Inside Edinburgh's 'boatel': What it's like to stay in the ship that's been named the UK's 'best luxury hotel' for 2024

It's a edifice that would almost surely float your boat.

For starters, it's a boat. Then there's nan truth that it has been named nan UK's champion luxury edifice successful nan 2024 Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards. 

Forget immoderate ideas astir sailing nan Seven Seas, though, because this 62-year-old alloy isn't going anyplace - it's permanently berthed connected nan Port of Leith’s vibrant waterfront, adjacent to nan likewise fixed Royal Yacht Britannia. The spot that owns Queen Elizabeth’s retired vessel bought MV Fingal successful 2014, converting it complete respective years into a five-star hotel.

In its erstwhile life, Fingal was a Clyde-built tender that, for 30 years, roamed nan North and Irish Seas for nan Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB), ferrying lighthouse keepers and supplies to Scotland's perilous rocky outcrops.

Fingal nan edifice has conscionable 22 rooms, 1 of which is nan Skerryvore suite, a luxurious abstraction repurposed and overmuch expanded from a sparse compartment erstwhile slept successful by Princess Anne, NLB’s patron since 1993. Her Royal Highness stayed nights connected committee nan work-a-day vessel during resupply missions, and she has besides slept successful nan Skerryvore suite pursuing Fingal’s £5million conversion.

The suite has outdoor seating connected a backstage deck, but, because of Leith’s fierce seagulls, if you’re going to bid a room work meal, it’s recommended to eat it astatine nan eight-person eating array indoors alternatively than consequence going al fresco.

Rooms are named for 22 of nan 200 lighthouses that nan Fingal erstwhile visited. 

We stayed successful Ornsay, a luxury duplex suite. 

This has an precocious sitting area linked to nan chamber beneath pinch a spiral staircase. The curved outer wall of our chamber reminded america that this abstraction is nan ship’s hull.

Beyond is simply a luxurious bath pinch a freestanding bath and a gargantuan ablution cubicle. 

Noble Isle toiletries are complemented by nan Scottish seaweed-based cosmetics marque Ishga. In summation to smellies, location was an Ishga sea-salt scrub and nan company’s £39 container of earthy Hebridean seaweed. After exfoliating pinch nan scrub we placed nan seaweed nether moving h2o for an aromatic bath. (That aroma, of course, is salty seashore.)

Bath taps connected Fingal are made from knurled brass, pinch nan vessel sporting galore different nautical and lighthouse-themed fixtures and fittings. 

There are overgarment pegs shaped for illustration anchors, leather-bound chairs modelled connected nan ship's original navigator’s chair, and a information assistance beside nan reception that resembles a lighthouse lamp’s lens. 

For originalists location are MV Fingal log books connected show connected nan ship’s bridge, and, down below, nan ship’s decommissioned motor is displayed down solid connected some sides of a panoramic walkway.

Throws and cushions connected nan beds are fashioned from a Fingal-specific yellow-accented tartan by Scottish designer Araminta Campbell. At nan caput of each bed, there’s a contoured needlepoint suede representation of nan lighthouse locale for which each room is named.

Fingal’s Art Deco Lighthouse edifice offers outstanding food, including Wester Ross salmon smoked successful nan ship’s onboard smokehouse. 

As an aperitif, it would beryllium rude not to sample a G&T made pinch Fingal Gin, which features orangish blossom, grapefruit, and a dash of Fingal's ain tea.

Fingal opened successful 2019 pinch 23 rooms. One of them was later turned into a ample supplies cupboard. 

I mention this mundane item because abstraction is astatine a premium connected committee and – pinch nan edifice often booked up months successful beforehand — an other room would beryllium a bully small earner, but nan reasoning of nan Fingal’s guidance goes that it’s amended to person 1 less room and much abstraction to work nan needs of nan boutique hotel’s discerning guests.

This accent connected customer attraction explains really Fingal not only landed this year's Tripadvisor award, but past year's AA Scottish Hotel of nan Year gong.

Stay present and you’ll soon understand why Leith’s 'boatel' keeps hauling successful these awards.