The key to the secret room is hidden in a little clock at the reception desk, after which you follow the markings of a camellia – Chanel’s signature flower – to the room. On the door, you’ll find a quote by Winston Churchill: “Coco fishes from morn till night,” which he wrote to his wife, Clementine, in 1927. Once inside, the room is small, but Chanel is everywhere: There are specially commissioned tweed fabrics in greens and burgundy from Linton mill, with whom Chanel started working back in 1928 and with whom the brand continues to share a special relationship. The designer also disliked doors and would place screens in front of them, in the hope that her guests might forget to leave. The entry into the mirrored walk-in wardrobe, therefore, is hidden behind screens. Meanwhile, the wheatsheaf chandelier and Art Deco vanity mirror are inspired by Chanel’s 31 Rue Cambon apartment in Paris. The headboard and furniture throughout the room are painted in Scottish Chinoiserie, and the wallpaper is a copy of the wallpaper from Rosehall House, the Scottish manor house near Lairg, which she decorated during her relationship with the Duke. Books on Chanel are scattered around, and within an alcove in the bedroom sits a stunning freestanding copper bath.
The verdict
Staying at the Fife Arms feels like you’re living partly in a museum, part art gallery, and entirely in a world unto its own. The art and antiques are the main show, but equally exciting are Bertie’s Bar, where more than 500 bottles of whisky are beautifully lit and displayed. Twenty minutes away, beyond Balmoral, is the couple’s excellent seafood restaurant, The Fish Shop, which Conde Nast Traveller UK named one of the top new restaurants of 2023.
