The SCHLOSS Roxburghe has a protracted and attention-grabbing life and will inform many a story of romance, warfare and uprisings because the twelfth Century, which embody Bonny Prince Charlie and a white rose bush stated to nonetheless bloom immediately. The great thing about the environment coupled with the heritage that surrounds the realm make this a pleasant place to recharge one’s batteries. Owned by the 12.18 group, a small group of motels offering “grand hotels in miniature”, Roxburghe is now additionally a part of Destination by Hyatt.
There have lately been in depth refurbishments and alterations offering an additional 58 bedrooms and 12 luxurious Scottish cottages, a brand new restaurant and spa services. The lodge is definitely discovered, being roughly 1 hour’s drive from Newcastle or Edinburgh, each with glorious airports.
The welcome
There is a good welcome on arrival – slightly like greeting previous pals – with loads of workers available to unload the automobile and take instances to our rooms which had been prepared and ready.
The room
The new bedrooms are within the annexe which has been very tastefully linked to the unique property – so properly executed, in reality, that it isn’t noticeable. They are superbly appointed and cater for each want and extra.
I stayed in an Estate suite (room 231) with mushy, muted tones and a up to date, very snug four-poster mattress, full with studying materials on the bedside desk. My suite included a separate panelled lounge with a herring-bone wood-effect flooring, a toilet and extra visitor bathroom services. It additionally loved a full balcony overlooking the golf course and the lounge has its personal Juliet balcony with the identical view.
The room is well-equipped with a Lavazza espresso machine and each common and decaffeinated espresso pods, a kettle with a big number of completely different teas, complimentary biscuits and a well-stocked fridge and collection of glasses. Free WiFi is obtainable, in addition to a wise TV in each the bed room and the livng space. A secure and hairdryer could possibly be discovered within the wardrobe.
The toilet
The toilet is well-equipped with a big bathtub with a handheld bathe attachment, a separate rainfall bathe, double self-importance unit, an enclosed cubicle for the WC with a frosted glass door, and the luxurious of underfloor heating.
There was a full vary of Molton Brown toiletries, together with hair conditioner which is sometimes ignored in lodge loos. Fluffy towels and bathrobes are prepared and ready on your consolation. Essentials are additionally provided for these all-important objects that guests would possibly neglect or want resembling dental, self-importance and shaving kits, in addition to bathe cap, lip balm and exfoliating mitt.
The services
Wining and eating are totally catered for whether or not or not it’s the Sunlaws restaurant within the Mansion, Fairways on the Golf Clubhouse or Charlies within the annexe. Fairways serves gentle snacks both earlier than or after your spherical from breakfast to lunch to the essential reviving drink on the finish of a difficult spherical. The Sunlaws restaurant serves superb meals and wine in a extra conventional setting and atmosphere however nonetheless utilizing native produce from native suppliers. Charlie’s within the annexe is the newest addition to the culinary expertise at SCHLOSS Roxburghe, the place the environment, decor and atmosphere is trendy with educated and sort workers.
Charlies is billed as “the home of Scottish Bistronomy” and is located in a contemporary-styled eating room that appears via enormous home windows to the gorgeous gardens and grounds. The time period ‘Scottish Bistronomy’ refers to meals made with substances that come immediately from the Estate to the plate, and showcases the best native produce and substances discovered within the space. It caters for worldwide and native palates with a respect for nature and the encompassing countryside. The space has a profusion of top notch meat, fish and recreation and that is used to scrumptious impact. Local classics are combined with worldwide delicacies.
On our first evening we had been lucky to dine on the ‘Langoustine Veloute Prawn Mono’ and the ‘Burnside Wood Pigeon Dodine’, adopted by our essential programs which included ‘”Cotelette” Confit Belly with Potato and Masala Harissa Lamb Jus’ and ‘Pork “Gentlemen Cut” with Textures of Parsley Root, Portobello and Yellow Wine Condiment and Amaranth Shoots’ – all of which was scrumptious and superbly offered.
One of the lodge’s biggest belongings and focus of consideration is the Championship golf course that’s a part of the property. There is little question that it’s a Championship course because it offers any golfer a problem and but it isn’t too overwhelming for a membership golfer. The course was designed by Dave Thomas utilizing the pure undulating lie of the land. The par 5 14th gap alongside the River Teviot with the view of the viaduct within the distance, clearly seen from the elevated tee, is the signature gap. There are, nevertheless, many different pleasant conditions requiring talent and course administration with deep bunkers, shallow bunkers by swimming pools and in addition prolonged par fours. In some locations there are lengthy walks from the inexperienced to the subsequent tee mattress however the great thing about the timber, the flowers and the wildlife make them a delight. The course is saved in immaculate situation – all credit score to the inexperienced workers.
The workers on the clubhouse are educated and prepared to assist. They have an excellent and tempting inventory of apparatus and the nineteenth has pleasant snacks and drinks accessible for anybody needing refreshment after their spherical. It is a protracted course so, while many will take pleasure in this size, some might really feel the necessity for a buggy and there are various accessible to help you. You additionally want to permit time for the opposite delights that the lodge has to supply!
For instance, the property is the house of every kind of area sports activities throughout the Scottish borders. Both novices and consultants can take pleasure in a day trip fly fishing with a totally certified fly caster. Clay goal taking pictures affords a problem of coordination between hand and eye with one-to-one coaching from a professional teacher, while the favored leisure sport of archery can be accessible with instruction in a shocking riverside location throughout the grounds of the lodge.
Rides on horseback or bicycle can be found, and jogging and mountaineering will be executed immediately from the lodge. There is even a map accessible for the lodge’s personal woodland stroll which runs alongside a fern-filled path, with thoughtfully positioned water faucets to revive parched throats. And for individuals who take pleasure in a extra leisurely sport, there’s a croquet garden on the entrance of the lodge with mallets accessible at reception.
One of the highlights of the spa is the large leisure room with snug beds and chairs the place one can benefit from the atmosphere with pals or simply chill. The room overlooks the heated out of doors infinity pool which is heated to 30 levels Centigrade and might subsequently be used all 12 months spherical. At the facet of the pool is a scorching tub, a plunge pool, an aroma sauna and a Finnish dry sauna giving guests a full spa experince.
The spa teatments are in depth, starting from full massages to enjoyable facials. Kim, my magnificence therapist whom I can completely suggest, gave me a really calming rose facial beginning with the inhalaion of frankincense and a head therapeutic massage earlier than she used the fantastic rose scented merchandise which left me feeling fully relaxed and glowing.
There can be a full health suite on supply in addition to a private coach available must you want.
Location
Roxburgh is located within the elegant countryside of the Scottish Borders, simply over an hour’s drive from each Edinburgh and Newcastle. There is a magnificence to the rolling panorama of this area that’s distinctive. Here you can find the quaint, fairly market city of Kelso whereby lies the ruined Kelso Abbey, a racecourse and in addition the late 18th Century Floors Castle – the seat of the Duke of Roxburghe. This has Victorian walled gardens and hosts varied concert events and occasions. The famed superb salmon fishing rivers of the Tweed and Cheviot even have their confluence at Kelso.
SCHLOSS Roxburghe Hotel has a ardour not just for the native Scottish panorama and surroundings but in addition for the local people and its suppliers together with a respect for the tradition of the realm. This is obvious in the whole lot concerning the lodge from the welcome to the departure, guaranteeing that you’re made to really feel very particular.
Other good touches
During our keep, we had been lucky to have the ability to pattern a Burns Night supper – a really special day for the Scots once they have fun the delivery of their favorite poet when each whisky and the haggis are revered and piped into the restaurant by a piper in full Highland gown. The haggis is handled to its personal tackle each in Gaelic and English.
The meal that evening was conventional with “neeps” (turnips) and “tatties” (potatoes) however there have been loads of trendy touches with the flavours and presentation – a feast for each the eyes and the abdomen. The full meal consisted of canapes, cock-a-leekie soup, cullen skink, roast loin of venison with haggis, neeps, tatties and whisky jus. This was adopted by cranachan and petit fours – a pleasant steadiness of flavours and a real delight of Scottish cooking and substances at their finest.
The lodge is “a special place for special moments” the place a staff of workers will take care of the whole lot anybody needs or wants. This will be for a personal perform, enterprise occasion or, after all, a marriage.
Cost
Courtyard rooms begin from £162 per evening.
Estate suites begin from £399 per evening.
The finest bit
Whilst there have been many and various highlights to our keep, from the golf to the swimming within the pool and the facial, doubtless that I cannot neglect the Burns Night supper – the meals, the traditions and the entire atmosphere of the night will probably be one thing I keep in mind for a very long time. Judging by the variety of very completely satisfied individuals sitting within the eating room that evening, I cannot be the one one.
The remaining verdict
SCHLOSS Roxburghe actually is a particular place to recharge your batteries – to calm down and be pampered, to participate in pleasurable sports activities, to strive completely different meals and flavours, and to marvel at and benefit from the lovely untouched nature of the rolling panorama and attention-grabbing historic locations close by. Their mission is to “make you feel good” and the whole lot at SCHLOSS Roxburghe is designed to do exactly that, however above all of the workers totally perceive the wants of visitors and exit of their technique to make everybody completely satisfied. It is not any surprise that it has change into a resort retreat.
Disclosure: Our keep was sponsored by SCHLOSS Roxburghe, Kelso, Scotland, UK.