Review of The Gleneagles Hotel

An iconic country estate set beneath the beautiful Ochil Hills, Gleneagles has been a luxury destination for nearly a century.

It is located just one hour from both Glasgow and Edinburgh airports and five minutes from its own railway station for those who prefer to arrive by train. Gleneagles is on the main London to Inverness line and the journey from Kings Cross takes just over five and a half hours. The property will arrange a transfer from the station to the hotel.

Arrangements can also be made to land helicopters at the hotel.

There are 205 guest rooms, 28 suites and eight different categories of room types at Gleneagles, either situated in the Main House - with its sweeping staircases and historic nooks and crannies – or the new wing of Braid House – which is handier for the gym, spa and pool.

All are comfortably furnished with a sumptuous country house look and feature everything you would expect in a five-star hotel guest room from luxury bath products to televisions with free films, pillow menus and kettles and robes and hair dryers.

The Main House rooms ooze Edwardian charm and have period features such as fireplaces, high ceilings and ornate cornicing and are designed using Scottish textiles and fresh colour schemes. Rooms in the Braid House enjoy a similar décor, also featuring fireplaces, extra-large bathrooms and, except from rooms on the ground floor, enjoy a balcony with views over the estate.

When more room is required or perhaps multiple bedrooms for a family stay, then the 28 suites, all located in the Main House, will be the perfect choice.  With fresh flowers in each of them, suite types range from the smallest and cosiest Estate Suites offering a luxurious and spacious home away from home feel to the one-bedroom Whisky Suite on the hotel’s top floor with sweeping views over the estate, a separate sitting room and dining area and a luxurious bathroom with underfloor heating. The two-bedroom Whisky Suite is also up in the eaves of the hotel, created from the former maids’ quarters.

The largest suite is the duplex Tower Suite set, as one might expect, within the hotel’s original tower. Once the hotel’s library, this suite is both intimate yet spacious, its furnishings a successful mix of contemporary luxury and traditional country house style. With two bedrooms and a luxurious bathroom with steam shower room, a spiral staircase leads up to a charming library and sitting area, complete with a complimentary bar with premium spirits.

The property’s signature suite, and best suite for nearly a century, is the Royal Lochnagar Suite, with its four-poster bed and panoramic views across the Glendevon and Ochil Hills. The suite is awash with the finest Scottish fabrics and textiles, antiques and carefully curated artwork. With complimentary pressing, fresh flowers, a seasonal fruit plate and a complimentary bar of premium spirits, step through the marble hall and private sitting and dining rooms, past the powder room and dressing room and unwind in the luxury of the en-suite bathroom with a roll top bath – an ideal spot to unwind with a glass of champagne to take in those romantic landscape views.

Gleneagles was the creation of Donald Matheson, general manager of the Caledonian Railway Company who wanted to create a palatial country house hotel with a golf course. Thought by many to be the birthplace of the Ryder Cup, it comes as no surprise therefore that Gleneagles features three championship golf courses - The King’s Course, The Queen’s Course and the Jack Nicklaus designed Centenary Course - one nine-hole “Wee Course” with extensive practice facilities and a welcoming clubhouse. Home to the PGA National Academy for Scotland, there is a driving range, a short game area and two putting areas.

With over 50 outdoor pursuits to enjoy, from the traditional to the active, there is certainly something for all the family to enjoy at Gleneagles. From tennis to archery, carriage driving to off road driving, falconry to fishing, gundog training to horse riding, trail rides to cycling a Pashley, and more, so much more. Kids will particularly love climbing trees or zip-lining whilst master strategists will enjoy a game of croquet. Gleneagles has even teamed up with award-winning Scottish photographer Jason Baxter who will take guests out into Perthshire’s rambling countryside to help them take the best photographs.

For pampering, the Resident Spa is a celebration of health, happiness and life itself. Treatments use Gleneagles’ own oil blends featuring natural botanicals from the estate, Dr Barbara Sturm’s skincare facials and Tata Harper Treatments. There are 20 treatment rooms, a steam room a hot sauna cabin, a warm, dark vitality pool, a light filled relaxation courtyard and a healthy Spa café. The Gym and Swim area features a beautiful, lagoon shaped indoor pool for family fun and a beautifully lit adult’s only pool, perfect for laps. Outside, there is a thermal bubbling pool to warm body and soul alike.

The Gym offers a range of fitness classes, yoga sessions and for those who want to feel the burn, some of the finest gym technology around including the full interactive range of strength and cardio equipment from the Technogym ARTIS and Skill ranges.

For a complete makeover, head to The Beauty Lodge, home to a nail salon, hair salon, treatment rooms and a relaxation lounge. Just a stone’s throw from the hotel in the former gate lodge, this relaxing space is dressed in soft pastels and golds with leather chairs, velvet chaise longues and vintage drinks trolleys.

Gleneagles has a great programme for children of all ages. There are fully supervised all day activity programmes with a host of outdoor, trail-based activities as well as family favourites such as stable tours, tennis and golf camps. There is also a supervised and colourfully vibrant crèche – Little Glen - for two- to nine-year-olds, offering a safe, fun and stimulating play environment for curious minds with an indoor treehouse and slide, toy campfire and wigwams, play stables with hobby horses and more.  

The Den meanwhile is an unsupervised activity space designed as a hangout and recreation space for older children and young teenagers aged from six to fifteen. It encompasses a series of linked rooms with everything from video games to a cinema space, board games, pool and air hockey and giant games of Connect Four, giant Jenga and a huge wall-mounted Scrabble board.

For nearly a century, Gleneagles has reigned supreme as the luxury bolthole for an affluent and astute clientele.  There is a sense of occasion when you sweep up the drive to a building which is quintessentially Scottish baronial meets French chateau. The warmth of Scottish hospitality has greeted guests since 1924 when it was quickly dubbed the “riviera of the Highlands”, also earning the sobriquet of “the eighth wonder of the world”. It has hosted royalty, celebrities and politicians, even lending its name to political agreements. 

Indeed, it hosted the first international match between American and British professional golfers in 1921, (the golf courses opening before the hotel), in what is regarded as the precursor to The Ryder Cup, hosting it again in 2014.  In Scotland, they name Gleneagles as the “spiritual home” of The Ryder Cup, and it is now the only golfing destination in Europe to have hosted both The Ryder Cup and The Solheim Cup.

Even today, it is difficult to think of another similar estate which offers such a wide range of pursuits, located in a more beautiful setting, which has remained at the top of its game for such a long time. 

Its fame is such that it has just launched an artisan range in collaboration with Scottish and British Makers, Gleneagles & Co, encompassing fine foods, homeware and a beautiful leather collection drawing inspiration from the golden age of train travel. The collection is crafted by the finest UK leather goods manufacturers including Tusting and Launer London, a Royal Warrant holder to HM The Queen no less and provider of her distinctive handbags.

From cocktails and bar snacks to brasserie classics and fine dining, Gleneagles is a true culinary destination with no less than ten restaurants and bars on property, offering diverse experiences and tastes. 

The fine linens, crystal goblets and belle epoque style of The Strathearn has a touch of the theatre about it with the chefs aiming to put golden age glamour back on the menu. This is the place to tuck into a full Scottish breakfast before a day out in the hills or for glamming it up for a romantic dinner. 

Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, named after the late patron, is the only restaurant in Scotland to hold two Michelin stars. This opulent restaurant is at the very heart of Gleneagles and offers indulgent evenings in a relaxed and comfortable environment. The restaurant uses produce from the restaurant’s own Victorian walled garden and the menu still offers Andrew’s signature dish of Home Smoked Scottish Lobster with a Lime and Herb Butter. For those who take their food seriously, this dish alone is worth a trip to Gleneagles. 

The light, bright and cushion festooned restaurant, The Birnam Brasserie, brings a touch of the Mediterranean to Perthshire with Italian and French classics in a relaxed setting. A similar laid-back vibe can be enjoyed at The Dormy which is a firm favourite for families who crave stone-baked pizzas, Tandoor curries and hearty classics. The adjoining Blue Bar at The Dormy with its leather seating and roaring fire, is the go-to place for an al fresco whisky and cigar.  Auchterarder 70 is named for Gleneagles’ original telephone number and overlooks the fairways. Expect craft beers brewed down the road alongside local gins and moreish snacks for a relaxing repast. 

For salads and gourmet sandwiches or home-made cakes and pastries, look no further than The Garden Café – a modern and airy space with a central marble topped counter which also serves a variety of choice teas and fine coffee. The adult-only Garden Bar next door by way of contrast is reminiscent of the 1950’s with a Polynesian themed décor and a light-hearted party atmosphere for a touch of fun and frivolity. 

For a luxury afternoon tea full of mouth-watering savouries, pastries and cakes, head over to the Glendevon Room to enjoy tea with a view – picture windows overlooking the hotel’s lawns and estate. 

The glamorous and perhaps a little decadent 1920s comes to mind when entering The American Bar for cocktails, champagne and caviar whilst the Art Deco Century Bar offers coffee and light bites during the day and vintage champagne, wines and beers by the glass by night along with a choice of over 300 whiskies.

Gleneagles has been awarded The Gold Award by Green Tourism, the highest possible status in the scheme first awarded to the property back in 2008, the first hotel in the UK to be so honoured. The award reflects Gleneagles’ ongoing commitment to improving working practices; protecting the natural environment; reducing their carbon footprint; behaving fairly and responsibly; supporting the local community and businesses and ensuring their operation is managed and delivered as sustainably as possible. 

Some of the sustainable practices noted by Green Tourism include a well-established green team to support behaviour change and implement sustainable initiatives across the estate; a robust energy and waste management system; extensive use of LED lighting; electric vehicle charging facilities and use of water conservation technologies.