Skip to main content
Visit Scotland | Alba
Article published 18/04/2024

And the winner is...

The Broch on the Isle of Harris – a three-storey drystone building with a turf roof, inspired by Iron Age structures – has been crowned the 2024 winner of Scotland’s Greatest Escape (a Red Sky Production for BBC Scotland).

From the Western Isles to East Lothian, Sutherland to the Mull of Kintyre, Dunblane to Fife and Argyll the search to find Scotland’s Greatest Escape visited some incredible getaways.

Each week, two expert judges visited three different holiday locations from seven categories:

  • Unique & Unusual
  • Luxury
  • Budget Friendly
  • Lochs, Glens & Bens
  • Foodie
  • Adventure
  • Island & Coastal

 

 

 

Destinations were scored on four key criteria: accommodation, activities on offer, customer service and overall experience. 

At the grand final filmed in the East Neuk of Fife, presenter Grado invited the seven category finalists to a special gathering and announced The Broch as the overall winner.

Greatest Escape winners

Winners: The Broch on the Isle of Harris

The seven Scotland’s Greatest Escape finalists were:

  • THE BROCH AT BORVE LODGE ESTATE, Isle of Harris (Episode one, Unique & Unusual)
  • CROMLIX, Dunblane (Episode two, Luxury)
  • THE BUS STOP, East Lothian (Episode three, Budget Friendly)
  • GLENORCHY FARM, Dalmally (Episode four, Lochs, Bens & Glens)
  • LINDORES, Fife (Episode five, Foodie)
  • BENMORE ESTATE ISLAND PODS, Isle of Mull (Episode six, Adventure)
  • DUISDALE HOUSE, Isle of Skye (Episode seven, Island & Coastal)

The Cromlix Hotel

Finalist: The Cromlix Hotel

About The Broch

Scotland’s Greatest Escape Head Judge, Marina Huggett, believes The Broch is a very worthy winner of the prestigious title: “From the monumental exterior structure, with its stunning architecture, influenced from Iron Age Brochs to the inspired detailing of the high-quality interiors, the overall aesthetic is faultless."

Situated on the Borve Lodge Estate, Scotland’s Greatest Escape 2024 winner The Broch was created by owners, husband and wife Adam and Cathra Kelliher who bought the estate in 2007.

The impressive building took three years to create and won the "Unique and Unusual" category which kick-started the eight-week series. The couple also own Taransay, the UK’s largest uninhabited island.

Find out more about The Broch

For me, The Broch is alluring to visitors: it’s the first broch to be built in Scotland for 2,000 years. It is a unique building in one of Scotland’s most exquisite landscapes.

We are proud of the service levels we can deliver and we have an incredible team of dedicated staff who really care about getting it right, with a fanatical attention to detail.

And, in terms of the landscapes, Harris speaks for itself – it’s one of the last great wilderness areas of Europe, a true coastal paradise.

Owner, Adam Kelliher

Narrated by Dawn Steele, Scotland’s Greatest Escape is made by Red Sky Productions for BBC Scotland.  The full eight-part second series is available to view on BBC iPlayer.

Catch up on the series

Scotland's Greatest escapes

Related links