SCOTLAND’S only luxury floating hotel has picked up a prestigious accolade.

Fingal, which is housed in the MV Fingal and is permanently berthed in Leith, was crowned AA Hotel of the Year Scotland by the Automobile Association at an awards ceremony in London last night.

AA inspectors praised the five-star hotel for the “exceptional quality of the ship’s stylish interior design, meticulous attention to detail, unique maritime heritage, outstanding customer service and fine dining experience”.

One AA inspector said: “Fingal was built on the Clyde and has a rich history of service as a support vessel for the Northern Lighthouse Board. Now permanently moored in Leith and owned by The Royal Britannia Trust, the ship was lovingly restored and converted into the luxury hotel it is today with this process being respectful to the history and service of this ship.

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“Unique luxury bedrooms cater well for the needs of the modern guest. Award-winning food with fantastic surroundings from a professional and skilful team. Great hospitality is shown as well as warm and genuine customer care. This is a hotel experience unlike any other that Edinburgh can offer.”

Hotel manager Mari-Nel Scorer, said: “It is with great pride that Fingal has been recognised by the AA as Scotland’s Hotel of the Year for our commitment to offering a world-class visitor experience to all our guests.

“This prestigious title is a real testament to the dedication and professionalism of our entire crew, who work tirelessly to ensure everything is shipshape.

“The inspectors paid particular attention to the exceptional quality of Fingal’s stylish interior design, our meticulous attention to detail, unique maritime heritage, outstanding customer service and fine dining experience in the ship’s Lighthouse Restaurant & Bar.”

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Fingal, a former Northern Lighthouse Board support vessel launched in 1963, was opened in 2019 following a £5 million investment by The Royal Yacht Britannia, the major tourist attraction which is berthed nearby.

It triumphed in one of 15 categories at the AA Hospitality Awards, each curated and judged by inspectors to select the best hotels and restaurants across the UK. This year’s ceremony was held at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House and hosted by Claudia Winkleman.

The latest accolade for Fingal comes after it was last year awarded the top five-star rating from the AA for the hotel and two AA Rosettes for its Lighthouse Restaurant, joining an exclusive list of only 43 five-star hotels with two AA Rosettes across the whole of the UK and Northern Ireland; it is only one of 25 hotels around the country with an overall quality assurance score of 87% or above.

Earlier this month, the hotel announced that it had joined forces with the neighbouring Lind & Lime Distillery to create a new London-style dry gin. Fingal Gin will be served exclusively to guests visiting the hotel’s Lighthouse Restaurant & Bar.