See the lavishly illustrated Hideaway Report Online for additional reviews, stories, { slide shows and videos } ANDREW HARPER’S ® JULY 2011 | OUR 33RD YEAR www.AndrewHarper.com candid reviews by a writer who travels incognito and always pays his own way Victorian town and the main port for ferries to and from Scotland: Through the the Western Isles. Having arrived well in advance of the boarding time for the Hebridean Princess, we went for a Highlands and Hebrides stroll, grabbed a light lunch and paid a visit to the well- on our previous visit known Oban Distillery, which has been making whisky to Scotland in 2007, we drove since 1794. Tucked away on a side street, it is home to one of the single malts most popular in the United States. from Edinburgh through Its gentle “West Highland” flavor contains just a touch the central and northeast of sea saltiness and a whiff of peat. Highlands. This time, we We first caught sight of the Hebridean Princess from chose to follow an itinerary across the harbor: a ruggedly handsome ship with a around the western Highlands black hull, a white superstructure and a bright red to renew our acquaintance with the region’s funnel. Weighing just 2,100 tons, she has 30 cabins for brooding peaks, deep glacial valleys and a maximum of 50 passengers, attended by 38 crew. A 10-foot draft enables her to enter harbors inaccessible magical coastline. to larger vessels, and a bow thruster means that she is We decided that we would begin, however, by extremely maneuverable. fulfilling a long-held ambition to sail on the HEBRIDEAN We were greeted at the top of the gangway by friendly PRINCESS, a small ship best known for its cruises through and attractive young women in crisp navy uniforms, the myriad offshore islands. (Among the vessel’s most waiting to guide us to our cabin. (Most of the staff hail notable passengers have been Queen Elizabeth and from Central Europe; the officers from Scotland.) Opening members of the British Royal Family, who in recent years our door, we were immediately delighted to find a cozy, have twice chartered the Princess for summer vacations.) comfortable space, appealingly decorated in a smart After an early-morning arrival in Glasgow, we picked country house style. Floral curtains bordered a large up our rental car and headed for Oban, a charming porthole, with matching fabric forming a half-canopy H H IN this issuE 6 Oregon Coast Drive … AND ONLINE Can nery Pier Hotel Astoria 1 » A Scottish Journey Stephanie Inn Cannon Beach Islay Distilleries Among the Western Isles aboard Whale Cove Inn Depoe Bay » Hebridean Princess Glasgow Update Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge Gold Beach The Torridon Wester Ross » Kinloch Lodge Isle of Skye Astoria, Ore., Reborn 8 Duisdale House Isle of Skye Open & Shut Find the Hideaway Report Online Isle of Eriska Argyll Hotel developments of particular note at www.AndrewHarper.com For personalized trip-planning assistance, call (800) 375-4685 or email [email protected] www.AndrewHarper.com | For comments and inquiries concerning the Hideaway Report, please email [email protected] over the bed. Numerous built-ins included a well-stocked And dinners always presented a conundrum of equally fridge, a pullout shelf with coffeemaker, a small ironing appealing selections like rack of Argyll lamb or pan-fried board and a small but adequate closet. A pleasing grace sea bream. Everything was well-prepared and served by note was a silver tray with a decanter of sherry. The bath solicitous staff, who were always on hand to pour one of was clad in marble, with plenty of storage for personal the evening’s excellent complimentary wines. items and railings to grab in the event of rough seas. Fortunately, a full program of fascinating shore However, I strongly recommend booking a cabin with a excursions prevented us from falling into a rhythm of full tub, as the showers are tight. All of the cabin’s metal meal-centric days. These trips were executed via sturdy fixtures had been polished to a mirror finish, a sure sign tenders, with the staff displaying a consistent concern of attention to detail. for passenger safety. I was especially keen to visit some In essence, the Hebridean Princess is a country house of the smaller Hebridean islands. Most memorable was hotel afloat. The public areas — which include an intimate the Isle of Rum, which is noted for its mountainous library and a conservatory — are welcoming and filled beauty and its large population of red deer. with comfortable seating for informal gatherings and We landed on the island’s slipway to be greeted by a private relaxation. By far the most popular spot on the guide from Scottish Natural Heritage, who led us on the ship is the Tiree Lounge, a drawing room with a sweep 20-minute walk to the key draw: Kinloch Castle. This of windows that affords a marvelous panoramic view lovely Baronial stone edifice was built between 1897 and of the ocean and islands ahead. The lounge proved so 1901 for Sir George Bullough, a playboy whose family had congenial, it was difficult not to settle into an easy chair amassed a fortune in the cotton industry. Its great halls beside one of the windows before succumbing to the lure are hung with the original paintings and fixtures and of the full afternoon tea, served with finger sandwiches, provide a vivid insight into the lavish lifestyle of the era. scones and clotted cream. (There is even a contraption called an orchestrion, one As on every cruise ship, meals on the Hebridean of only two working examples in the world, an elaborate Princess are an important part of the day. All are taken machine that uses music rolls to play an incredible array at a single seating in the comfortableColumba Restaurant. of instruments.) At breakfast, a well-provisioned buffet was augmented Other excursions included visits to the beautiful by substantial cooked breakfasts, including delicious Isle of Eigg, which is laced with walking trails; the little smoked haddock with poached eggs. For lunch, there were town of Inverie, home to The Old Forge, the remotest heartier dishes such as baked ham, or lighter sandwiches. pub on the British mainland; and the charming port of Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, with its rainbow of painted quayside buildings filled with restaurants, shops LEWIS 5 and the Tobermory Distillery. On these outings, we fell IDES ULLAPOOL BR in with different groups of fellow passengers — most KINLOCHEWE in their 50s but with ages ranging from late 30s to late INVERNESS 1 80s — hiking with some, lingering over a spectacular OUTER HE APPLECROSS SKYE view with others, before trooping back to the tenders KYLE OF LOCH NESS 2 LOCHALSH and rejoining the ship for afternoon tea or a single malt. Virtually everything about the Hebridean Princess RUM EIGG impressed me, andTORRIDON I am unable to point to any significant ES 4 FORT ID WILLIAM failing. As a testament to its success, a large number BR TOUR BENDERLOCH OF of our fellow passengers were repeat guests. The ship R HE 3 MULL WESTERN sails from early March to late October, traveling from NE IN SCOTLAND OBAN the coast of northern France up to the Scottish Orkney 1 The Torridon Islands with an intriguing array of itineraries, many of 2 Kinloch Lodge Duisdale House EDINBURGHwhich involve active days of walking. Cruises can be as 3 Isle of Eriska short as four nights and as long as 10. (During the peak Airds Hotel* ISLAY GLASGOW months of July and August, almost all cruises are eight 4 Inverlochy Castle* 5 Summer Isles* nights.) I strongly recommend booking nothing lower 0 20 40 mi * Additional recommended than a Double Cabin on deck three or four, the “Isle hotels in western Scotland 0 20 40 km of Bute,” “Isle of Berneray,” “Isle of Barra” and “Isle of 2 Hideaway Report | July 2011 Personalized trip-planning assistance is available to members at (800) 375-4685 1 HR 1 HR 2.5 HRS Benbecula” having private balconies. 97 Double Cabin fondant potatoes and a shallot purée. The cheese selection (peak summer season), from $11,300 per person for eight was particularly good and included Scottish choices new nights. Prices are proportionally less on shorter itineraries. to us such as Black Crowdie, whose maker elevated the The ship also has several single cabins. Tel. (877) 600-2648. common Crowdie — a soft, creamy cheese — by rolling www.hebridean.co.uk it in a mix of pinhead oats and black peppercorns and aging it for three weeks. After disembarking at Oban and retrieving our car, Activities abound at The Torridon, including hiking we set off on a four-and-a-half-hour drive to Torridon in and sea kayaking led by qualified guides. However, I found the majestic region of Wester Ross. We opted to make myself in conversation with a couple from London who a scenic drive along the shore of Loch Ness to the city of Inverness, where we turned abruptly west toward Kinlochewe. The final section of our journey was along Heading down for dinner, a single-track road with semicircular passing places. we paused in the atmospheric Fortunately, it was not heavily trafficked and the scenery was pure Highland magic. wood-paneled bar, which offers Heading into Torridon village, we soon saw signs for almost 400 single malts. THE TorrIDON, the 2011 Scottish Hotel of the Year. Set on a 58-acre estate, the turreted Baronial red sandstone structure was built as a hunting lodge in 1887.