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Kinnaird Hotel

Nr Dunkeld Perthshire Scotland

Frequently voted the most popular small hotel in Britain and praised to the heavens by various hotel guides, we set off for Kinnaird with high hopes. It is a member of Relais and Chateaux and the brochure pictures what looks like a substantial Edwardian mansion set, as it says, in "the midst of its own 9,000 acre estate." It implies peace and calm and a hotel disconnected from busy everyday life. However, in true estate agent style, the brochure omits to tell you what else inhabits these 9,000 acres. The very busy A9 Glasgow-Inverness trunk road roars past the windows as does a main railway line. But no-one seems to notice. It is not mentioned in the Guide, it is not acknowledged by any of the staff and everyone pretends that the hotel is a secluded delight.

Traffic

The woods are beautiful, the River Tay surges past, to the delight of salmon fishermen (there is also fishing on their own loch) and you could spend the day outside fishing, shooting, stalking walking and listening to the traffic. You really want to enjoy it but that road dominates the day.

You may think we are stupid and should have realised that the hotel was on the road but it is not that simple. Kinnaird is not actually on the A9 as such. It is on a track that leaves the A9 to cross the Tay about 5 miles from the hotel. The magnificent River lies between the hotel and the trunk road and you assume that because the A9 is not mentioned, it does not feature. But it does.

Had we been told that Kinnaird is a lovely hotel on a busy main road we would not have gone. It is £325 per couple per night including dinner so you have to think about value for money. The best room to have is the Kinnaird Suite which overlooks the main... Sorry - which is on the first floor. This Spacious suite has a king-size bed, sitting room full of valuable antiques and large bathroom with huge bath and power shower. The shower was broken when we arrived and sprayed out bits of black rubber but they fixed it during dinner. Although the room was incredibly hot we could not open the windows.

Coal Fire

The hotel has a magnificent lounge with deep cushioned sofas and club chairs. There was a roaring coal fire which was repeatedly topped up which gave the room a faint railway odour. Next to the fire was a huge basket of logs which were never used. They insist that you wear jacket and tie for dinner and then make the room so hot that this becomes unpleasant. The manager agreed that this was a bit unfair. The dinner menu was most unexpected. It appeared to have no starters but the waitress advised that what read like main courses were in fact starters. It was unusual to see things like risotto, potatoes and poussin as starters but they really meant it. Standard fish and lamb for main courses; nothing wrong with this, but rather dull. There is an excellent wine list. The manager pointed out the beautiful frescoes in the dining room and said they depicted the four seasons. We asked which was which but he did not know.

The next day we were to meet the formidable General Manager - Douglas Jack. He really is incredibly helpful. He rang shops for us to make sure they were open before we went. We had no map, he gave us his to keep. He is clearly adored by the multi-national staff and he runs an efficient operation. He understands guests' needs and tries to go that extra mile to help. We did not have the heart to bother him with our problems at lunch. I wanted a glass of wine with my excellent smoked salmon but they could not produce a glass of chilled wine until lunch was nearly over. This is a small point but it irked.

We ended up spending well over £500 on one night at Kinnaird. An inclusive hand-written VAT bill was produced. You would have thought that, at that price, they could separate out the tax for you. One guide describes the hotel as a 'truly unforgettable place.' It probably depends where you are coming from.

Kinnaird Estate, Dalguise, Nr Dunkeld, Perthshire PH8 0LB
Tel 01796 482440 Fax 01796 482289 Rooms Thursday - Sunday £325

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