A SCOTTISH hotel is ranked alongside underwater rooms off the coast of Zanzibar and "star beds" in Kenya on a list of the "most jaw-dropping places in the world to see before you die".

Atholl Palace, Pitlochry, Perthshire, received the accolade on South Africa-based global tourism website TravelGround and was the only hotel in the British Isles to make it onto the list.

It also sits alongside the Hotel Kakslauttanen in Finland which offers igloos fitted with thermal glass, the Montana Magica Lodge in Chile which is accessed via a swinging rope bridge and the Caves Resort perched on the limestone cliffs of Negril in Jamaica in the article has had 66,000 Facebook likes.

The inclusion was praised by the country's tourism authority and welcomed by the hotel owners. Mike ­Cantlay, chairman of VisitScotland, said: "With its spectacular scenery and grand architecture, Atholl Palace is certainly worthy of its place on this truly 'jaw-dropping' list.

"Popular among leisure and business visitors alike, it is a fine example of the kind of outstanding hotels we have in this country.

"I'm sure its inclusion on this prestigious list is great news, not only for Atholl Palace and Perthshire, but for Scotland as a whole."

Anthony Kelly, a director of Atholl Palace's parent firm, also said the inclusion was representative of the whole country and not just the 108-room hotel.

He said: "TravelGround has a massive global following and we are absolutely thrilled.

"To be the only hotel in the UK and Ireland included in this exclusive ranking makes the accolade all the more prestigious, not just for the hotel, but also for Scotland as a world-class destination.

"Atholl Palace has long been recognised as a 'jewel in the crown' of Scottish hospitality and it certainly is one of the gems in our Castle Collection of Hotels."

Visit the website at TravelGround