Macdonald Houstoun House

The gardens and grounds looked beautiful and very well cared for, and the bar had a lovely authentic feel. It was quiet during our visit, though we had to wait for wine while the staff looked for a corkscrew. The staff were friendly and gave us a warm welcome at reception. We were there for one night using a voucher from family. Our room was a good size, but, as others have said, it felt very dated. The food was okay, but nothing special for the price. We enjoyed the pool, although it was small, had very little seating, and the loungers were undersized and less comfortable than expected. It made for a nice overnight break, but we’ve stayed at better Macdonald hotels.

The location worked really well for us. It’s a three-minute drive to the train station, where parking is free, and the cheap train takes about 15 minutes to reach the city centre. There’s also a village pub, the volunteer arms, about a ten-minute walk away. We spent three nights here with my wife and our Dalmatian, Clive. The hotel has a rustic, authentic feel, great food, lovely staff, and a spa and swimming pool. It’s very dog-friendly, too. Such a lovely part of the world. We’d happily stay again.

The 25-minute head, neck and back massage was lovely, and the staff giving it were professional and polite. Unfortunately, that was the only part of our Valentine’s Day spa visit we really enjoyed. At lunchtime, we went to the Tower Restaurant but were told they were preparing for afternoon tea and could eat in the bar instead. We were assured the same menu would be available. We were the only guests in the bar, but service was still very disappointing. The chicken burger was fine, but the £20 salmon and crab salad was just three small pieces of smoked salmon and a few fish roe, with no salad. It wasn’t worth the price, and the menus online were completely different from what was available. We ordered tap water and two lattes. The water never arrived until we reminded the staff at the end of the meal, and somehow we were also given two more lattes even though we’d already ordered them. We were really disappointed by the food and service on what was meant to be a special day.

The staff were absolutely lovely and went out of their way to help. They brought soya milk to our room for tea, and when we said we were ordering a takeaway from Wagamama, the receptionist arranged to have it delivered straight to our room. We really appreciated that. We’d found a last-minute online deal for £60 a night, which was great value. The room was spacious for the price, with a sofa, desk area, TV and comfortable bed. The grounds were lovely, the hotel was dog-friendly, and we enjoyed the spa, pool and cosy bar in the evening. We didn’t have breakfast, so can’t comment on it. The drawback was the lack of vegan choices. We arrived late hoping to have dinner there, but there was nothing vegan on the menu. It’s also within easy reach of Edinburgh, around 20 minutes by train or bus. A few vegan options would make a pleasant, good-value stay even better.