The Fife Arms: Highlands Splendor, Curated Luxury & a Touch of Whimsy

The Fife Arms was built in the mid-1800s in the village of Braemar, home to the Highland Games, which the Royal Family usually attends every fall. Husband-and-wife art dealer couple Ivan and Manuela Wirth acquired the former coaching inn back in 2016 and spent three years creating a space for both visitors and locals to enjoy. They hired local artists and artisans to help bring their vision to life.

The pub within the hotel, The Flying Stag, celebrates these locals with illustrations, paintings, and photographs that show off their talents. The owners specifically wanted the pub to become an integral part of village life, with villagers often accounting for the majority of the clientele.

The Flying Stag Pub

A happy four-legged guest in the pub

The hotel’s interiors evoke a sense of both Highland grandeur and humor. Very Scottish Hunting Lodge—think tartan, tweeds, and antlers—but adeptly blended with modern art, whimsical decor, and femininity. The public spaces are inviting, with plenty of comfortable seating areas and fireplaces to ward off the exterior chill.

The 46 rooms are all individually and lavishly decorated with rich fabrics, original artworks, antiques, William Morris wallpapers, and opulent bathrooms, often with both a shower and beautiful clawfoot tub. We stayed in one of the Scottish Culture rooms. The bath toiletries by Albamhor were created specifically for the hotel, with lovely scents of the highlands: myrtle, heather, thyme, and juniper. Our room was one that could be connected to another, creating a family suite.

Scottish Culture Room (family suite)

Scottish Culture Room

Now let’s talk about activities, both at the hotel and in the surrounding area. There is a little something for everyone: a spa, hiking, golf, historical sites (Balmoral Castle is minutes away by car), art and creative writing workshops, tennis, biking, snow sports including skiing, distillery tours, wildlife-viewing, and clay pigeon shooting. And in the fall, you’re within walking distance to the historic Braemar Gathering, the Highland games event that Queen Elizabeth loved so much.

Surrounding countryside

The Fife Arms welcome families with open arms. They offer family suites and numerous activities and workshops specifically for children, including a Junior Ghillie Program, art classes, a children’s afternoon tea, an organized treasure hunt around the hotel, and hiking trails surrounding the hotel to connect with nature.

We participated in one of the offered activities: an off-road tour with local ghillie Steve Rennie. The Land Rover Defenders have interiors retrofitted with the hotel’s signature tweed and tartan. It was such a beautiful outing. Steve showed us the wildlife, spoke to us about the flora and fauna and hunting practices as a tool for wildlife and land management, and even told us stories of HRH King Charles and his deep love of the land here—who knew? At the top of a mountain, we enjoyed the view with a wee bit of whisky. Steve took a photo of our small group with his professional camera with the Highlands backdrop, then later delivered a beautiful matted print for us to take home—such a special touch.

We also booked time at Bertie’s Bar with the whisky sommelier. It was fabulous! Our sommelier guided us individually to discover our whisky preferences. The bar is gorgeous, lined floor to ceiling with over 400 Scottish whisky bottles. As the sommelier determines likes and dislikes, the choices narrow down to three before making a final selection—so much fun.

Bertie's Bar

Now for the food—a feast at every meal! We dined at every venue during our stay, except for their latest option, Fish Shop. We had both lunch and dinner at The Flying Stag, where I thoroughly enjoyed the fish and chips. Oh, and that bread—so good. Breakfast was served in The Clunie Dining Room, and we also dined here for our final dinner, feasting on a perfectly cooked Beef Wellington.

The dining and bar areas are a visual delight as well. The Flying Stag and The Clunie both bring the wildlife indoors in dramatic fashion. The decor at Elsa’s Bar nods to the glamor of both the Art Deco and disco eras in soft pink hues that come alive at night with fuschia lighting and an overhead mirror ball.

Elsa's Cocktail Bar

Even the gift shop here is thoughtfully curated. I brought home a tweed dog coat for my Cluney but wished I had room for more. Whisky, clothing, the hotel’s signature tartan and tweed, silver and crystal, the toiletries that smell so amazing—so many wonderful gift ideas, and they will ship abroad. There were also some very lovely shops within the village, where I picked up a warm wool throw and an antler and forged steel cheese knife.

I hope to get back here one day—it’s definitely a place that we would return to solely on the merits of the hotel, not just the location. The nearest airport is Aberdeen, at just over an hour away. Edinburgh and Glasgow are doable as well. The hotel can help arrange transportation if you don’t want to rent a car.

Early September is an ideal time to visit, coinciding with the legendary Braemar Gathering, one of Scotland’s most iconic Highland Games. For a wintertime festive stay, January 25 marks Burns Night, a spirited homage to the country’s beloved bard, Robert Burns, rich with poetry, whisky, and tradition.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Scotland page.