Gleneagles Hotel review: A luxurious Scottish escape
The hotel’s Autumn Adventure & Activity Pass runs through November and features field archery, an owl exhibition, a guided moorland walk and stargazing, as Helen Wilson-Beevers discovers
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Your support makes all the difference.In a nutshell: A five-star hotel in Perthshire, Scotland, set among a glorious backdrop of mountains and rolling greenery, featuring outdoor activities, a deluxe spa, decadent dining, roaring fires and the warmest welcome from attentive staff.
The location
Picturesque Perthshire is rich with stunning Scottish scenery – there’s no shortage of glens and rivers here. You’ll also find Auchterarder, which is the nearest town to Gleneagles Hotel, and roughly an hour’s drive from both Glasgow and Edinburgh. If you’re travelling by train, Gleneagles railway station lies just outside Auchterarder. However, the route by road offers an unrivalled view of woodland, babbling brooks and dramatic hillsides that signal your arrival in the Highlands of Scotland, so it is well worth the drive.
Local gems less than 20 miles away include Stirling Castle, which looms majestically over the Forth river and the city below. Meanwhile, the V&A Dundee is a 45-minute drive from Gleneagles, and the Scottish design galleries’ recent highlights include a tartan exhibition showcasing pieces from Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and more. For keen golfers, coastal spot St Andrews resides 45 miles east and can be reached by car and rail.
The vibe
Gleneagles was originally built in 1924, and the estate spans across an enormous stretch of 850 acres. Its site is situated beneath the Ochil Hills in Perthshire, and includes a world-renowned golf course, stables, a shooting and fishing school, tree-climbing centre, and much more, as well as the spa, shops, restaurants and bars found within the main hotel and outer buildings. Sounds like a veritable feast of varied activities? It’s no surprise, then, that the hotel’s tagline is ‘the glorious playground’.
From arrival to departure, we were given a warm welcome, and we overheard many other guests experiencing the same excellent service and inviting Scottish hospitality. The hotel’s grand exterior offers a ‘wow’ moment and, when we pulled up on a Sunday afternoon, there were guests checking in and out with their partners, pet pooches and families.
Autumn and winter are stunning seasons to enjoy Gleneagles, as the leaves change colour and the crisp mornings offer an opportunity to wrap up warm, venture outdoors and later retreat to a luxurious, cosy corner. This is perhaps the thought process behind the hotel’s current Autumn Adventure & Activity Pass, which started on 3 September and runs throughout October and November. We were presented with playing-card-sized passes for field archery, stargazing, a moorland walk, owl exhibition and Talisker cocktails by the fire.
Read more: Best hotels in Edinburgh
Bed and bath
There are 232 rooms and 27 suites in total, found across the main hotel building and the more recently created wing Braid House. Our opulent sleeping quarters came complete with plush decor; a bathroom featuring chic marble and heated floor; some tasty fudge and chocolates, and a view onto the hotel’s sweeping drive. Fluffy robes and slippers were awaiting us, too, alongside signature Gleneagles hand wash, body lotion and shower products.
Looking out the window, there was a pair of classic bikes propped up and, later, I spotted a couple going for a leisurely cycle around the grounds. Both guided cycling and bike hire are available, as well as walking tours, with almost every countryside activity you could imagine catered for, but more on that later.
After settling in, we went for a wander and were shown around the Gleneagles mini shopping arcade, which features a selection of stores, including toys, designer clothing and accessories, plus jewellery, outerwear and the robes and products guests will find in their bathrooms.
There are several spa and wellness spaces at Gleneagles, from the main pool and adjacent adults-only area to an outdoor thermal pool, which we happily soaked in while the Scottish rain started to drizzle onto our shoulders. The ambient lighting sets the tone, and there’s a dim cosiness in the adult pool area, where we snuggled down on extremely comfy loungers and settled into the relaxing stillness. You can also enjoy treatments at the restorative Resident Spa and Day Spa, while the chic Beauty Lodge is found in the Bob & Cloche lodge, boasting Art Deco design features and a salon-style treatment list for hair, nails and more.
Read more: Best spa hotels in Edinburgh
Food and drink
As we discovered, the food and drink areas are numerous, giving Gleneagles the feel of being an exclusive village. Whether you fancy indulging and heading to Scotland’s only two-Michelin-star restaurant by Andrew Fairlie; favour the relaxed bistro appeal of The Birnam; are seeking classic pub cosiness at The Dormy, or would like to tuck into afternoon tea at The Glendevon, there are 10 bars and restaurants in total to choose between.
We began our night at the opulent The Century Bar, which has red-velvet sofas, signature Gleneagles green walls, marble details and glass mosaic dividers, offering privacy between booths. We enjoyed a ‘zesty’ cocktail (reminiscent of a whisky sour) and a ‘cheerful’ kir-royal-inspired champagne cocktail.
The Strathearn is a fine-dining restaurant by evening and breakfast room by morning. Framed by velvet drapes, there is a sense of theatrical drama as you enter the space. To start, we ate scallops with cauliflower, bacon and maple, and crab with apple, chive and lemon. Our helpful sommelier assisted us with wine choices throughout, and we began by toasting our stay with a glass of champagne, before selecting a crisp, fresh white wine with the fish to start and a velvety, rich red for our main course.
Being a Sunday, we could tuck into roast dinner, and we plumped for beef sirloin, which is sourced from the nearby Tweed Valley, and was carved at the table. Yorkshire pudding, crushed carrots, seasonal greens, roast potatoes, horseradish cream and a red wine jus completed the dish. It’s no exaggeration to say this is the best beef dinner I’ve ever eaten. After a refreshing palate-cleansing dish, we moved onto desserts in the form of a parfait, hazelnut praline, grapefruit and chocolate dish, and crepe suzette, which was made at our table and served with orange, Tahitian vanilla and lemon balm.
Gleneagles is renowned for putting on a fabulous breakfast spread, and we’d been told about this ahead of our trip. But even then the splendour was quite staggering. We were seated in The Strathearn’s orangery and here we enjoyed eggs royale from the menu, tea and coffee brought to our table and a bloody Mary cocktail, plus fresh fruit, pastries, cooked breakfast, yoghurt and numerous other options from the pantry, which is packed full of delicious options. There’s even a separate area for children, complete with fruit kebabs attached to an archery board, teddies, milkshakes, cereal, and more.
We finished the session with hot chocolates and marshmallows, before heading to the The Inglenook. Here, you’ll find an indoor-outdoor atmosphere, with the central focus being a circular log-burning fire. This is surrounded by seating complete with blankets, faux-fur throws, a selection of board games and autumnal foliage. It’s the place to spend an afternoon snuggled up in the fresh air, while ignoring your phone in favour of playing a good old-fashioned game. We were soon sipping on a selection of Talisker whisky cocktails, ranging from spicy to citrus-infused, and tucking into delicious game croquettes, hearty cauliflower nuggets wrapped in crispy tempura batter and accompanying dips.
Public areas
We spent the afternoon strolling around the grounds, and took in the pitch and putt course, tennis courts, found out about the ferret school and gundog classes available, and later went to The Mews for an owl exhibition. Here, we learnt all about the 36 birds living at Gleneagles, and met a barn owl, little owl and great grey owl.
Later came a moorland walk – two guides took us on a 3km trek past the stables and tree-climbing centre and out into the open wilds of the Gleneagles estate. Trampling through the muddy ground in wellies, we took in the evening air and spotted a kestrel soaring above. Although a stargazing event had been planned for later, sadly, the weather didn’t permit.
Dinner was a more casual affair at The Birnam that evening, where we shared salads and sipped a margarita and negroni. Here, we saw families gathered – both guests at the hotel and those who’d come just for the evening, to celebrate a birthday or get together – and relaxed among the Italian-American bistro’s leafy foliage.
We had an early night after our busy day, and sipped tea in bed while listening to the rain lashing against the window. This felt like an indulgence, and that’s the beauty of Gleneagles – it offers charm and elegance, from the wild scenery and outdoor adventures to the deluxe interiors and extensive outdoor space.
Nuts and bolts
Bedrooms: 232 rooms and 27 suites
Freebies: Bottled water, tea, coffee and shortbread in the room
Wifi: Free
Extra charges: Anything from the mini bar
Disability access: The hotel entrance, general area and all restaurants are accessible to wheelchair users, with fully accessible rooms available, too
Pet policy: Dogs allowed
Bottom line
Best thing: The welcoming, attentive staff
Worst thing: Food and drinks are expensive
Perfect for: An indulgent escape from reality
Not right for: A budget break
Instagram from: The hotel’s sweeping drive or beside one of the many roaring fireplaces
Price: Rates at Gleneagles start from £575 based on two sharing, including breakfast. The Autumn Adventure & Activity Pass is available from 3 September to 30 November 2023, excluding 15-31 October, and is priced from £350 per room per night in November and from £495 in October. This B&B rate includes a complimentary room upgrade.
Find out more: Gleneagles.com
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