Intro

Perthshire’s loss is Angus’s gain: this lovely hotel is only quarter of a mile into the latter county, in the rich Vale of Strathmore area. It’s well in the countryside but not far from the Perth to Aberdeen route, so easy to get to. Glamis Castle is the nearby flagship attraction, home to the earls of Strathmore: this was the childhood home of the proudly-Scottish late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, while the present Queen’s late sister, Princess Margaret, was born here. The many-turreted and historical pile is a mere 3 miles from Castleton and is well worth a visit. You may not be a royalist but it’s hard to argue other than that the royals tend to stay in the best of areas.

On this mediaeval site, in 1902, Castleton House came into being. It was in private hands until 15 years ago, when it became an hotel. From 1999 onwards, several painstaking years of upgrading have turned it into a top-notch concern, recently recognised by the AA as one of that association’s ‘Top 200 Hotels’ in the United Kingdom.

And at The Scottish Hotels of the Year Awards the hotel did well in both 2005 and 2006, winning a runner-up position to The Scottish Country House Hotel of the Year, a Very Highly Commended for chef Andrew Wilkie and a runner-up place in the Breakfast of the Year category. Castleton’s owners are David and Verity Webster (who also own the wonderful Raemoir House, also reviewed on HRS) who generally like to personally welcome their guests upon arrival.

We liked their chatty website, their brochure and booking form – and had a feeling that we would like the hotel, too. Members of the HotelReview™ team know the hotel and area well, so we sent our Reviewer who did not. So, how did he fare in the Angus Glens - home to Peter Pan?

The hotel

All rooms are beautifully proportioned and there is much to enjoy outdoors in the 9 acres of grounds and gardens. This is an hotel that’s not only in the country – it actually celebrates the fact! A 10-minute walk will take you through mature woodland, where a variety of seasonal flora can be found, and you may come across a wee bridge over a burn (the Scots word for stream) which dates back to 1784.

Along the way guests may discover where some of the vegetables and soft fruit served by head chef Andrew Wilkie originate from. And then there’s the animal life: free-roaming chickens, some friendly ducks, and new additions to Verity’s animal kingdom… a couple of Tamworth pigs – a rare breed indeed. All of the aforementioned form part of an environmentally friendly food chain. During the summer, free range eggs can be bought from the hotel as can bunches of snowdrops, daffodils and sweet peas when in season.

Back indoors, the hotel is a model of elegance and good taste. Fabrics are beautifully chosen; paintings and pictures are a feature – the annual Art Exhibition is a great success (on display are 80 works of original contemporary art by artists such as Elaine Cunningham, Ken Bushe, Brian Petrie, Pat Kramek, Dave Cook and Rikki Craig). Sofas and plump cushions invite relaxation. Sparkling windows are hung with swagged curtains and fresh flowers scent the air.

The Lounge, in a predominantly yellow theme, is a bright bay-windowed, luxuriously furnished, ornately corniced room with a fresh feel: and a log fire burns in a lovely fireplace. A wide selection of glossy magazines were scattered around the various polished tables, including our partner publication Scotland Magazine. We thought this a simply ideal spot in which to relax and read from the comfort zones of the numerous armchairs and sofas. One particular painting of diving seabirds is quite stunning. Also downstairs are the blue Dining Room used for breakfast, and functions; and the Cocktail Bar with its comfy seating, with the Conservatory Restaurant adjacent. It is all very inviting.

Bedrooms

Room 5, from a total of only 6, was earmarked for the Guide. On being shown upstairs it was hard not to be struck by the artistic drama of the life-size ancestral family portrait facing one at the top of the stairs, by an encircling gallery. One of the relations, in fact.

Number 5 is classified as a Four Poster Suite, and what a super room it was: artfully decked-out in a rich pale blue and beige fabric and furnished with appropriately Edwardian pieces. There’s a lovely bay windowed dressing room between the bedroom and bathroom. All proved very comfortable, as was the bed – in fact, extremely comfy in this case: you should expect no less when recumbent under a Russian goose down duvet. Russian geese have a hard time of it, one way or another, it seems. If you are over 6’ / 1m 80cm tall, the four-poster might be a tad on the neat side.

But what really impressed us was the attention to detail everywhere. An elegant silver iced water thermos in the dressing room; fresh milk for the hospitality tray; a sumptuous Castleton-crested dressing gown of light towelling inside and silk on the outside; when you find your bed has been turned down there will be a note to inform you of tomorrow’s weather, whilst wishing you a good night’s kip.

Another plus was the most informative list of Guest Services available, possibly one of the most comprehensive ever discovered by the Guide. The other 5 bedrooms are each individual and all are very tasteful, totally in keeping with the rest of the hotel. All enjoy a view out over the gardens and woodland. Expect luxury touches: and indeed you can add to this with one of the upgrade ideas you can read about right here.

Dining

Dinner is served in the Conservatory or Dining Room but before we took our place there we ventured into the Bar. A cosy, charming room with an open fire for colder days, green leather armchairs, sofas, and a winning selection of golfing prints featuring courses from Blairgowrie to the Roxburghe at Kelso. Having ordered from the £30 3-course dinner menu it was time to move through, in our case, to the Conservatory where high-backed green chairs, sparkling table settings, fresh flowers, candles and vibrantly healthy plants create a delightful ambience.

Chicken Liver Pâté canapés arrived – rich and wholesome was the verdict. First up was our starter: Seared West Coast King Scallops with an Avocado Cream and Sweet-cured Bacon. The neighbouring table had chosen the same as ourselves and on finishing theirs they were moved to whisper to us conspiratorially how superb they though it, and how well the combination of the sweet cured bacon worked. Accordingly, they took the words out of our mouth.

Anyway, next arrived the Roast Fillet of Scrabster Halibut with Eassie Asparagus and Olive Oil Tomatoes: skilfully presented, cooked to perfection and without doubt the best piece of pelagic protein this writer has scoffed for many a moon. Enough said; a hard act to follow. Well, we thought, since we’re so close to Blairgowrie (famed for soft fruit growing) we couldn’t resist trying out the Strawberries in a Tartlette filled with Lemon Curd Cream and a Passionfruit Sabayon.

The wine list looked rather interesting and we spied one of our favoured Rioja houses on there – Muga. Overall, dinner was outstanding, both cuisine and service, and met the high expectations with which we had arrived. Castleton holds 3 AA rosettes and will be featured in the new GoodFoodScotland guide.

Breakfast

is served in the Dining Room, walnut refectory tables and all, and everything is brought to your table unlike so many other places. Complimentary newspapers await. Freshly-squeezed orange juice, porridge to personal order, then the ‘full monty’ including deep golden-yoke poached eggs from the hotel’s own hens. Homemade bread and jams, fresh croissants or pain au chocolat, if preferred. What better way to start your day? Into the bargain a family of swifts put together an aerial display of which the Red Arrows would have been proud, and we had the best seat in the house - right by the crackling fire!

Leisure

A putting green and a croquet lawn share the front lawn, equipment for both are provided and kept inside the hotel. A set of rules for the latter is available should there be a competitive edge to the game! The links below will give you some idea of what’s on in the area. The hotel is under an hour from St Andrews, and well-placed for day trips to the Highlands or Royal Deeside, for example.

Links

We hope that you find these links helpful:

Glamis Castle

Scone Palace crowning place of Scottish kings

Perthshire Big Tree Country

Angus and Dundee Tourist Board

Pictavia discover Scotland’s ancient Celtic past

Angus Ahead

Angus Glens

Fettercairn Distillery

Alyth Golf Club

Receptions / Events

Castleton holds a civil marriage license, and tends to cater for those wishing to have a small but intimate ceremony, which appears to be the preferred route for many these days. However, anything up to marquee weddings are not out of the question. Conference and private dining facilities are used by many local people – a 60th birthday was in progress the night we visited, and we were left in no doubt as to how much they had enjoyed themselves!

The Reviewer’s View Tony Fasson

“This hotel, to my mind, deserves much greater recognition. David and Verity at the helm dearly care for Castleton and its guests, and continue to seek ways of improvement. What really impressed me was their attention to detail, the friendly and well trained staff, and of course the dining – both in the evening and in the morning. Guests who visit once invariably return, and quite rightly so. This is right up there with some of the best in Scotland. Watch the word spread!”

Readers’ Reviews

"We stayed with friends from Connecticut in Spring this year and thought the hotel perfectly delightful. It's small and personable, but at the same time the facilities are all there. It's definitely at the luxury / classy end of things. We also stayed at Rufflets in Saint Andrews and actually preferred the more genuinely classy set up at Castleton. The room where breakfast is served is lovely. The conservatory is pretty and very countrified rather than posh. My husband had assistance finding golf in the area, which was good, and I enjoyed meeting some of the hotels' own animals!" - Connie Stewart (Canada), 2006

“Excellent in every way, and especially so for the disabled guest as they gave me wonderful attention.” - (Name withheld), 2006

“Absolutely fantastic service, staff, owners. All top class!” - B.M., 2006

“Excellent service and lovely staff. Price for lunch a bit steep but otherwise excellent.” - J. R., 2005

“Castleton was fantastic, a real home away from home, with outstanding food, elegant rooms, and good service.” - Emma Watson, 2005

Note This hotel was awarded a listing by HotelReview™ | Scotland and has been fully reviewed by the Guide; this includes a full overnight stay followed up by quarterly quality control checks and ongoing feedback from readers. As a reviewed hotel, its Look & Book Box™ features are ONLINE and any awards made by the Guide are published above. The star grading has been awarded by the Scottish Tourist Board, VisitScotland.

Your opinion? There’s a link to a Reader’s Review form at the top and left side of this page. It only takes a moment to send the Guide your views via the small panel that will pop-up. You can be as brief or as fulsome as you wish! Your views go to the Editor, who will acknowledge your response within a few days. He may edit feedback. Reports do not go directly online. You can be named or remain anonymous. At Scotland’s most-read hotel guide we greatly value the tremendous feedback we have from our readers. Thanks!

Disability Information: Please enquire direct for full details.

Ghàidhlig: Bidh Ghàidhlig ri fhaighinn an seo a dh’aithghearr! Tapa leibh.

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