Viv Blair, marketing consultant, friend of TLE and perfect pouring tea-pot connoisseur recently escaped to Fonab Castle.
Fonab Castle has been many things to many people. Built in 1892 as a residence for the Sandeman family, who are best known for the iconic black-bottled port; a British Red Cross auxiliary hospital during the First World War; offices to Scottish Hydro as they built the adjoining Pitlochry Dam; it was then unoccupied for 40 years, before being sold to the Clark family who opened it as a luxury five star hotel in 2013. The castle and modern extension house 24 bedrooms, with a further eight in the lodge to the side of the castle. Another eight-bedroom lodge is due to open in June 2017.
Location
Under 90 minutes from Scotland?s capital, yet a feeling you are deep in the Scottish Highlands. A stroll over the dam, takes you into the quaint town of Pitlochry meaning we didn?t touch the car for 48 hours, yet weren?t isolated. The inviting cafes of the town gave us plenty of culinary options when we ventured out of the castle grounds. A stroll around the loch provided us with the perfect opportunity to appreciate the stunning, vibrant autumnal colours.
Check in
Smooth and friendly. Alex, a charming, smartly kilted member of staff showed us around the hotel and facilities, providing us with a brief history of the building, advice on where we might settle ourselves during our stay and tips on walks in the area.
Communal Areas
The bar area was where we found ours...