228 | HARPER’S BAZAAR |
PHOTOGRAPHS: HANNAH K PHOTOGRAPHY (WWW.HANNAHKPHOTOGRAPHY.CO.UK), STOCKSYESCAPE
The Fife A rms ABERDEENSHIRE
An art-lover’s dream, the Fife Arms is the brainchild of the gallerists Iwan and Manuela
Wirth, who have filled this former Victorian coaching inn with more than 12,000 master-
pieces, including a Lucian Freud in the entrance hall and a 30-foot Louise Bourgeois
spider sculpture that crouches dramatically in a courtyard. The 46 individually curated
bedrooms come with ornate wallpapers, an abundance of tweed and tartans and a
decanter of delicious whisky. In the drawing-room, you can melt into a sofa in front of
a crackling fire and take afternoon tea beneath a Picasso – a pot of Earl Grey will set you
up for a hike through the picturesque village of Braemar and up to the Cairngorm
Mountains (there’s even a boot-room with rain jackets and wellies to borrow). LH
The Fife Arms, from £250 a room a night (www.thefifearms.com).228 | HARPER’S BAZAAR | April 2020
The New t S OM E R SET
Opening a sister property to its
beloved South African winery
and resort Babylonstoren was
never going to be easy, but the
hoteliers Koos and Karen Bekker
have triumphed with the Newt.
Set in a 300-acre landscaped
garden, this idyllic hotel com-
bines stylish decor with a superb
spa and delicious food. Breakfast, lunch and dinner
can be enjoyed in the Botanical Rooms, where
seasonal fruit and vegetables, hand-picked on the
estate, are served alongside fresh
breads from the on-site bakery and
butter from Somerset cows. While it’s
tempting to stay in the warm, reading
a book or playing backgammon, it’s
worth booking a tour of the cider press
and bottling plant, which make use of
the 460 British apple-trees that have
been planted in the egg-shaped walled
garden. CAMILLA PAT TER SON
The Newt, £275 a room a night (www.
thenewtinsomerset.com).