The Fife Arms, Braemar 1977

Located in the heart of Braemar, a picturesque village in the Cairngorms National Park, The Fife Arms is a landmark hotel with a storied past and a striking modern transformation. Built in the mid-19th century, during the height of Queen Victoria’s love affair with the Highlands, the hotel has long been associated with Scotland’s royal and aristocratic heritage.

Named after the Duke of Fife, who married Princess Louise, daughter of King Edward VII, the Fife Arms originally served as a traditional Victorian coaching inn. Its strategic location near Balmoral Castle—the Royal Family’s Scottish residence—made it a fashionable stop for well-heeled travellers, hunters, and guests heading to Royal Deeside.

With its turreted granite façade, tartan-clad interiors, and welcoming fires, the hotel embodied classic Highland hospitality for over a century. It hosted tourists, walking parties, and visitors attending the world-famous Braemar Gathering, a Highland Games event regularly attended by the British monarch.

In recent years, however, the Fife Arms underwent an extraordinary reinvention. Purchased in 2015 by Iwan and Manuela Wirth, co-founders of the international art gallery Hauser & Wirth, the hotel was closed for an extensive four-year renovation. When it reopened in 2018, it was no longer just a hotel—it had become a cultural destination.

Today, the Fife Arms blends traditional Scottish charm with bold artistic flair. It houses over 14,000 works of art and antiques, including pieces by Pablo Picasso, Lucian Freud, and even a ceiling painted by Zhang Enli. The interiors were redesigned to reflect the building’s Victorian roots, Highland folklore, and artistic creativity—all with meticulous attention to detail. Each guest room is individually styled, with themes ranging from Scottish heroes to writers and artists.