I stayed at multi-million pound 'sanctuary of luxury' Scottish hotel - it was a glamorous weekend
Mar Hall in Bishopton reopened last spring after a £20m refurbishment by new owners JA Resorts. Rosalind Erskine visited for a relaxing weekend.
Mar Hall is one of those Scottish hotels with a rich and storied history, which you can almost feel when you enter the building. It was designed in a gothic style in the early 19th century by architect Sir Robert Smirke for Major General Robert Walter Stuart, the 11th Lord Blantyre (1777 – 1830) and used as a military hospital.
Lord Blantyre was well travelled, from Holland and Spain to the southern shores of the Baltic, as well as fighting Napoleon in Egypt. Mr Stuart briefed Mr Smirke with a grand, fashionable and ostentatious design concept for Mar Hall, anticipating time to entertain guests from the South and abroad and enjoy the new gardens. He drew inspiration from his travels, envisioning a strikingly atypical architectural style for neoclassical Scotland. As it started to emerge from the ground in 1828, Mar Hall seemed quite remarkable and exotic to the locals, as it still does, especially after its most recent transformation from new, Dubai-based owners JA Resorts.
Budget or boutique
From £225 per night for a double room, this is a boutique hotel despite its sprawling proportions and over 70 guest bedrooms.
Room service
We stayed in a Garden Suite, located right next to the spa in a newer part of the hotel. This is a dog-friendly, ground floor room that has access to a small garden with seating and views of the main building. Inspired by nature and decorated in muted neutrals and greens along with striking feature wallpaper, our suite had a cosy bedroom with desk or dressing area, large bathroom with walk-in shower and a comfortable living room with deep red velvet armchairs and a sofa.
Wining and dining
Dinner, breakfast and Sunday lunch is served in the dining room, with afternoon tea and snacks served in the Gallery. Menus are seasonal and there are some tableside theatrics such as the beef tartare plating, part of the a la carte offering and the dessert trolley, part of the Sunday roast menu. We enjoyed dishes including: a deconstructed Cullen skink with langoustine, scallop, smoked haddock, mussels and served with chips; Berwick crab served with soda bread, apple and buttermilk and Newtonmore venison during our stay and would highly recommend booking the Sunday lunch either as a guest or if you’re local to the area.
The Slainte bar is a beautiful space for pre and post dinner drinks with its comfortable seats and low lighting. Bar supervisor Adam Mclellan helped us navigate the cocktail menu and made a mean negroni.
Worth getting out of bed for
Mar Hall is home to a championship golf course, making it ideal for anyone that loves a round of golf. I found it hard to drag myself away from the spa with its swimming pool, saunas and steam room. I also felt the working week stress melt away with a full body hot stone massage which used ishga Scottish seaweed oil. There are nearby walks, such as Boden Boo, where we took Archie for a run around and, if you’re not dining in the hotel, the busy and ever-popular Princess Rose Chinese restaurant in Balloch is a 20 minute drive away.
If you’re a bit of a thrill-seeker, the attentive and very helpful hotel staff can organise 4x4 off-road driving (which is loads of fun), falconry, clay pigeon shooting, archery and axe throwing among many other activities. The hotel is also not far from Auchentoshan or Glengoyne distilleries
Little extras
The room had full sized Laura Thomas toiletries which were a lovely addition as well as a fully stocked tea and coffee station. Robes and slippers are provided and there’s no issue wearing these to the spa which is conveniently located. Within the hotel’s main building there’s a cinema room for guests to enjoy of an afternoon or evening. Staff also left us a lovely framed picture of Archie in the room - a touching personal addition.
Guestbook comments
JA Mar Hall Golf & Spa Resort is a five-star country estate hotel just 10 minutes’ drive from Glasgow International Airport.
Nestled within 240-acres of ancient woodland with views of the River Clyde, Mar Hall is one of the UK’s largest and most established heritage hotels, with an 18-hole championship golf course, grand private event spaces, a state-of-the-art spa and 20-metre swimming pool.
Mar Hall offers 74 individually styled guest rooms, including eight elegant Junior Suites, new Spa Garden Suites and three luxurious Grand Suites. Guests can also choose to stay in one of our lodges, offering added space and seclusion within the estate’s tranquil grounds.
Hotel info
JA Mar Hall Golf & Spa Resort
Mar Hall Drive, Earl of Mar Estate, Bishopton PA7 5NW
0141 812 9999
https://www.marhall.com/
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