Ballathie House
| Ballathie House Hotel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Location | Stanley near Perth, Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Opening | 1972 |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 41 (+ 11 at Lodge) |
| Number of suites | 3 |
| Number of restaurants | 1 |
| Website | |
| BallathieHouseHotel.com | |
Ballathie House is a 19th-century mansion in Perthshire, Scotland. It is located around 9 miles (14 km) north of Perth, and 5.5 miles (8.9 km) west of Coupar Angus, close to the River Tay. The present house was built in 1886, and since 1972 it has operated as a country house hotel.
History
Before 1886
The Drummond family, the Earls of Perth, owned the Ballathie lands in the 17th century, selling to the Robertson family. According to Historic Scotland, the house was built during the 1850s.[1] General Richardson Robertson of Tullybelton undertook the building of the current house but died in 1883, 3 years before it was completed.
Country house, 1886-1972
General Richardson Robertson's nephew, Colonel Edmund Robert F. Richardson took over the house, selling it in 1910 to Sir Stewart Coats, from Paisley. The house was enlarged by alterations to the servants quarters and a new entrance porch. Central heating and electric lighting were also installed. An army hut was erected for use as a dance hall after the World War I and dances were held for staff and locals. A 9-hole golf course was laid out by professional golfer Ben Sayers but this was ploughed up as part of the campaign to provide more food during World War II.
Ballathie's fame as a sporting estate led to many famous guests coming to stay during this period. These included:
- Duke Michael of Russia and his wife, Natalia, Princess Brassova
- John Wolfe-Barry, civil engineer whose most famous projects included Tower Bridge and the District Line in London
- Arthur Winnington-Ingram, Bishop of London from 1901 to 1939
- The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII
- Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster
In 1936, the estate was sold to Colonel Stephen Hardie, a chartered accountant in Glasgow and founder member of the British Oxygen Company. Hardie died in 1969 and the house was sold, and converted into a hotel in 1972 by Colonel & Mrs Brassey & Maxwell family from the west of Scotland.[2]
Hotel, since 1972
John Milligan purchased the estate separately in 1998, then also the hotel in 2005. The estate is still used for farming and sports. The Sportsman's Lodge was completed in 2003, within the grounds of the hotel.[3]
Hotel facilities
Ballathie has 41 bedrooms in the main hotel, plus 11 more at the Sportsman's Lodge. The Hotel restaurant has also received various awards. Ballathie is a venue for wedding ceremonies and receptions and also has rooms for conferences and meetings up a capacity of 50. The hotel is located on the River Tay, a notable salmon fishing river. Clay pigeon and grouse shooting are available, with Scone Palace, Atholl and Glamis Castle all within easy reach.
You can take a virtual tour of the hotel on the website.[4]
The hotel has helicopter landing facilities.
Awards
- VisitScotland, the Scottish tourist board, rates Ballathie as a 4 star hotel.[5]
- The hotel's restaurant received the Silver Award from EatScotland, the restaurant guide of VisitScotland.[6][7]
- The AA gives the hotel 4 stars and 2 red rosettes.[8]
- Rural Restaurant Award win at the Scottish Hotel Awards 2010.[9]
External links
References
- ^ "Ballathie House, Listed Building Report". Historic Scotland. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
- ^ "History of Ballathie House/Hotel". Ballathie House Hotel. Archived from the original on 21 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Sportsman's Lodge". Ballathie House Hotel. Archived from the original on 21 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Virtual Tour". Ballathie House Hotel. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
- ^ "Ballathie House Hotel's profile on VisitScotland". VisitScotland. Archived from the original on 20 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Silver Award from EatScotland". EatScotland.com. VisitScotland. Archived from the original on 21 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Ballathie House Hotel receives EatScotland Silver Award". Ballathie House Hotel. Archived from the original on 21 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "AA's profile of Ballathie". The AA website. Archived from the original on 21 June 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-18.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Scottish Hotel Awards 2010". Scottish Hotel Awards. Archived from the original on 6 August 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-22.
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