Scotland's newest hot spot

The Scottish Highlands has long attracted a monied set and Craigellachie is a traditional “fishing and hunting” destination that dates back to the 19th century.

But now it’s attracting a new crowd thanks to a makeover of a hotel in the area that’s made this sleepy corner of Scotland even more desirable. It’s all the handiwork of Piers Adam, the nightlife genius responsible for creating the likes of Mahiki and Whisky Mist.

He snapped up the 26-room Craigellachie Hotel for £1 million last May, sinking a further £3 million into a stylish refurbishment and opening it last autumn - a former staff cottage is also being transformed into a three-bedroom lodge with private garden and basement, complete with billiards room and cinema - and London A-listers have been flocking to the Highlands ever since.

“Whenever I’ve created something successful it’s been because I’ve tried to create something I’d like to go to myself,” Adam told The Times.

Next up at Craigellachie - a 40th birthday party for model Rose Ferguson, who is married to artist Jake Chapman and has celebrity pals numbering the likes of Kate Moss. Quite handy for Prince Harry and co, the hotel is also just 45 minutes from Balmoral. Meanwhile, visitors may also want to pay a visit to nearby Johnstons of Elgin to pick up some cashmere, also favoured by Hermes and Chanel.

"The hotel’s Quaich bar features around 1,000 single malt whiskies and a food menu designed by Tom Parker Bowles"

But well-connected Adam, who was Guy Ritchie’s best man at the director’s wedding to Madonna, has played down suggestions the tiny Highland village will swarm with celebrities.

Rather than attracting famous faces, his motivation is a different one apparently - he’s riding the whisky bandwagon, one which the likes of David Beckham also seem to be on. The hotel’s Quaich bar features around 1,000 single malt whiskies and a food menu designed by Tom Parker Bowles, as well as a special whisky-pairing menu, while top category Speyside rooms come with a decanter of Speyside whisky thrown in and a myriad of distilleries are close by.

Beckham has thrown himself into the launch of his Haig Club whisky, including a party at Gilmerton House, a listed Georgian mansion owned by the Kinloch family, and a TV spot directed by Ritchie in which they wind their way through the Highlands to Glen Affric near Inverness.

Of course Glen Affric does okay in attracting attention of its own thanks very much, given it’s a project of David Matthews, the man behind St Barths’ Eden Rock and dad to TV’s Made in Chelsea’s Spencer. Matthews had his eye on Glen Affric for years, taking over the estate in 2013 and reimagining it as a stunning 16-room lodge set in 10,000 acres.

But for something a bit more low-key and a lot more active, Wilderness Scotland has some new islandhopper adventures such as Argyll & the Isles Wilderness Walking, taking in Argyll and four of the Inner Hebridean islands including Islay, where there are an incredible eight whisky distilleries, and Jura, where George Orwell lived and completed 1984.