HIGHPOINTS™
What has impressed our Reviewers and Readers most about this hotel?

> A real county house experience in a real country house
> Beautiful riverside surroundings in an extensive country estate
> An excellent dining experience in an elegant dining room
> Helpful and professional staff: enthusiastic yet unobtrusive
> A range of accommodation options available

Intro
Ballathie House Hotel is a superb country house hotel in which every element comes together to give a real sense of Scottish country house hospitality.  The setting, in extensive grounds on the banks of the River Tay, perfectly complements the grand main house built in the 1880s.  Once through the front door, the well kept public rooms are welcoming and  in keeping with the character of the house itself, whether in the green leather and wood of the bar; the comfortable drawing room; or the elegant dining room.

Guests at Ballathie have a choice of accommodation, whether in the main house, where most rooms are accessed by the magnificent staircase, or in the modern Riverside annexe. There is also a fully wheelchair accessible suite in the main house, and a separate Sportsman's Lodge. 

Character and setting/location
The hotel stands in its own estate on the bank of the River Tay some eight miles north east of Perth.  The main drive is three quarters of a mile long and brings you to the north west front of the hotel.  The south east front of the hotel overlooks landscaped gardens that descend to the riverbank itself.

If you imagine the perfect late 19th Century Scottish country house hotel built in the Scottish Baronial style, complete with turrets, you would have in mind something very like Ballathie House.  The main house is home to the hotel's public rooms and to 26 of the guest rooms.  A further 15 guest rooms are located in the modern Riverside annexe which stands a hundred yards to the north east and also overlooks the River Tay.  The two are linked by a lit path running through the gardens.

Public rooms/spaces
The public rooms are all beautifully appointed and welcoming. Fires burn in elegant fireplaces throughout the house and there are plenty of little corners in which to curl up, read the newspaper or catch a quite moment over a cup of coffee.

The twin aspect drawing room is elegant, yet cosy and overlooks the gardens and river below. Comfortable sofas are set around low tables littered with magazines to suit all interests. The bar has a more intimate feel, decorated as it is with wood panelling and an abundance of green leather. Here another of Ballathie’s impressive fireplaces provides a welcome draw on colder days.

The morning room, with its large mahogany table and striking red décor, offers private dining for up to 18 guests or can be booked as a meeting room. This room is situated just off the main lobby.

The elegant dining room overlooks the river and has a partition so that the smaller third of the room can be divided from its larger neighbour. In addition, there is partitioning between this smaller room and the lounge. Should a function or event require it, all three parts can be opened up to provide a much larger space.

Guest bedrooms
There are a total of 41 guest bedrooms or suites at Ballathie House, including 26 in the main house and 15 in the Riverside annexe.  One suite in the main house is fully accessible for wheelchair users.

A range of different styles of accommodation are on offer to suit different tastes.  In the main house there are a number of master rooms. There is also a choice of standard rooms, either the more traditional styled rooms in the main house, or the more modern rooms in the Riverside annexe. 

The latter are larger than the standard rooms in the main house and all have river views.  The Riverside annexe stands 100 yards from the main house and is connected to it by an illuminated walkway across the garden.  There are also two large suites in the Riverside annexe.

All guest rooms come highly appointed and all have en-suite bathrooms. In one of the master rooms room an unusual bathroom has been created which incorporates one of the house's turrets.

Gilchrist and Soames toiletries, fluffy towels and soft white bathrobes come as standard. In addition to the traditional touches, rooms have modern conveniences such as flat screen TVs with Freeview channels and 24 hour room service.

A separate Sporting Lodge offers STB 3 Star Lodge accommodation in a choice of 11 rooms each having its own private entrance.

Guest services
Ballathie House is fully accessible at ground floor level with ramps to the main entrance and disabled toilets. One suite is available on the ground floor of the main house which has been specially adapted for use by disabled guests.

Ballathie also welcomes families. Children have their own supper menu, served from 6pm to 7pm by prior arrangement, though very young children are not allowed in the dining room during dinner service.

A range of guest services are available including a concierge service, a laundry and dry cleaning service (available weekdays only), access to a lockable gun room, a rod room, access to fish freezers, a drying room, plus lockers and a safe deposit arrangement. 24 hour room service is also available.

Fax and photocopying services are available at the reception, and free WiFi access is available in the hotel's public areas.

Dogs are welcome at Ballathie House for a small additional daily charge.

Restaurant and dining experience
The restaurant at Ballathie House occupies a large part of the rear of the ground floor of the hotel, offering views down to the River Tay and across the the rising ground on its far side.  There is also a private dining room for groups or functions.

The overall feel of the dining experience  perfectly matches the country house ambience of every other aspect of a stay at Ballathie.  Both lunch and dinner are served.  The hotel serves lunch from 12.30pm to 2.00pm, and Sunday lunch at Ballathie is a particular event.

Dinner is served from 7.00pm to 9.00pm. Dress for dinner is smart casual, ideally with a jacket.  The food itself is excellent.  Some of the Scotch Beef on offer is sourced from the Ballathie Estate itself, and Scottish ingredients are used wherever possible.  In the case of seafood, this means that much of what you eat will have been sourced from the Isle of Skye.

Dinner comprises three or four courses plus coffee, and an alternative vegetarian menu is available on request.  Service is excellent and the food itself shows what can be achieved when fine ingredients are prepared with flair and skill.

Breakfast
Breakfast at Ballathie House is a particular joy.  In daytime, the views over the River Tay from the dining room can be fully appreciated, but your attention will soon return to the excellent choice of food on offer. 

A wide range of tastes are catered for, and the attention to detail shows through in touches like the orange juice, freshly squeezed to order.  Fruit, porridge and continental options are all on offer, as are kippers or smoked haddock from the Isle of Skye; black pudding from Stornoway; and back bacon and sausage sourced even more locally.  Whatever your plans for the day, breakfast at Ballathie House will set you up perfectly for them.

Meetings and events facilities
Ballathie offers two main spaces for events or meetings.  The Morning Room in the main house can seat up to 18 in boardroom style, while the conference room in the Riverside annexe can accommodate up to 50 in theatre layout or for a reception; or 30 in boardroom layout.  The room in the Riverside annexe has a service point, so light lunches can be served without the need to return to the main house.

With its “away from it all” feel, Ballathie House also makes an excellent venue for a wedding or wedding reception.  Parties of 75 to 90 can enjoy exclusive use of the hotel and an extension into a marquee on the neighbouring lawn can allow groups of up to 200 to be catered for. 

Leisure
You'd expect a country house hotel built in the heart of Perthshire and on the banks of the River Tay to have a strong heritage of country sports: and Ballathie House certainly lives up to that expectation.  The hotel pays particular attention to the needs of its sporting guests and expert advice is on hand to help you organise your fishing and shooting activities in the area.

The depth of the tradition comes through in the attention to detail.  A separate entrance to the hotel is provided for those returning after a day in the field or the river.  The hotel has its own gun room. rod room and drying room, and fish can be frozen so guests can take their catch home with them.

Service highs/lows
Ballathie House prides itself in recreating the country house feel for its guests,and the service on offer plays a large part in that.  Staff are professional, helpful, attentive and friendly.  Someone always seems to be there when you want them, but they take pride in being unobtrusive when you don't.  Staffing levels in the restaurant are very good, and we found food service times to be swift.  Levels of cleanliness throughout the hotel are also extremely high.

Local points of interest
Standing only a few miles off the A9 and  8 miles from Perth, Ballathie House Hotel is about as central as it is possible to get in mainland Scotland.  This makes it easily accessible from Edinburgh, Glasgow or Aberdeen, and their airports.

With a location in the heart of historic Perthshire there is a vast amount to see and do within easy range of the hotel.  Perthshire itself extends from the the lower lying and more fertile areas in the south and east, with their rich Pictish history, to the Highlands in the north west and the Cairngorms in the north.

Target/ideal markets
As with so much else about Ballathie House, a sense of the key markets it appeals to comes from its country house roots and ambience.  It is especially attractive to couples wanting a relaxing experience, and to groups in Perthshire for the shooting or fishing.  Families can be catered for and children have a supper menu served before dinner service times, though young children are not permitted in the dining room during dinner service.

A range of offers and short breaks is available out of the peak season which helps make a stay at Ballathie House Hotel an even more appealing experience.

Ballathie House also provides a particular draw for lunches – and Sunday lunches in particular - and afternoon teas.  The hotel can also provide exclusive use for weddings and wedding receptions; and the Riverside annexe is an ideal venue for secluded business meetings.

Facebook

Stumble It!

Delicious