STAY - Review of Murrayshall House Hotel, Perthshire, Scotland
I always find it somewhat comforting to revisit a hotel or accommodation I’ve been to previously. I feel more at ease just knowing the route, how to get there and there are no expectations, which for me, removes the stress of trying to capture everything all at once.
REVIEW OF MURRAYSHALL HOUSE HOTEL IN PERTHSHIRE, SCOTLAND
I returned to Murrayshall Country House Hotel and Golf Club, Scone, Perthshire earlier last week. Read about my previous visit HERE
Not much has changed, just the weather and the lifting of all restrictions. This means that everything was a little brighter and more colourful. The lawns and landscape were 20 shades of green and lush, the skies were blue and sunny; whilst inside, the large windows allowed for so much gorgeous sunlight to pour in and make everything sparkle and look super comfortable up until around 1030pm at night. The wonders of living in Scotland mid Summer.
The old house part of the hotel houses the reception, the library, the lounge, bar, dining room and rooms upstairs. It cracks and creeks but it’s quite magical and the sunshine just makes it all the more whimsical.
MURRAYSHALL HOTEL INTERIOR
The last time I visited we were inbetween lock downs and no-one really knew what they were and weren’t allowed to do. It was lovely to see this hotel bustling with guests, enjoying early evening drinks outside on the terrace overlooking the golf course, seeing people sitting in the lounge taking in the warmth of the afternoon sunshine and golfers walking about with bags slung over their shoulders.
MURRAYSHALL DELUXE ROOM
Surprisingly I also ended up in the same hotel room. Room No3, in the original part of the house, just to the left as you come up the staircase and next to the Honeymoon Suite I believe.
I do love this room. It’s the Deluxe Room with a gorgeous comfy king size bed specifically located in the room to make the most of those views out over the golf course and sweeping hills of Perth. In Summer the views are tremendous and you can see for miles.
The Deluxe Rooms start at £249, bed and breakfast for 2 people.
The hotel also have various other accommodation facilities :
Classic rooms with a double or twin beds - from £219 bed and breakfast for 2 people
Superior Rooms and Accessible Room - from £229 bed and breakfast for 2 people
Suites - a mix of main house hotel suites and external outside building suites - ideal for families and are dog friendly - from £249-£309, bed and breakfast for 2 people.
The bathroom is spacious with a great shower, long bath and superb lighting. Lovely Ishga toiletries are available in the bathroom.
What I do love, and I didn’t notice the last time was the old fashioned telephone to call reception. Nice wee touch.
MURRAYSHALL GROUNDS
The room is set up as I mentioned to take in those views of the landscape. Mid afternoon, sunset or morning, the view is captivating. There are two comfy armchairs and a wee table placed right in front of the window in the room. I opened the windows, made myself a cuppa and enjoyed the sounds of the countryside with a little chatter coming from golfers passing by. It was delightful!
After dinner, I threw the curtains open, climbed into bed and watched the spectacular sunset. Perfect ending to a great day!
DINNER AT EOLAS MURRAYSHALL
I arrived too late in the afternoon to make use of their Cairns restaurant and Courtyard for a wee bite to eat and a drink before dinner (their last booking is at 5pm). Here the dining is informal and you’ll find staple options like Burgers and Chips, Curries, Hot Dogs and Pasta dishes.
Alas a wee coffee and shortbread provided in the room, tidied me over until dinner at 7pm.
Their Eolas restaurant is for more refined dining and the menu most certainly reflects that. I’ve had Sunday Lunch here before and it was absolutely epic. Worth the drive up from Edinburgh. Read my review HERE
The restaurant again is perfectly located for those views and the large windows flood the space with light, warmth and sunshine. It’s glorious although it does make the dining room pretty warm so an ice cold pint was needed instead of a glass of vino.
Starters
Beautiful sounding dishes fill the pages of the menu and I was starting to salivate reading through it. My favourite dish of Scallops was on the menu served with celeriac, apple and coconut curry but I was swayed by this delicious sounding Summery dish of Garden pea and herb velouté with knochriach crème fresh, sour dough croutons with an additional of Scottish Langoustine skewers.
The pea veloute was incredible. I adore peas so for me this was stunning. Thick and velvety, creamy and smooth. Beautiful. Unfortunately, my Langoustines must have gotten lost, as I am still waiting on them… and I ate every last drop of the veloute, so they weren’t at the bottom of the bowl either.
Mains
Another well read menu, the mains were filled with dishes such as - Wood pigeon, fermented barley and spelt risotto with Stornoway black pudding, cep puree, and pigeon jus. Sea reared trout with Crab tortellini, lettuce, summer vegetables and horseradish sauce. Megrim sole roasted on the bone with a shellfish fricassee, sea vegetables in a champagne butter sauce.
I chose the Highland venison loin with red cabbage, hazelnut and chocolate with a side of thick cut chips.
Had I known that the venison comes with a whole purple potato, I wouldn’t have ordered the chips and perhaps chosen the Tenderstem Broccoli instead. But the chips were good - hot, fluffy, crispy and soft.
The venison was cooked well, although I was left just a little underwhelmed by the whole dish. It looks set to wow, but doesn’t quite hit the mark for me.
DESSERT
My eyes were instantly drawn to the Strawberries and Meringue with parfait, jelly, sorbet and mallow. None of the other desserts even stood a chance like the Apple crumble soufflé with clotted ice cream or the Rhubarb crème brûlée with shortbread.
Beautifully presented, this deconstructed Eton Mess was exactly what it says it was. A delightful plate of strawberries and meringues!
Dinner is open to the public as well as guest and costs £35 for two courses or £43 for three courses. Many of the dishes have additional supplements.
BREAKFAST AT MURRAYSHALL
The heavy curtains in the room ensured a good nights sleep - full blackout of light as well as sound! Breakfast was pleasant with a little bit of everything you could want from a hotel breakfast. The staff were lovely and very accommodation, nothing seemed to be a hassle when guests asked for odd combinations and changes to cooking etc.
There is a full cold buffet available with pastries, cereals, fruits, fruit juices, meats and cheeses as well as a breakfast menu with Full breakfast options available and eggs every which way. Apologies for my sparse looking plate, it seems my bacon that I ordered had ran away with the langoustines from the night before.
If you are not playing a round of golf at Murrayshall the following morning, or your partner is and you need something to do, why not visit the Blackwatch Castle and Museum, only an 11 minute drive away. You can immerse yourself in the extraordinary history of The Black Watch. From its formation in 1739 to the amalgamation of the Regiment in 2006 The Black Watch has played many pivotal roles in our military history. From its early years keeping “watch” over the highlands to the French Wars, Empire, the First and Second World Wars and more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the regiment has witnessed and contributed to many key moments in World history.
There is a cost to enter the museum or you can wander the gift shop and grounds free of charge. www.theblackwatch.co.uk
Murrayshall is around 1 hours drive from Edinburgh and Glasgow and 11 minutes from Perth. It’s a lovely spot for a night away, a wee golfing escape or just to get out into the country. The staff are incredibly friendly and helpful. A massive thank you to Mandy on reception - such a wonderful welcome.
Murrayshall Country House Hotel and Golf Club, Scone, Perth, PH2 7PH www.murrayshall.co.uk
Things to note:
Dog friendly - yes
Disabled access - yes there is an accessible room available. Disabled toilets and access to dining rooms also accessible.
Vegan/vegetarian/gluten free - tolerances and allergies can be catered to but you need to inform them when you book.
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