De Vere Barony Castle (Scottish Borders) -Lovely hotel 35 minutes from Edinburgh. (De Vere Barony Castle (Scottish Borders))

Member Name: Machair1

Product:	De Vere Barony Castle (Scottish Borders)
Date:	29/10/08 (300 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very impressive,welcome drink, clean, good breakfast.

Disadvantages: Bedrooms dated and disabled people must tell the hotel as some rooms are not served by a lift.

We have been fortunate enough to stay in this wonderful hotel several times now and thought we would like to review it so that anyone who is considering a visit to the borders, or who is maybe planning a journey to Scotland from the south could benefit from what we have discovered.

We first stayed there in April about three years ago when our daughter was working on a hill farm nearby delivering lambs and it was the first time she had done this in her vet training, so we thought we would visit her and tour around the area.

We found the hotel by looking on the website dedicated to De Vere's which you can find at:
www.deverevenues.co.uk.
From the dropdown menu on the right hand side of the page you can select The Barony Castle.

So what can I tell you about the hotel that is more than you might read on their website? Well firstly the hotel is nestled in some of the most beautiful quiet countryside in the borders, and yet it is only 35 minutes drive to Edinburgh, so if you would like to visit the city it makes a good base.
One of the things about this area we have found is that there is a great lack of moderately or cheaply priced hotels. There are some very expensive places including The Barony but the difference with The Barony is that they often have special offers which are well worth taking up.

When you arrive at the hotel you will drive along an impressive driveway past a field which on our last visit had alpacas quietly grazing. Then you will see the impressive castle looming before you. On arrival at reception you will be greeted with a lovely whisky or sherry and given your room keys.

If you are disabled whatever you do let them know because some of the hotel is not accessible by lift. It is actually a rabbit warren and there are no porters waiting to move luggage or anything for you. It is after all a castle so it is like a maze inside!


In the last few months the hotel lobby and dining areas have been tastefully decorated in a more modern style than previously and the whole atmosphere is minimalistic and modern. The dining area is a bit too dark for my taste but it would not be the opinion of everyone.

The rooms in the castle are nice but traditional and old fashioned and are going to be refurbished soon. The beds are cosy and the rooms we had were blessed with good views. All ensuite and with free internet access and sky television and of course a lovely tea tray.

So a few things you might not know when you book. The hotel has mainly two functions apart from tourists. One is it is a superb conference centre and is the home of the Scottish Ambulance Service. What this means is that you are very likely to see ambulance workers in uniform walking around the hotel between course meetings. Other courses are run here and last time we were there there was a group of alternative medicine practioners. The other use is that it holds weddings and these are at the weekends when the hotel can be full of guests and we have experienced this and it can be noisy. So I would check before you book if this is planned as we were sitting among wedding guests in the lounge, and if you can imagine groups of friends and relatives who maybe haven't got together for sometime it can get very noisy in the main areas.

The grounds of the hotel are beautiful and you can walk all around them. There is even a rope course. You can also borrow bikes free of charge.

The one thing is they are very dog friendly and we were allowed to take our little Shih Tzu into the lounge where free tea and coffee is provided. She was a bit worried by some stairs near our room which were open plan and she wanted to do a turn around everytime we had to negotiate them!

We stayed bed and breakfast and the breakfast was very good- they even had whisky to go with the porridge! Evening meals are available but I can't comment on them as being vegetarian we usually skip these.

Most days we have been there have been spent driving around the wonderful countryside. In spring the lanes are fringed with daffodils and the lambs are everywhere, it is one of the most beautiful places to be on a day in early April.

We would go to visit our daughter, help with the new born lambs, and then go back to the warmth of this hotel in the evening.

The area is at its best in the spring when new life is emerging everywhere. The hotel is a good base from which to explore and you can stay from £39 for two for bed and breakfast if you can get an offer. With the high prices of hotels in Edinburgh this can be good value.

In conclusion I would say just be careful when you book unless you mind being submerged with wedding guests and be prepared for the weekday ambulance staff. At least if you are taken ill with too much whisky on your porridge you'll be in good hands!

Summary: A good hotel especially if you can bring the cost down by getting an offer.