Intro

Kenneth MacLeod, folklorist and island minister, penned these lines in the late 19th century and they are part of the chorus of the well-known song The Road to the Isles. The road to the isles did – does – indeed go this way, although nowadays most will head up the A9 rather than round-up the pack ponies to take the scenic old route over the hills and by lochside. Nearby, the striking beauty spot ‘Queen’s View’ is named after Mary, Queen of Scots, and not for Victoria as the latter Scotophile monarch recorded in her diary that the spot had been named regally before she made her first visit. This was also ‘Rob Roy country’ and the principled cattle rustler and thorn in the side of the authorities would have known all the neuks and crannogs of this beautiful area of upland Perthshire. His gravestone at Balquhidder kirk growls the telling motto: MacGregor Despite Them. There has been a long history of hospitality here. Built by soldiers returning from the Battle of Culloden as a coaching inn in the 1780s, Dunalastair – which is about 20 minutes' drive from Pitlochry – remained as such for over 100 years until becoming a hotel at the end of the 19th century.

A wee bit of history

Close to Kinloch Rannoch is the ‘faery mountain’ with an initially tongue-twisting look to its name, Schiehallion. This distinctive landmark hill has a place in the annals of science as the scene of both discovery (mass) and invention (contour lines for mapping) when the conical mountain was selected by Astronomer Royal Nevil Maskelyne for his exciting-sounding ‘gravitational deflection’ experiments of 1774. “From this one experiment we learned the masses of the Earth, the Sun, the Moon, the other planets and their moons, and got contour lines into the bargain: not bad for a summer’s work”, says travel writer Bill Bryson in his superb A Short History of Nearly Everything.

The hotel

The Dunalastair has become one of the nicer independent Perthshire country hotels and offers a wide range of accommodation and good food. It's not posh and is an informal, cheery and friendly 3-star. Kinloch Rannoch is a quiet village with an open square dominated by a pretty church and the traditional hotel frontage. In summer the swallows flit about you as you wander and enjoy the air; in winter the hills and mountains are snow-capped. Come away in to hotel's Hall with its cheery open fire blazing. To the right leads off the cosy Whisky Bar where 80 or more unusual and fine malts are awaiting your arrival. (There are 4 distilleries within 30 minutes’ drive of the hotel and a tasting can be organised.) Beyond is the airy Lounge with its smart furnishings providing plenty of seating by another open fire. There are books and magazines, and another bar which offers draught beers. Keep an eye out for some splendid stuffed birds in glass cases. There's also a newly-restyled Conservatory to the front. Beyond the reception area is Schiehallion Restaurant with its Scottish ambience, log fire and magnificent antler chandeliers. Next door is a private bar area, and then the Red Room, sometimes used for dining, events or groups. Wi-fi internet access is available.

Plus+Point

Outdoors is a surprisingly large and covered Courtyard offering plenty of stylish seating, fixed heating and attractive planting. It's open most of the year except the coldest months. With the new anti-smoking law in Scotland guests at the Dun will still be able to enjoy a cigar or a smoke in some comfort, without spoiling that of others indoors. To the rear of the decked courtyard is the hotel's cheery and informal pub - very popular in summer.

Bedrooms

Let us take you back to the staircase because not only do you pass a stained glass window – you will pass glass cabinets featuring the costumes of Liam Neeson and Jessica Lange from the Hollywood film Rob Roy: a touch of romance in an hotel that specialises in romantic breaks. Indeed, you can opt for the Rob Roy Suite with its canopied four-poster bed and many luxury extras: put the Champagne on ice? Some rooms are classed by whisky terminology and you can opt for Blend Rooms or the posher Malt Rooms; there are splendid Monarch Four Poster Rooms, or the Robertson Room at the upper end of the comfort scale. Of late the hotel has been redesigning many bedrooms with a contemporary Scottish feel. We have stayed several times, most recently in an admirable ground floor room, located along subtly plaid-carpeted corridors, where we highly rated the very comfortable four-poster bed and attractive fabrics throughout. Rooms have tea / coffee hospitality trays, TV, hairdryer, controllable heating, toiletries and plenty of local information. Many have desks and armchairs, some are set into a window bay, while some of the bathrooms have recently been revamped and offer stylish bathing delights. Best thing is to have a chat with the hotel, having first glanced through their website as there are many excellent package options available which increase the value for money aspect. There is one ground floor adapted room suitable for disabled guests.

Dining

Head chef is Kevin Easingwood. Schiehallion, named after the local mountain, has won both an AA rosette and our SilverPlate™. The menu is based on Scottish ingredients and offers 4 or 5 options each for starters and mains. Chrissie Easingwood is the helpful restaurant manager. The room is a handsome place, traditional in a very Scottish manner. Local pictures and antlers on the panelled walls, a stag's head above the open fire, stunning antler chandeliers, soft lighting, windows to the village square, well-laid tables with candles and a touch of sparkle. Brilliant white modern crockery looks very swish. Choose local produce such as that from Rannoch Smokery. Highland specialities naturally abound. From a selection of starters we recently hooked Local Smoked Trout Tian which was well presented; its lime mayo the perfect dressing. We also enjoyed an admirable home-made Cream of Celeriac Soup. From the mains our choices were: Roast Duck Supreme with Fondant Potato, Roast Figs and Orange Chilli Reduction (a feast for the eye and very good); and a delicious Pan-Seared Salmon Fillet with Polenta Scone and Red Onion Salsa. A recent Fillet of Beef was superb as were lamb and halibut dishes. Iced Caramel Pot is a signature of chef Easingwood, and about a trillion calories, but awfully good and, after all, you are on holiday. £27.50 including Java coffee is a perfectly fair price. Quality cheeses are usually from top monger Iain Mellis of Edinburgh. The wine list is better than you might expect, if a little erratic, and owner Robert has some extra nice bottles up his sleeve. The Whisky Bar is a draw before or after dinner.

Breakfast

Breakfast is a mix of an informal, traditional help-yourself buffet of eggs, sausages, mushrooms, tomatoes and beans. There's freshly-made porridge and table service for particular cooked items such as fish. Continental breakfast is also available.

Leisure

Perthshire is full of fascinations and attractions from large to small, from stately to utterly youthful. Loch Rannoch is well known for its activity holidays. A little bit of research or tip-seeking at the hotel will reap dividends. Blair Castle and House of Bruar can take a day – a combination of heritage and superb shopping; take a drive to Aberfeldy and enjoy the ‘Birks o’ Aberfeldy’ walk made famous by Burns; Pitlochry Festival Theatre is not to be missed. The hotel can help you plan walking, hunting, shooting, fishing and stalking; golf breaks are offered. Have a look at the hotel’s activities page on its own site. Or, what about a ‘Murder Mystery’ weekend?

Links

We hope that you find these links helpful:

Perthshire Guide

VisitRannoch.com

Pitlochry Festival Theatre

Blair Castle

Pitlochry Angling Club

House of Bruar upscale local department store

Weekend Breaks In Perthshire

Perthshire Activity Breaks

House of Menzies excellent wine and gift place

DestinationScotland.com: Pitlochry

Edradour Distillery

Receptions / Events

Dunalastair Hotel can cater for corporate days out, private events such as smaller weddings and functions, and can be booked for exclusive use. The peaceful setting makes it an ideal venue for small business events, for example smaller meetings and training courses for 12-50 delegates. For all-day meetings the hotel can offer a choice of meals to suit varied budgets, and private rooms for lunch / dinner. Conference rooms can be equipped with state of the art technology in accordance with your requirements. Most standard audiovisual equipment is held on site but the guys at the hotel can hire in almost anything given a couple of days notice. The hotel is extremely sussed when it comes to technology as it is connected with the leading hotel industry internet company CaliNet.

The Reviewer’s View Gary McLean

“The road to Dunalastair – although you can take a train to Rannoch Station and the hotel will meet you – takes you through some top scenery. This historic and cosy hotel is especially unstuffy and informal, combining a fine location and a sensibly-priced tariff. Choose one of the restyled higher-grade bedrooms, let the hotel know that you are a HotelReviewScotland.com reader, perhaps selecting one of the packages promoted on their own website. The public rooms are very comfortable and dining's done nicely.”

Dunalastair Hotel Manager's Review

"Arriving soon."

Readers’ Reviews

"Having organised a trip for twelve discerning sleuths and diners and having travelled through snow late on a winter afternoon I can only comment that it was it with great relief that our party arrived to experience exactly the ethos described plus a warm welcome. As described in the blurb we enjoyed a warm welcome in a traditonal Victorian hotel where one could enjoy the understated elegance and ambience of roaring fires, professional staff and fine food. Fabulous!" - Elizabeth McGhie (Scotland), 2007

"Excellent! We were warmly welcomed into a beautiful, comfortable hotel. Meals were well-presented and extremely tasty. The staff couldn't do enough to ensure that our stay was enjoyable." - Donna Dyer, The Spirit Group (Scotland), 2006

“Our first experience of the Dunalastair was in December 2004 to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. What a fantastic web find! We arrived to very friendly reception staff who guided us up the staircase to the Rob Roy Suite which my husband had specially booked. After passing display cases holding costumes worn on the set of the film we entered the Rob Roy and its huge bed which we were told was made especially for Liam Neeson due to his height! The bay window overlooked the square with its grand Christmas tree and coloured lights twinkling in the frosty, dusky afternoon. We sat at the side window overlooking the road which runs up the side of the Loch and onto the isolated Rannoch Station where a scenic journey takes you to Fort William.

The little extras in the room such as DVD and CD player were nice and the bathroom with its roll top bath and luxury toiletries all made up the perfect room. Dinner in the restaurant was again an experience. Not a chip or frozen vegetable in sight, fantastic!

On the morning of the 28th (our anniversary) I opened the curtains to a winter wonderland of snow gently falling in the Square. It was perfectly romantic! Our day was spent visiting nearby Pitlochry and taking in the stunning scenery at Queen’s View before returning to a roaring log fire in the hall and enjoying a warming drink before enjoying yet more fine cuisine.

We have just returned in December 2005 after spending our second anniversary at Dunalastair. Again we were not disappointed, staying in one of the newly renovated Malt King Rooms with a luxurious spa bathroom. Besides the lovely renovated ground floor we noticed one service difference for the better: whilst we chose from the dinner menu the attentive staff explained that all the food was freshly prepared and cooked so they would call us to our table when they were ready. This avoided the uncomfortable wait at a dining table and instead we sat drinking aperitifs by the roaring fire until our table was ready.

The snow still left a romantic dusting on the squares Christmas tree, the staff were friendly and helpful and the hotel’s warmth and charm made you glow inside and it all provided the perfect place to celebrate and relax on our special twixmas break!” - Clare Walmsley (England), 2006

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“Exceptionally friendly. Nothing was too much trouble for the staff. We were able to take our two dogs and this helped make it such an enjoyable stay for us.” - W.J.W. & P.D.W. (England), 2006

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“The Dunalastair Hotel in Kinloch Rannoch is my favourite hotel and I have gone back repeatedly to celebrate several major occasions. Valentines was the first time we visited and the atmosphere was just like a big house party. I then celebrated my husband’s birthday here. When we got married here all our guests were transported to the most magical location and experience so that they are still talking about it two years later! Christmas at Dunalastair is so special that you have to book it early.

I am now planning my next trip for my birthday and the hotel is now booked for three days exclusively for all my guests. The food, activities and entertainment are being handled magnificently by the manager, Peter Sim. All the staff are stars, John Drummond always going the extra mile. James in his splendid Highland attire, I will never forget the first glimpse of him greeting us in the entrance hall with the fire roaring, it was so typically Scottish. The food is first class, the village unique, the moors stunning, the scenery breathtaking.

The rooms are individual and comfortable. You will meet people at this hotel from all over the world and it will feel like a home from home, certainly not a feeling achievable in any of the luxury chain hotels I have stayed in to date.” - Rachel Wedderburn (United Kingdom), 2005

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“What a lovely welcome when you arrive at this hotel. We were greeted by Cathy who showed us around the ground floor, including the bar lounge with its comfy sofas and chairs, and its log fire blazing away merrily! She then took us outside to point out the local area, local shops etc. Whilst going upstairs she gave us some of the hotel’s history, pointing out the framed costumes worn by Liam Neeson and Jessica Lange when they filmed the movie Rob Roy.

We stayed in the Rob Roy room to which we had been upgraded at no extra charge, because Peter, the manager, had asked if “we were celebrating anything special”… and I had confirmed it was our anniversary! The room was grand and eye-catching! There was plenty of space, a great bathroom with roll top, claw-footed bath and up-market toiletries. Our dinner was served in the Schiehallion Restaurant and it was very good. We were barely able to waddle back into the lounge for complimentary coffee and tablet before heading off to bed. Another lovely touch was when we were asked if we would like a later checkout, so there was no rush to head back home.

All of the staff, from Cathy at reception, to Pete, the general manager, to Matt our barman-come-waiter, were unfailingly courteous, friendly, and went the ‘extra mile’, which you rarely get nowadays. This is classed as a 3 star hotel, but the service and staff are 5 star! We will definitely be recommending The Dunalastair Hotel to our friends, and will certainly be going back. This was the best value for money break we have ever had, and we loved the area surrounding the hotel too. There are lots of lovely, easy walks and plenty of information in reception for surrounding tourist attractions. On the way home we visited Edradour, Scotland’s smallest distillery which was well worth going to see (the hotel’s whisky bar serves several of its malts).

I have never came home from a trip and sent in a review on the same evening, but this place is so special I didn’t want to forget! Our thanks again to the staff at The Dunalastair, it really lives up to its slogan ‘The warm heart of the Highlands’! (I can confirm that neither my partner or myself have anything to do with The Dunalastair Hotel, we just loved our stay there!)” – Kim McSorley & John Rae (Scotland), 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: The hotel has aground-floor bedroom suitable for mobility-impaired guests.

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

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