• A superb castle hotel with origins dating back over seven centuries
• Guest rooms with individual character, many specially themed
• The perfect Scottish dining experience in the Dungeon Restaurant
• Excellent leisure facilities, from Falconry to the Aqueous Spa
• Convenient for Edinburgh, but in rural Midlothian

Intro

Dalhousie Castle is a magnificent Scottish castle in a rural location convenient for central Edinburgh. More than seven centuries of history gives Dalhousie tremendous depth of character, and this has been carefully reflected in the many individually themed guest rooms and suites, and in the public areas of the castle. But a hotel is about more than stone, mortar and history, and at Dalhousie you find professional, friendly and welcoming staff who make sure your stay is one you will want to repeat.

Diners at Dalhousie can choose between the attractive Orangery and the superb Dungeon Restaurant. Both serve excellent food, but dinner in the Dungeon Restaurant gives you the true Scottish castle experience, with an unparalleled combination of food, service and setting. The hotel also scores very highly in terms of its leisure facilities, which include an Aqueous Spa, a Falconry centre in the grounds, and walks in and beyond the 11 acres of grounds.

Character and setting/location

Dalhousie Castle is a large and fascinating sandstone castle standing on the west side of the valley of the River South Esk. With its complex arrangement of turrets, towers and crenellations, Dalhousie is the real thing. Parts of the lower levels of the castle date back to the late 1200s, and it was steadily developed over the centuries by the many generations of the Ramsay family who lived here from 1280 to the early 1900s. The result is a complex and intriguing building, an ancient castle which was developed into a baronial mansion in the early 1800s. Dalhousie was visited by many Scottish monarchs over the centuries, and among less welcome visitors were King Edward I of England and Oliver Cromwell.

The castle stands in 11 acres of grounds in rural Midlothian, which to the south climbs gently towards the Moorfoot Hills. It is also, however, less than 3 miles from the Edinburgh City Bypass and less than 8 miles south east of the very centre of Edinburgh. Free car parking is available, either immediately in front of the hotel, or a short distance to the north.

Public rooms/spaces

You begin to realise what a remarkable building this is the moment you enter the front door. The heart of the hotel is a magnificent landing and hallway reached by climbing either of two sets of curving stone stairs, but you will actually start by descending a few steps into the hotel's reception. From the reception it is possible to descend into the depths of the lower level of the castle, where you find the magnificently vaulted Dungeon Restaurant complete with its resident suits of armour. Also on the lower floor of the hotel are the Aqueous Spa, and the Chapel and Gunroom. Built as a conservatory-styled annex on the south side of the hotel is the Orangery.

Everything you might need is well signed within the hotel, which is good given the complexity of the layout. The main floor is home to a number of the reception/meeting rooms. It is also the location of another of the hotel's highlights, the Library Bar. Here you find sumptuous sofas and leather chairs in groups within the castle's library, which comes complete with an extensive collection of books. In winter an open fire adds further to the atmosphere.

Guest bedrooms

There are 36 guest bedrooms at Dalhousie Castle Hotel. Of these, seven (two suites and five double/twin rooms) are located in The Lodge, in the castle grounds. Of the 29 rooms in the castle itself, two are historically themed suites; nine are themed four-poster or king size rooms; four are themed double or twin rooms; and fourteen are “standard” rooms in a range of sizes including twin, double, triple and quad. What counts as a “standard” room at Dalhousie is still pretty special by most standards.

Because so many of the guest rooms at Dalhousie are so individual in size, layout, design, décor and theme, those intending to visit are strongly recommended to take a look at the hotel's website, which includes photographs and descriptions of many of the individual rooms.

While the guest rooms vary in many ways, they all come highly equipped with things like multi-channel TVs, telephones, razor sockets, irons and ironing boards, hairdryers and hospitality trays. They are also all furnished to a very high standard: and are spotlessly clean. Guest rooms are in a number of different parts of the castle (as well as in the lodge), with many on the upper two floors of the castle. None would be especially easily accessible to someone with a mobility impairment or disability.

Guest services

Dalhousie Castle offers pretty much everything you would expect of a luxury hotel. A porter is available to carry luggage to your room, and given the number of steps in the hotel, this is a service we'd advise you accept. 24 hour room service is available; as are laundry and dry cleaning services; and even loan Wellington boots for your exploration of the grounds. Internet access is available via WiFi or cable in the guest rooms and via WiFi in the public areas, for a daily charge. Business services include the ability to send and receive faxes and photocopying and printing. Dogs may be admitted at the manager's discretion, while guests with young families can be put in touch with a local nanny service.

Scottish castles were originally built by people more interested in making them inaccessible than accessible, and this inevitably reflects in the accessibility of a building like Dalhousie Castle Hotel. Additionally, the historic importance of the building means the insertion of lifts or chair lifts into the structure is not an option. As a result, though parts of the building can be accessed by wheelchairs, this is not straightforward. Access to the main function areas on the first floor of the hotel is again possible with assistance (up steps) but not straightforward. There is a disabled toilet, but this is five steps up from the main function areas. Similar access issues tend to apply to guest rooms.

Restaurant and dining experience

There is a distinct choice of dining styles on offer at Dalhousie Castle. The Orangery Restaurant is an attractive and relaxed conservatory-style addition to the lower ground floor of the castle, overlooking the River South Esk. Most guests will visit the Orangery for breakfast. From 11am teas, coffees and sandwiches are served and from 12 noon a full lunch service is available. Afternoon tea is also served here, and in the evening a range of contemporary Scottish and European dishes are on offer for dinner.

There is some overlap between the dinner menu in the Orangery and that on offer in second dining option available at Dalhousie, the Dungeon Restaurant. Dinner in the Dungeon Restaurant comprises five courses at a fixed price and, as we said in the introduction to this review “gives you the true Scottish castle experience, with an unparalleled combination of food, service and setting.”

You start the evening half an hour before your booked time for dinner in the remarkable Library Bar where, over a drink, you make your choice from a mouth-watering menu drawing wherever possible on local produce. Here you select your starter and main course and, when your table is ready, you are led down into the depths of the castle.

The Dungeon Restaurant occupies a series of stone barrel-vaulted spaces attractively lit by small spots and candles. The décor is primarily in the form of suits of armour in recesses and medieval weaponry on display. The food is excellent. It is served by attentive and helpful staff who tell you what you are about to eat as they serve it, and it comes on a wide variety of intriguingly shaped dishes and plates, each apparently paired with a particular dish. As well as the starter and main, you are served an “amuse-bouche” before the starter and a pre-dessert. And then, of course, comes the dessert itself, a fitting finish to a memorable meal.

Breakfast

Breakfast is served in the Orangery between 7.30am and 10am during the week and between 8am and 10.30am at weekends. The menu offers a self service first course of cereals, fruit or croissants followed by a wide choice of cooked dishes, ranging from the full Scottish breakfast or any of its component parts; haddocks, kippers or smoked salmon. Or you can go for cheeses or fruit.

This is the sort of menu you will find in many Scottish hotels. What sets breakfast at Dalhousie Castle apart can be summarised in a single word: quality. The quality of the ingredients is superb, from the fresh fruit to the local bacon and sausage. And the quality of the preparation is superb, with every component turning up exactly as you'd like it to.

Meetings and events facilities

With a location close to Edinburgh, a rural setting and plenty of car parking, Dalhousie Castle is ideally located for business meetings and events, and for weddings. Five function rooms are available, in a range of sizes. Two of the rooms can each seat 20 in theatre layout, and others range up to 120. Receptions accommodating between 24 and 150 can be catered for, or banquets ranging in size from 16 to 90 diners. Part of the Dungeon Restaurant can also be made available for private parties of up to 22 diners. Dalhousie Castle may also be booked as an exclusive use venue.

The setting, the range of accommodation on offer and the availability of a room that serves as a Chapel makes Dalhousie a popular venue for weddings, and the hotel has dedicated wedding planners to assist couples make the necessary arrangements.

Leisure

Its leisure facilities are a particular strength of Dalhousie's. The Aqueous Spa was the first hydro spa of its kind in Scotland, in which relaxing and therapeutic spa treatments can be combined with invigorating hydro facilities. These include a hydro pool, a Roman style sauna, a Turkish style steam bath and a tropical rain and cold fog shower. Also available are a wide range of therapeutic and beauty treatments.

An unusual leisure option is provided by Dalhousie Castle Falconry. This allows casual visitors from the castle to view a range of hawks and owls close-up, and offers a range of packages allowing small groups to experience the thrill of actually flying owls and hawks from the hand in the castle grounds. Booking ahead is recommended for those wishing to handle the birds for themselves. Fishing, quad biking and clay pigeon shooting can also be arranged locally by the hotel, and there are a number of local golf courses.

Service highs/lows

Every aspect of the service you receive at Dalhousie is outstanding. From the helpful staff in reception to the waiter who explains to you what is on your plate in the Dungeon Restaurant, and from the porter who must see more steps in a day than most of us see in a year to the people making sure you have enough bottled water in your room, everyone you meet is professional, friendly and welcoming.

Local points of interest

Being within eight miles of the very centre of Edinburgh means that guests staying at Dalhousie Castle can benefit from all that Scotland's capital and one of the world's most fascinating cities has to offer. Less obvious is that the hotel is almost exactly three miles as the crow flies, and a little further by road, from the world famous Rosslyn Chapel. And if you head south from Dalhousie you rapidly begin to appreciate the open countryside of Midlothian and beyond it, the Scottish Borders. Find out more from the Undiscovered Scotland guide to Edinburgh.

Target/ideal markets

Dalhousie Castle & Aqueous Spa appeals to a number of different targets markets, though they all have in common factors to do with a rural location convenient for Edinburgh and the quality of the accommodation, food and service. The other factor that draws all who come to Dalhousie is the idea of staying at a genuine Scottish castle and becoming, however temporarily, a part of many centuries of genuine Scottish history. Whether the castle ghost, the “Grey Lady”, who is said to have wandered the castle since 1500 is quite so genuine is perhaps a matter of opinion.

Turning to particular market groups, leisure visitors also tend to be attracted by the hotel's justifiably positive write-ups. Business groups and weddings tend to be attracted by the range of the facilities on offer and the setting.

"Our room (Robert the Bruce) was comfortable, the bathroom first rate. The sheets were a little scratchy for an expensive place. The bath towels were very soft and comfy. We had dinner in the dungeon. It was superb, perhaps the best meal and service either of us had ever experienced in a hotel. The food was amazing and the service managed to top it. The setting in the dungeon made for a very romantic and intimate experience. By luck, we even managed to have one room to ourselves. Bravo! The staff other than at the front desk were great. We really enjoyed them. Although we didn’t get porterage on arrival, the Dungeon Restaurant is very much worth the visit and I would highly recommend the dining.” - Chuck Crannell (USA), 2006

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!

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