Heirlooms from a roguish clan’s storied past bolster the audacious design in this reimagined waterside inn
I’ve been at the Loch Lomond Arms for less than an hour when I find myself with Bath-born Russell Sage as he tells me about the philandering 16th laird of Luss, Sir Humphrey Colquhoun. “When the chief of the rival MacFarlane clan discovered that Humphrey was having an affair with his wife, he attacked the randy laird, killed him, and then served his privates to his cheating spouse for breakfast,” says the interior designer gleefully.
We’re in one of the hotel’s bedrooms, a twin room cheekily named The Unexpected Breakfast, inspired by Sir Humphrey’s unfortunate end. The petite space is notable for its moody Fermoie wallpaper, pair of regency-style bamboo beds and a tongue-in-cheek illustration of two fried eggs and a sausage by Richard Levine.
The 17th-century coaching inn sits in Luss, by Loch Lomond on the Lowland-Highland border. The pretty conservation village (plus 45,000 acres of surrounding loch, land and mountain) has been owned by Clan Colquhoun for over 800 years. It is loved by locals for its maze of rose-covered cottages and wealth of freshwater beaches, but its proximity to Glasgow airport means many folks oft en drive through on their way up north. Patrick Colquhoun, son of the present clan chief, reckons the inn deserves more than fleeting admiration through a car window. “Reimagining the Loch Lomond Arms [once the Colquhoun Arms Hotel] is the first step towards making Luss a destination, somewhere visitors can experience authentic Scottishness, and that locals can be proud of,” he says.
“I wanted the new layout to boast the beauty of our land and tell the stories of the people who live on it. I also wanted it to be utterly luxurious, so Russell Sage Studio was a natural fit for the project.”
Russell, the virtuoso behind the Fife Arms, Ardbeg House and Glenmorangie House, didn’t shy away from the seemingly impossible task of fitting eight centuries’ worth of history into one modestly sized 15-bedroom inn. “This is is the first time in my career that I have had total freedom to play,” he says, delighted. “The team and I turned this entire project around in 14 weeks. It nearly killed me,” he jokes, “but I had so much fun doing it.”
The interiors embody the designer’s own panache and attention to detail. He leads me between rooms, pointing out a stuffed lion along the way. “It’s a nod to Ian Colquhoun, who allegedly kept a tame pet lion with him in the trenches of the First World War.” You can sense this very Scottish interplay of contemplative storytelling and unapologetic swagger everywhere here.
The Map Room whisky bar is a cohesive mishmash of pink velvet chairs, taxidermy, antique tables and yellow crystal vases. “Most pieces were locally made or lifted from the clan archives, rather than bought new for this project,” says Russell. Sir Ivar Colquhoun’s collection of hand-drawn maps decorates the ceiling. “Grandpa left me a case of these when he died,” shares Patrick. “He loved adventure.”
The candlelit Treasury restaurant, with its long banquet table and polished silverware, is used for gatherings. Walls are papered in Trossachs silhouettes by Dundee artist Freya Cumming, and monoprints of ferns from the family chapel are painted on by Somerset-based artist Gill Flurry. “The bedrooms are inspired by the most eccentric Colquhouns,” says Russell, excited to share more lore.
John Colquhoun was styled “the last witch in Scotland” for concocting a love potion to seduce his sister-in-law. His room, Nova Scotia Love Potion, is up in the eaves, with russet walls and charming cabinetry painted by Lizzie Bentley.
Fiona Colquhoun, the Countess of Arran, drove a pack of red-necked wallabies to Loch Lomond in her E-Type Jag in the 1940s before plonking them on Inchconnachan island, where a colony of 12 still lives today. Her room, an ocean-blue suite chock-full of tartan and trinkets, is named The Wallabies & The Jaguar.
I’m staying in The Underwater Sure Shot, which is inspired by Iona Colquhoun, Duchess of Argyll and the first female grandmaster of the Keepers of the Quaich. A QR code, carved into a clay plaque by Scottish potter Sean Kingsley, tells me that Iona was a scuba diver and an amazing rifle shot who loved a glam night on the tiles. The decor reflects her personality, as Russell sees it: a portrait of Iona in her scuba gear by Garry Harper, rosy wallpaper, floral curtains, a pink rug and tartan cushions by McAlister Textiles. It’s bold, but I feel settled here. Sleeping is easy when your pillow puffs like a cloud; and waking isn’t a chore when a terracotta-tiled shower, with Arran’s Glenashdale body wash, waits by the window.
Dinner is served in The Stag & Two Hounds restaurant. The head chef ’s flavour-first menu tips its hat to no-frills Scottish pub grub: fish and chips (landed at Scrabster harbour), lamb haggis (served with a Lomond Distillery malt peppercorn sauce), oatcakes and whipped crowdie (from Knockraich Farm in Fintry) and Cumbrae oysters (from a family-run oyster farm). The Cullen Skink is rich and rewarding with generous chunks of haddock and a flaky pastry lid. “We aren’t reaching for Michelin stars,” says Patrick. “We care more about celebrating Scottish produce.” Soon, venison, lamb, beef and vegetables will all be sourced from the Luss estate.
At the end of my stay, Russell proudly shows off the deliciously OTT Tunnock’s boot room. It is plastered from skirting to ceiling in shimmering tea cake wrappers. He grins: “I just love working in Scotland.”
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