Christine Faughlin checks into a luxe hotel where quiet privacy is a welcome retreat in a city where tourists crowd the streets.

Where is it? 

As the name suggests, it’s located at 100 Princes Street, tucked above Princes Street Gardens and overlooking Edinburgh’s famous castle

What’s the accommodation like? 

The smart townhouse is so unassuming you could easily walk right past it. There’s no sweeping lobby or fancy signage – in a previous life it was home to the Royal Overseas League and a meeting place for intrepid Scottish explorers, so the vibe is more private member’s club than hotel. Step inside and you feel like you’re being handed the keys to a secret society. Décor throughout is unashamedly opulent: Araminta Campbell's custom hand-woven tartans cover the walls in Highland colours, brass accents gleam in every corner and artworks and furniture nod to the building's exploratory past. There are just 30 rooms and suites – no two alike – and only resident guests are permitted to drink and dine here. I'm staying in a one-bedroom king suite with the kind of attention to detail that lets you know you're somewhere special. Handmade cakes and cookies are there for the taking, there are loofas in the bathroom and there’s even a choice of robe – light and flowing or heavy and plush. The 'Do Not Disturb' sign? An actual Highland dress sporran.

What did you eat and drink?

On arrival, we enjoyed a refined afternoon tea in The Wallace, a leather-walled lounge with unrivalled castle views. Later that night, in the atmospheric Ghillie's Pantry, a private dining room lit by the golden glow of rare whisky bottles lining the walls, head bartender Dario Orsili walked us through a bespoke pre-dinner whisky masterclass. His passion is contagious – by the time we sit down to a 'Taste of Scotland' dinner, I'm experiencing an inner warmth you only get from falling hard for a smoky Bowmore 15 from Islay. The menu is a stunning culinary journey through Scotland's prime dishes, elevated to fine-dining status. Most memorable is an aged beef fillet served with a miniature pie made from the trimmings. Dessert  –a cranachan mille-feuille – comes with a dram of rare aged whisky. 

What is there to do?

The hotel’s always-helpful staff can book you onto a number of experiences, exclusive to resident guests. Edinburgh, with its gothic spires, haunted vaults and cobbled courts, is a city shrouded in mystery and history so we arrange to take a 'hidden Edinburgh' walking tour with our enthusiastic guide and storyteller Gwen Kinghorn. She leads us right past all the usual tourist traps, through secret gates, down twisting lanes and into hidden gardens, revealing the city’s secrets and sharing the best spots to buy shortbread and tweed. Later, we drive out to Araminta Campbell's atelier, where huge heritage looms clatter as her team of modern-day Rumpelstiltskins deftly weaves alpaca yarn into exquisite tartans that will become lifelong treasures.

Lasting memory

Being met off the train at Waverley Station by the cheery tartan-clad staff who walk you the short distance to the hotel is a lovey way to arrive, and when young piper Jamie leads us up the stairs with a stirring renditions, it’s impossible not to feel moved.

Sainsbury’s magazine insider tip

If you can, skip the lift and take the stairs otherwise you'll miss the hand-painted stairwell mural, created by decorative artists Croxford and Saunders, charting the global journeys of Scottish explorers – Each floor represents a different continent and journey of exploration. at the top of the staircase with an aeronaut's hot air balloon-shaped chandelier. You’ll hours spotting tiny stories hidden in the detail – even the staff passing you on the steps delight in pausing to share their favourite detail.