Our Ethos

Jun 2, 2023

A lot of our guests describe our hotel as a “home from home”, and that’s exactly what we strive for within the Kylesku Hotel ethos. We’re sharing this wonderful place together and want guests to relax and make the most of the experience.

Kylesku Hotel is a soulful place where you can recharge your batteries and feel stress melt away. We take the time to get to know you, find out what you want to do and make suggestions. From sitting down with a map, making a picnic or finding fishing rods, our hotel ethose means we’re willing to get you whatever you need for your day.

As an added plus we’re even dog lovers, and welcome happy, peaceful dogs as part of your family!

No words other than heavenly. Our first visit of the year to our second home. Robin & Lynne, UK

A boat saling over the loch
Food metres, not food miles: mussel fishermen at work on Loch Glendhu, in front of the hotel.
Mussels from Loch Glendhu being served in the restaurant

Mussels from Loch Glendhu are served in the restaurant.

Our Restaurant Ethos – seasonal, local, sustainable

When it comes to our Highland restaurant, our ethos at Kylesku Hotel is to make the most of the wonderful local larder on our doorstep. Sustainable produce is a priority, and we work hand-in-hand with our suppliers to bring high quality, fresh, local ingredients to the table.

We’re especially passionate about seafood and are lucky to have exceptional seafood that couldn’t be more local. Our lobsters, langoustines, crabs and spineys are creel caught and fished in the waters surrounding the hotel and the marine protected areas of the Summer Isles. You may see the fishing boats landing on the slipway out front.

Our scallops are hand-dived just along the coast. The mussels are rope-grown in the clean waters within Loch Glendhu and Loch Glencoul – you can see them from the hotel. The fish we serve comes from Scottish coastal waters, and is landed at either Kinlochbervie, Scrabster, or the northeast coast.

Suppliers often offer tasty bycatch and seasonal vegetable gluts which inspire us to create new dishes, so no two days are the same in the restaurant. Additionally, you’ll often see the boat land a surprise catch which is then on the menu that evening. You can find out more about our restaurant’s ethos with our recent sustainability award – Best Hotel for Sustainability in the Luxury Lifestyle Magazine Readers’ Travel Awards 2022.

To accompany the food, in the bar we also like to stay local and have an interesting wine list, local real ales and an ever-growing collection of single malt whiskies & Scottish gins.

We are overwhelmed by the beauty of this location and the warmth of its people. It was a perfect stay. Larry & Casey, USA

A steak being seared on a grill
Beef from cattle reared in the Scottish Highlands.
Fresh produce being delivered to the hotel
Produce from local growers at Croft 16, just north of Kylesku Hotel.

Kylesku Hotel Design Ethos – peaceful

It’s very important to us to celebrate the spirit of the place and retain a connection to the landscape.

The outside seating and panoramic windows were designed to let guests enjoy the breath-taking views, see boats landing on the slipway and the local wildlife and birdlife, so you feel close to your surroundings.

The colours, décor and materials were chosen to harmonise with the natural environment, and are reflected in the room interiors and textiles, too. So, there’s a flow between indoors and outdoors that feels peaceful and calming.

We think our dog visitors feel it, too!

Two guests sitting in the private lounge of the hotel
Our private lounge for residents.
Two members of staff standing behind the bar laughing with each other

Respectful, supportive, rewarding

Staff ethos – respectful, supportive, rewarding

We offer an excellent package and operate a very friendly, happy team. It’s a grown-up environment to work in, and our staff are as important to us as our guests. We make sure that people are treated with respect and looked after.
We are also a living wage employer.

Everyone has two days off without fail, and if you are here with a partner or friend, then we will do whatever we can to ensure you have the same days off together. We get to know your preferences and will work to accommodate these.

We’ve invested in our staff accommodation and have lots of it! So, if we need to employ more people because they want to work fewer hours, then we can.
It’s also important to us that chefs work in good conditions, and our kitchen has induction throughout.

Our Kylesku Hotel ethos also means that we invest in our team in all sorts of ways, and take them to award ceremonies with us. If they need something, we try and sort it out for them, including personal matters. Staff have access to an employee assistance programme, which is a 24-7 helpline that they can phone up anonymously to get financial, legal and medical advice.

We do all we can to highlight the opportunities of hospitality as a career. Interested to know more? Check out jobs at Kylesku Hotel and other accommodation in the Highland Coast Collection.

Now that you know a bit more about our ethos at Kylesku Hotel, we look forward to welcoming you on your next Highland adventure.

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