There are remote hotels and then there is Kilchoan Estate. Situated on the Knoydart peninsula in the Scottish Highlands – between Loch Nevis and Loch Hourn, accessible only by boat or on foot – this is as genuinely off-grid as British luxury hospitality gets. It opens this June as the first European property from Dunton, the American group behind Dunton Hot Springs in Colorado, and it looks extraordinary.
The estate spans 13,000 acres of private wilderness, with a history stretching back to the 12th century. New owners Katrin and Christoph Henkel commissioned London studio Waldo Works to sensitively restore five stone and wood cottages ranging from two to five bedrooms, drawing on local vernacular architecture, Highland materials – stone, pine, slate – and textiles from makers including Bute, Mourne Textiles and the Isle Mill. Two further cottages follow in early 2027.
The offering is fully inclusive: all meals, wines, spirits and ferry transfers are covered in the rate, which starts at gB1,100 per night for two guests. Dinners are taken communally in the Long House lodge in true Dunton style – guests sharing the day’s discoveries over a table that draws on seasonal Highland produce. Breakfasts arrive at the cottage; picnic lunches go out with you into the landscape.
Activities are what you would hope for from 13,000 acres of Knoydart wilderness: guided mountain hikes, wild swimming, sea kayaking, coastal boat excursions, river and sea fishing, and wildlife encounters with red deer, golden eagles and native marine life. Evenings unfold beneath some of Britain’s darkest skies.
The estate is fossil fuel-free, working in partnership with the Knoydart Foundation on conservation and community commitments that feel genuinely substantive rather than decorative.
This is the kind of place that will have a waiting list within weeks of opening. Kilchoan Estate by Dunton opens June 2026. More at duntondestinations.com/kilchoan-estate.