV-style dressing rooms. In winter, kitchens can be stocked with artisan hampers, homemade farm-to-oven dishes and pre-mixed cocktails, and the chef team can be pre-booked to cook privately for cottage guests.
Hotel accommodation is offered in the Fraser Rooms, styled with country-house furnishings and a touch of tartan. Each room includes a king-size bed, en suite bathroom with walk-in shower, underfloor heating and a comfortable seating area.
Facilities at Newhall Mains now include a new wellness experience for 2025, featuring a bespoke outdoor sauna designed by Mor & Broze and a cold plunge pool, both bookable for private use for up to six guests. The estate’s private airfield remains free to use for guests arriving in their own aircraft, and complimentary e-bikes with helmets and locks are available to help explore the Black Isle’s quiet lanes and trails.
Food and drink are centred around Spruce, the standalone restaurant led by Head Chef Matt Heeley, formerly of The Newt in Somerset, which showcases high-quality British produce and the best of Scotland’s larder. Its name nods both to the locally foraged spruce tips and to the “Spruce Goose” aircraft, echoing the hotel’s aviation heritage. The regularly changing à la carte menu draws on hand-dived scallops from Orkney and Gairloch, oysters from Lochbroom and Highland-reared lamb and beef, with foraged ingredients from the estate and local woodland. A dedicated vegan and vegetarian offering is also available.
Desserts might include caramelised milk chocolate with compressed pear and cardamom foam, or whisky and elderflower honey parfait with figs and a demerara tuile, alongside a selection of Highland cheeses with gooseberry chutney and digestives. A largely European wine list, extensive by-the-glass options, signature cocktails and a wide-ranging whisky collection with a focus on Scottish and Japanese bottles complement the menu.
The 35-cover restaurant is set in a former grain store overlooking the central courtyard and grounds, with large windows, olive-green banquettes, bistro-style chairs, industrial metal chandeliers and exposed stonework, lifted by bright artwork on loan from the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh. In winter, Spruce serves dinner from Thursday to Sunday, 6pm to 8.45pm, while from April to October it opens seven nights a week from 6pm to 9pm. Year-round, Sunday lunch showcases cuts from the farm cooked slowly over the outdoor grill, and chef-prepared meals are available for cottage guests.
Breakfast is served in the restaurant from 8am to 10am and features locally sourced charcuterie, smoked fish, cheeses, fresh juices, fruit, breads, yoghurts and homemade granola. The estate also offers an open fire pit and bespoke charcoal parrilla grill with group feasting menus available on request, picnic hampers for days out, and a standalone Japanese-inspired whisky bar serving classic cocktails, wines, Champagnes, beers and non-alcoholic options.
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Guests can enjoy a range of complimentary on-site activities, including farm tours of the orchards, beehives and pastures grazed by Jacob sheep and three resident Highland cows, use of the six-seater sauna and cold plunge pool, croquet in the parasol-lined courtyard, and e-bike rides around the Black Isle and nearby trails. Off-site, the team can arrange wildlife-watching RIB trips from Cromarty, visits to Udale Bay for pink-footed geese, summer excursions to the Falls of Shin, private sightseeing flights with Highland Aviation from the on-site airstrip, golf at nearby championship courses, distillery visits and guided tours across the Highlands, Northlands and the Isle of Skye.
Newhall Mains lies about a 40-minute drive from Inverness Airport and 30 minutes from Inverness railway station, providing convenient links for guests arriving from across the UK and beyond. Owner Euan Ramsay, who spent six years in London working in finance and hospitality with Corbin & King at The Wolseley, The Beaumont and The Delaunay, moved back to the Highlands in 2019 to oversee the restoration of his family’s dilapidated eighteenth-century steading, leading to its rebirth as today’s boutique hotel and airfield.
