Dunkeld House Hotel: A Scottish adventure for all the family

Dunkeld House Hotel - Luxury Country House in Perthshire, Scotland

We all like a spot of luxury and making it affordable and fun for all the family is a key factor for choosing the right break. We visited the Dunkeld House Hotel, Scotland hailed as the perfect destination for a family-friendly summer offering a variety of activities from wild salmon fishing, archery and clay pigeon shooting to off-road cycling, whilst offering the exhilaration and freedom that only the Scotland Highlands can.

Accommodation:

At the end of a long and stately driveway lies The Dunkeld House Hotel, once home to The 7th Duke of Atholl and set in 280 acres of Perthshire’s finest landscape, with the mighty River Tay running alongside. A hundred bedrooms of the highest standards are to be found in the Grade 2 listed building. All are ensuite and elegantly furnished in soft colours.

Non smoking and with Free View television channels and Wi Fi, the rooms are spacious and well furnished with comfortable beds and seating such as chaise longue to encourage relaxation. Well stocked tea and coffee stations served with shortbread are in the room and the bathroom has Arran Aromatics “After the Rain” toiletries with lime, rose and sandalwood aromas.

Dog lovers and big parties are catered for in The General Wades or The Fisherman’s Cottage which are both in the grounds.

Facilities:

The old-fashioned reception area complete with roaring log fire welcomes you in and you can enjoy a spot of window shopping with a series of display cabinets showing off high range country goods. A well appointed lounge is open to residents to relax in and the dining room has a bar as well as a large restaurant, with a pianist on hand to entertain as you eat.

The adjacent spa and health club has a large swimming pool, steam and sauna rooms and a Jacuzzi and there is gym too. Opening times vary for adults and children and treatments are available from the trained therapists. It’s a great place for all ages and archery and pigeon shooting is available in the grounds, along with quad biking and fishing on the River Tay or off road Land Rover experiences for the more adventurous.

Dunkeld has its own golf course and cyclists can enjoy the 100 mile non stop path and the hotel also caters for weddings and conferences.

Dining:

Breakfasts are buffet style with a good selection of cold and hot food and a menu to choose from a full Scottish to haddock and poached eggs.

Dinner is a more formal affair and a table by the window looking out to the River Tay is highly recommended. Starters range from Scottish pigeon with barley risotto and wild mushrooms to Orkney scallops served with Stornoway black pudding and pea puree. Mains include steaks and lamb cutlets from the grill or Loch Duart salmon and leek, Ayrshire goats cheese and beetroot tart. And to round off the meal, the tasty Cranachan cheesecake is worth a try, as well as the smooth chocolate fondant.

What to do:

With Glasgow, Edinburgh and Perth nearby, it's positioned in a great place to access some of Scotland’s best attractions. Historic Blair Castle is a stone’s throw from the hotel and has been the family home for the Atholls since for more than seven centuries.

With a diverse history, witnessing both turbulent and peaceful times, it has been enlarged and adapted over 750 years to suit the needs of the family and the day. The great outdoors rewards with beautiful walks and on entrance to the village, a spectacular stone bridge designed by Thomas Telford.

Birnam is the next village and was home to the writer JM Barrie who penned Peter Pan. >> Tourist information is available via www.visitscotland.com

Locally there is the Dunkeld Tree Trail which gives the chance to stroll through the estate and admire the woods which were created by Duke in the 18^th century and changed Perthshire forever. The walk takes you from the hotel and into the pretty village which was named the “best place to live in Scotland” in a 2023 poll and past the historic romantic cathedral, which is partially ruins. The main street is home to independent shops and businesses and the houses are part of a conservation area with blue plaques to mark the famous people who have lived there.

Good to Know:

The hotel has a number of special offers on during the year including midweek and weekend breaks. From April until October, if you book three nights or more, a discount of 25 % on room rates will be added. >> See Dunkeld House Hotel