NESTLED deep in the spectacular Perthshire countryside lies a family-run hotel with lashings of old-fashioned charm – the perfect idyll for a romantic weekend away far from the madding crowd.
Upon arrival at East Haugh Country Hotel, a rather grand four-star hotel in a peaceful setting near Pitlochry, you get a sense of being whisked back in time to a more-relaxed, carefree age.
You immediately feel yourself unwind – a state of mind I suspect owners Lesley and Neil McGown, who have run the hotel for nearly 20 years, want you to enjoy.
The warm reception afforded by Lesley and her daughter Sophie immediately gave my girlfriend Fiona and I the sense of being reunited with old friends in a place that we felt connected to. The warm reception was a world away from being greeted by a receptionist with a fixed smile at an anodyne chain hotel.
My first impression was a good one, the building had a feeling of warmth, homeliness and bygone-age class, but I have to admit I was slightly disappointed with our bedroom for the night, which was hidden away at the top of the 18th-century house under the eves.
It was not a four-poster affair with colourful drapes as I expected – there are four such bedrooms out of 13 – but a double bed, adorned with a heavy fawn bed spread with fish embossed on it which matched the curtains. The dark wooden furniture gave the room a slightly gloomy, old-fashioned feel, which surprised me, because I was told it was a new addition to the hotel.
However, it would be churlish not to say that I quickly got used to my surroundings and reconciled that the room did, in fact, have a certain allure that reeked of old money. The bed was comfy, too.
The second surprise was that the bathroom was across the hall, and a communal one at that. Like the bedroom, it had an old-fashioned feel to it in terms of the wallpaper and framed prints, which appeared rather tired, but after a while, I acclimatised and began to like it, particularly the fantastic whirlpool bath that was big enough to stretch out in. I was beginning to think it was perhaps not so much a matter of taste but the fact I had stayed in too many aforementioned anodyne hotels over the years.
The Two Sisters Restaurant – named after the McGown’s daughters Sophie and Emma – is the centrepiece of the hotel, which is set in two acres of gardens and originally part of the Atholl Estate some 350 years ago.
Although I was not instantly taken with the décor and the tartan carpet – quelle surprise, because it reminded me of my golf clubhouse – this is a restaurant which delivers where it really matters. Put simply, the food was superb and the service was first class.
The McGowns serve only locally sourced produce such as lamb, salmon, duck, beef, deer and, whenever possible, vegetables from their own garden. With the first mouthful of my starter – chicken liver parfait with apple and red wine chutney and toasted brioche – it became clear that Neil is a master chef.
My main course of lamb, served with minted mash and rosemary jus, transported me to culinary heaven. The dessert, sticky toffee pudding with vanilla pod ice cream, sealed the deal and I resolved to tell St Peter at the pearly gates what a find this restaurant is.
Although the three-course set meal in the restaurant, at £39.95, might be a tad pricey for some, the food served in the bar area is equally tasty. Gastronomic treats such as deep-fried haddock and roe deer liver served on a black-pudding mash, with bacon and onion ragout, have to be experienced. As you would expect, a comprehensive wine list is available in both restaurant and bar – white, red and rose from £4.25 a glass and bottles from £14.95-£27. The friendly and professional waiting staff are only too happy to recommend a tipple that will offset your meal beautifully.
The McGowns are also known for hosting popular special gourmet seafood nights that do not disappoint.
The dining experience was further enhanced by retiring to the cosy snug area next to the restaurant. There are comfortable leather armchairs, an exposed stone wall and open fireplace, and we sipped our coffee and enjoyed what was the perfect end to a delicious meal.
One of the things I really liked about East Haugh House was the little touches that made it feel like a home from home, such as the battered paperbacks in the snug, slate coasters, the funky crockery and the Moulton and Brown products available in the bathroom along with fluffy towels and bathrobes.
The hotel, located just off the A9, prides itself on offering shooting and hunting activities in nearby estates and fishing the River Tay and River Tummel for salmon and brown trout.
The McGowns have 11 years’ experience organising breaks for those who like nothing better than taking to the hills to bag grouse and pheasant or stalk a magnificent stag.
Those who are less inclined to wield a shotgun or fly-fishing rod should not be put off as there are plenty other activities to keep people occupied, such as walks through some of the most beautiful countryside in Scotland, cycling, mountain biking and golf.
But for me, the most striking aspect to East Haugh House, which can be hired for weddings, was the warm and friendly service. It epitomised the notion of a family-run hotel and the excellent food and drink more than compensated for having to cross a corridor in the middle of the night to spend a penny.
East Haugh House, by Pitlochry, Perthshire. Phone 01796 473 121 or visit www.easthaugh.co.uk
Prices vary depending on the season, but midweek they range from £109-£129 per night for a four-poster room per person based on two sharing, with dinner, B&B. Prices for a standard double room per person range from £99-£119. A small/double room is between £89 and £109.