Skye - Holiday romance

WHEN I first met Anne Gracie she was behind the reception desk of the beautiful Toravaig House Hotel, a cosy and classy former hunting lodge on Skye.

She had converted the white-walled haven on the south of the island with her partner, Captain Ken Gunn, and secured the services of an excellent chef to attract the wallets of the well-heeled looking for a remote romantic getaway.

But now Gracie, a native Gaelic speaker, has a new reception desk from which to offer her warm welcome to guests – that of the Duisdale Country House Hotel just a few miles from Toravaig, in Sleat.

Having enjoyed success with one boutique hotel, the couple have extended their portfolio and refurbished the new site in time for 2008 visitors. And, having sampled the delights of Toravaig, I was eager to see whether their new venture lived up to the very high standards they had set themselves.

In fact, as I was to discover, it arguably exceeds them – although it takes a very different approach to success. Where Toravaig is all warm glows of spice and orange shades, Duisdale is edgier, with modern black and white tiled bathrooms, heavy, dark-flowered wallpapers and high-backed velvet, slimline armchairs.

Yet the Victorian heritage of the hotel is also apparent beyond its sturdy slate and stone exterior set in sleepy grounds. The original fireplaces and curving stairways are perfectly juxtaposed with modern touches.

What both hotels have in common is an emphasis on luxury and romance.

Our room in Duisdale – one of 19, all of which are uniquely appointed – featured an enormous four poster bed laden with enough heavy cushions to facilitate a very energetic pillow fight, should you wish to have one.

For more serious romantics, Gracie and Gunn offer tailored breaks, which begin with a chilled bottle of champagne in the room and end with another glass as part of breakfast in bed the following morning. They organise two packages, the Garden or Woodland Romantic, complete with fizz, chocolates and flowers.

Both Duisdale and Toravaig also offer excellent food. Duisdale has a wider menu than its older sibling, and each dish we tried was exceptional – from the Cullen skink to the cheeses. Local produce is at the heart of the cooking, which is creative without being bizarre, and features venison, langoustines, scallops and Scotch beef.

The dining room has a conservatory nestled into the corner of the house with gorgeous views to a lush, colourful – albeit slightly wild – garden. The couple's gentle, shaggy dog, Ben, can often be seen prowling its midst, or wandering along the small patio.

It would appear an ideal setting for a pre-dinner drink from an excellent menu. It is not – or certainly was not the night we innocently wandered out. As well as some fantastic memories, a relaxed glow and perhaps some extra pounds, I took home from that night a raft of angry midge bites – lovely against the strappy dress I had to wear to a wedding the following weekend.

To be fair, it was worth it.

Particular delights at our table included seared local hand-dived scallops and langoustines, sauté onions and lentils with smoked bacon and shellfish cream; and cured ten-year-old Talisker malt salmon, pickled cucumber, avocado mousse, white crab meat, lemon oil dressing and chervil – and those were just to start.

The sublime fillet of grain-fed Scottish beef with roasted potatoes, wilted greens, sauté woodland mushrooms, merlot and veal reduction was so awe-inspiring I had to break my self-imposed rules and have it two nights running.

The same went for the trio of Scottish cheese, homemade crackers, dried fruit relish and pickled apricots, walnuts and grapes – a particularly thoughtful way to serve cheese which was excellent in itself.

Across the table, the decadent chocolate tart with chocolate sauce, tuile biscuit and whipped double cream elicited nothing more than a delighted silence, while the roasted fillet of west coast halibut, local seasonal vegetables, balsamic tomatoes, purée of creamed cauliflower and basil jus were just light enough to allow space for the luxurious dessert.

Following dinner, we retired to the lounge, drinks menu back in hand, to sample one of the generous range of whiskies the staff are well versed in and able to recommend from.

Although Gracie and Gunn claim Duisdale is a "guilty pleasure", the purity of Skye and its battering winds are on hand to eradicate any sin – and excess calories.

A trip to Skye is synonymous for most with walking. There are jaunts suitable for any level of fitness, and views that will delight all. A wander through the Cullins, with their bleak hulk towering over the sea, is essential. The experience is vastly altered by the weather, but always enjoyable nevertheless.

Having experienced their might on our last visit, we elected this time to spend our Sunday in a slightly different way. We began with a drive north to the Old Man of Storr, recommended by the same man who had helped us choose a malt the night before. Again he came up trumps.

Numerous routes can be taken up and around the edges of the Old Man and his weird rock formations and we found it best – or inevitable in my case – to just see where the wandering and scrambling took us.

Afterwards, we drove on to Dunvegan Castle and, having decided the entrance fee was a bit steep for the hour we had left to spend touring it, chose the cheaper option of the gardens. Lush and colourful, particularly in contrast to the slightly barren majority of Skye, the gardens present another beautiful opportunity to get lost.

If we'd had more time we would definitely have visited the castle – the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland which has been the stronghold of the chiefs of MacLeod for nearly 800 years.

And for those who want to take a more focused approach to their trip, a visit to the Talisker distillery and visitor centre is recommended, along with a drive to Portree.

Had we not been there on a Sunday – a no sailing day – we would also have jumped at the chance of an outing on Gracie and Gunn's yacht.

Perhaps the unique selling point of their venture – not that they need one – is the daily sailings on the Solus na Mara which they crew themselves, relying on Gunn's extensive naval experience. He captained the Hebridean Princess for years, and his partner is also a qualified yachtswoman.

I shall ensure I get on board next time I pay a visit to Gracie and Gunn in one of their island getaways.

Factfile: Skye

How to get there

• CalMac operates ferries from Mallaig to Armadale about every hour and 20 minutes throughout summer. The journey takes 30 minutes. Cars cost £32.50 return and each traveller is another £5.95 return. Visit

www.calmac.co.uk for more details.

WHERE TO STAY

• Duisdale House Hotel, Sleat (01471 833 202, www.duisdale.com). From £90, dinner bed and breakfast. The Garden Romantic package (£350) includes two nights' B&B, along with either a hand-tied bouquet or bottle of champagne on arrival. The Woodland Romantic package (£395) is two nights' B&B, along with a bouquet, a box of Vanilla Skye home-made chocolates and a bottle of chilled champagne on arrival.

AND THERE'S MORE

• Dunvegan Castle and gardens are a mile north of Dunvegan on the north-west corner of Skye. Entry to both is £7.50 for adults, £4 for children. Gardens only is £5 for adults, £3 for children.

• To get to the Old Man of Storr, take the A855 north from Portree for 9.5km and park just before conifer plantation.

• Scotsman Reader Holidays has trips to Skye in June 2009 from £349pp. Call Brightwater Holidays, tel: [phone] (quote The Scotsman).