The Best Hot Chocolates in the Scottish Highlands For Cosy Season
Few things are better here in the Scottish Highlands than wrapping your hands around a really good hot chocolate when the temperature drops. Piping hot, rich, and velvety, made with proper chocolate and, if you’re feeling indulgent, a generous swirl of cream.
Add the chance to escape the often wild winter weather, and you have the makings of a perfect cosy-season afternoon.
Across the Highlands, more and more independent cafés are putting their own stamp on this cold-weather classic. Think toasted marshmallows and extravagant toppings, carefully sourced chocolate, and darker, more grown-up versions for those who prefer their cocoa with a little bitterness.
We've rounded up seven of our favourite places to seek out a proper hot chocolate, from Inverness to the Isle of Skye, with a few tempting stops along the way.
Whether you're warming up after a windswept walk, breaking up a Highland road trip or simply looking for an excuse to slow down for an hour, these are well worth adding to your autumn and winter itinerary.
1. Perk, Inverness
Best for: Instagram-worthy hot chocolate
Perk in Inverness is best known for its handmade speciality doughnuts, but its fully loaded hot chocolates are equally iconic. This is easily the best place in Inverness for hot chocolate, and you can expect gloriously indulgent cups piled high with decadent toppings and toasted marshmallows, with rich, steaming chocolate underneath.
They're almost too pretty to drink. Almost.
Naturally, you'll want something sweet to go alongside. The doughnut flavours change regularly, but we're particularly fond of the carrot cake doughnut, finished with cream cheese frosting, walnuts and a little orange peel.
Address: 36 Church Street, Inverness, IV1 1EH
2. The Linnhe Storehouse & Cafe, Appin
Best for: A chocolate stop with a view
With views towards Castle Stalker, The Linnhe is one of our favourite places to stop for coffee and something good to eat on the west coast. Run by the team behind the nearby Pierhouse Hotel, this contemporary storehouse and café has a lovely setting and puts thoughtful sourcing at the heart of its menu.
The hot chocolate is made with Artisan Zuma Hot Chocolate and comes topped with cream and marshmallows. It's just the thing after a coastal walk, particularly on one of those chilly west coast days when you need something warming!
Address: Portnacroish, Appin, Argyll, PA38 4BL
3. Glencoe Farm Shop & Cafe, Glencoe
Best for: A grown-up, fuss-free hot chocolate
After a few hours exploring Glencoe's mountains and glens, a stop at Glencoe Farm Shop & Cafe is always a good idea. This contemporary café is the perfect place to refuel, and has quickly become our go-to café in Lochaber.
Although we love a flat white here, the hot chocolate is a brilliant choice in the cold months. This is properly grown-up hot chocolate: a cup of toasty, velvety-rich goodness, perfect if you prefer a less elaborate hot chocolate without all the extra toppings.
Pair it with something from the homemade cake selection; our personal favourite is the gooey banana and chocolate muffin.
Address: Main Street, Glencoe, PH49 4HS
4. IV10, Fortrose
Best for: A slow afternoon hot chocolate
Fortrose is a lovely place to leave the car behind for a while, and IV10 makes a particularly good excuse to stop. Part café, part bar, part deli, it takes its cues from the surrounding coast and countryside, with a relaxed atmosphere that suits a slow morning or an unhurried afternoon.
In the cold months, we make a beeline here for cups of rich, swirly hot chocolate, made with cocoa from Ecuador. Topped with mini mallows and chocolate shavings, this is a real treat.
Address: 18 High Street, Fortrose, IV10 8SX
5. Lean To Coffee, Isle of Skye
Best for: A hot chocolate in a traditional croft
On a family croft in Ashaig, Lean To Coffee offers a different sort of Skye café stop. The independent coffee shop occupies a converted shipping container, with outdoor seating and an easygoing atmosphere that feels a world away from the island's busier visitor hotspots.
The hot chocolate is made with Green & Black's as standard, with fair-trade chocolate forming part of the café's commitment to good ingredients.
There's something rather appealing about enjoying a comforting cup here, surrounded by the everyday life of a working croft. If the weather plays along, take your drink outside and enjoy a little of those Skye landscapes.
Address: Ashaig, Isle of Skye, IV42 8PZ
6. The Wildcat, Fort William
Best for: Ethically sourced hot chocolate
At The Wildcat, a cosy café in the heart of Fort William, the hot chocolate comes with a thoughtful Highland twist. The café uses Understory Chocolate, a small Fort William business that blends organic raw cacao powder, coconut palm sugar, and sea salt into a rich drink.
The cacao comes from prized criollo beans grown on agroforestry farms in South America, where biodiversity is encouraged, and farmers are supported through fair pay and wider community initiatives. It's a lovely example of the thoughtful sourcing happening close to home, and all the more reason to linger over a warming cup after a day exploring Lochaber.
Address: 21 High St, Fort William, PH33 6DH
7. Dunkeld's, Dunkeld
Best for: Hot chocolate with a choice of intensity
Dunkeld's is the sort of independent café and deli where a quick stop can easily turn into a longer browse. The fridges and shelves are stocked with tempting cheeses, wines, and deli treats, but there's another good reason to pull up a chair: hot chocolate in three bitterness levels.
We played it relatively safe with 50% chocolate, but those who prefer a more intense cocoa hit can go up to 75% or all the way to 100%. Especially good if you like your chocolate dark, complex, and not too sweet.
Address: 1 Atholl St, Dunkeld, PH8 0AR
