Review: Gleneagles

Why book?

To treat yourself to a pleasing chunk of Scottish heritage. Doughty Gleneagles, and its tournament-standard golf course, is Scotland living its best life. It is a destination, not just a hotel, where interesting pleasures and people, both traditional and modern, converge. Expect a hunting, shooting, fishing lifestyle with a democratic, inclusive and 21st-century bent. A pick-and-mix of outdoor and indoor pursuits means guests also naturally tailor-make their own days.

Set the scene

Arriving from the tiny dedicated Victorian railway station, passing the substantial grey (probably rain-slashed) facade, jolly doormen in tweeds whisk open the doors to a cavernous, woodland-hued fire-warmed entrance hall. Outside in the heather-coated hills, hearty pursuits are waiting. Inside, a clubbable atmosphere prevails in The Century, with its wraparound bar, red pillars, smorgasbord of whiskies and easy sparks of conversation; in the cashmere-upholstered American Bar with its glowing fires; and in the suite of top-drawer restaurants and luxuriantly pretty spa.

What's the backstory?

Opened in rural Perthshire in 1924, commissioned by the Caledonian Railway with a railway station of its own, Gleneagles was originally known more for its world-class golf, but has evolved over the decades to become a gem of Scottish hospitality woven deeply into the Perthshire community. Since Ennismore took the helm in 2015, the “Glorious Playground” has been worked over painstakingly. Gleneagles is now more successful than ever.

The rooms

Because Gleneagles is intimate and cosy, it’s easy to forget it ticks over as a sizeable operation with 223 rooms and suites. They are squirrelled away up the grand staircases of the old building (from The Royal Lochnagar Suite, with its palette of dusky roses, leaf greens and heathers; to cosy attic eyries) and in the newer wing, Braid House (where all rooms except on the ground floor have balconies with estate views). Rooms exude a smart country warmth and have been made over by Goddard Littlefair, the interiors studio adept at modern creating classicism with crisp detailing, pieces of art and handsome fabrics. The dream is to have views across the Glendevon and Ochil Hills.

The area

Perthshire’s rivers, woodlands, rolling hills and glens are the heart of Scotland. There’s a stark beauty to the rainy-misty Glendevon and Ochil Hills that encircle Gleneagles, the heathery backdrop to the more than 55 outdoors pursuits on offer, from ferreting to axe-throwing.

The service

Celebrative, assured and full of welcoming bonhomie.

Food and drink

With five restaurants and five bars, it’s impossible to delve into all the top-drawer feasting and boozing in one visit. The Strathearn is classical Franco-Scottish fine dining with old-fashioned gueridon service, and the best Beef Wellington in a fifty-mile radius. French-inspired Andrew Fairlie is Scotland’s best – the only two-Michelin-starred restaurant in the country. The Birnam is an informal Italian-American grill with an open fire pit for informal evenings. Overlooking the greens for an informal pizza or curry is The Dormy, which also has an adjacent al fresco bar, The Inglenook, for a whisky and a cigar. The Garden Café attracts a local crowd for brunches, light lunches and afternoon teas. Gleneagles’ glamorous bars include the 1920s-inspired violet-hued American Bar, for a fire-lit Martini; the big and busy Century Bar for a sociable whisky; and Auchterader 70 for a leather armchair and a gin. Between January and March, The Winter Lodge opens its doors; its wood-paneled walls and roaring fires offer the perfect respite from the Scottish chill. Get cosy over fireside concoctions and dig out a board game as live music fills the room.

The spa

An ambitious reimagined spa was opened in Autumn 2021, a 20-treatment-room destination in itself with an army of 25 therapists with a relaunched menu using balms, oils and scrubs derived from botanicals found on the estate and in the surrounding Perthshire countryside.

A charming waiting area includes pretty sofas and a water feature wreathed in tropical plants. A relaxation room with swishy dividing curtains and squishy beds feels like an upmarket girls’ dorm. The sociable yet peaceful feel extends to the vitality pool, sauna, crystal steam room and heated loungers, where bundles of contented women converge for chats.

The Spa Cafe offers a healthy menu of buckwheat risottos, zuchini salads and herbal teas led by naturopath-nutritionist Rosemary Ferguson and moon juices by Glow Bar. (Ferguson also runs retreats at Gleneagles, with mountainside yoga, silent hikes and wild swimming). Signature treatments include the brain-melting two-hour Long Exhale. It starts with body stretches, segues to a massage with local flaxseed, borage and sea buckthorn oils infused with neroli, rose otto and sandalwood balm, and finishes with a jade-comb facial and scalp massage.

Three Sensorial Reset rituals from ‘Queen of Green’ Tata Harper incorporate chromotherapy, breath work, singing bowls and lymphatic drainage. This is the first residency outside London in the UK for Barbara Sturm, the brand known for anti-inflammatory anti-ageing treatments and non-toxic Molecular Cosmetics. Other treatments in the spa range from acupuncture and cupping. Beauty for hair, hands and feet is scheduled in the former gate house, care of Bob & Cloche.

For families

Outdoor pursuits are at the heart of Gleneagles, as are children. A team of guides and instructors are on hand to help families get stuck into tree climbing, horse riding, golf lessons, archery, fire building and marshmallow toasting. Choose between orienteering courses and nature walks with resident Labrador, Henry, gundog handling, and falconry. Little Glen is a fully supervised crèche space for toddlers and young children. An outdoor kids club, The Little Garden, focuses on encouraging younger children to learn about the great outdoors, from visits to bug houses to encounters with Hettie the Shetland Pony on stable tours. Teenagers have The Den, an unsupervised hangout filled with interactive play resources.

Eco effort

Gleneagles has eliminated single-use toiletries, encourages rail travel with complimentary transfers, and supports homelessness charity Social Bite with a portion of their room rate.

Accessibility

All of the hotel’s accessible rooms are located within the Braid House wing of the hotel, through the main building and on the other side of the spa area. The rooms are spacious and can easily accommodate a wheelchair. All bathrooms feature support rails, a pull cord for emergency assistance and separate showers. On request, the team can provide support rails, elephant feet to raise beds and furniture, raised toilet seats, a bath board pillow and handle, a bath seat or a shower and bath stool. All restaurants are accessible to wheelchair users. Loch Turret is an accessible three-bedroom lodge at Glenmor, a collection of self-catering properties onsite.

Anything else to mention?

Hogmanay at Gleneagles is particularly magical, with bagpipes and drums and a dress code of “black tie and a touch of tartan.”