6 Best Hotels in Stirling and the Central Highlands, Scotland

A grand refurbished Victorian country house set amid beautiful grounds, Cromlix House is owned by Scottish tennis champion Andy Murray, and you might notice the sound of ball on racket from the tennis court. It's easy to imagine a weekend country party strolling through the trees or fishing on the private loch. Paneled wood and deep, comfortable sofas add to that sense of luxury. The rooms are furnished in harmony with the house's history, but with the most up-to-date facilities, including mirrors that are televisions. The summer house is now a Jacques Roux restaurant, where you can dine looking out over the croquet lawn. Don't miss the hidden chapel.

One of Britain's most famous hotels, Gleneagles is the very essence of modern grandeur, a vast palace that stands hidden in breathtaking countryside amid its world-famous golf courses. The rooms are elegant, hung with indulgent draperies and filled with soft leather furniture. All the pampering details are here, from fluffy bathrobes hanging behind the door to freshly cut flowers in every room. The hotel offers the entire spectrum of leisure activities, including a famous restaurant, a shopping arcade, a spa, an equestrian center, and a falconry center.

Set among woods and on the shores of Loch Faskally, Green Park is a genuinely luxurious country-house hotel. Bedrooms are impeccably clean, spacious, and decorated in grand style with floral patterns and dark woods. Most rooms have views over the loch or the gardens, and the most sought-after are those with a balcony on the second floor. The restaurant continues the country-living feel in its decor and its menu, which changes daily. The porridge with a "wee dram" is especially popular at breakfast.

At this beautifully located hotel overlooking the Lake of Menteith, muted colors and simple but elegant rooms create a restful atmosphere, enhanced, perhaps, by the silent hills that surround the hotel and the tranquil lake. The restaurant is so close to the lake that it feels as if you could reach out and touch the water; and from the open tables outside the bar area you probably can. This is a year-round hotel in the tiny hamlet of Port of Menteith; in winter, there are warm fires in the often-busy bar, which serves superior bar fare.The elegant restaurant has a reasonably priced a la carte menu emphasizing fish and local produce. Fishing trips can be arranged too. 

Splendidly isolated in Balquhidder Glen, this beautiful converted farmhouse with contemporary interiors is set amid forests and moorland, looking out onto Lochs Voil and Doine. Rooms are strikingly modern and unique, with clean lines and touches of luxury, like plush animal-print throws and elegant toiletries. A cabin and a caravan redesigned by architects offer more nostalgic accommodations.The beautiful courtyard rooms, beside the main house, are more expensive. Known for its Scottish food, the hotel kitchen uses many homegrown ingredients from its own herb gardens. There's an expertly prepared prix-fixe menu (£65), and if the weather is favorable, you can eat on the patio. In June, the hotel hosts its own festival week with food and music.

You could easily pass by this beautiful hotel without noticing, though it is just off Callander's main street; look for an unpretentious pink arch on the main street and there you'll find the 17th-century hunting lodge hidden among ornate gardens. The drawing room and exquisite library recall the hotel's origins, and the rooms are furnished with the past and present in mind. They are comfortable and elegant (all have modern bathrooms) but proudly retain their historic feel. There is a lovely walled garden and a riverside arbor as well as the River Teith flowing past (and guests enjoy fishing rights). The well-regarded, formal restaurant offers an excellent four-course dinner menu (£75 per person) in sophisticated surroundings. Less expensive is the Potting Shed Café Bistro.