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Reviews of The Old Manse of Blair

5 out of 5
The Old Manse of Blair
Old Manse of Blair, Pitlochry, Scotland

Reviews

9.2

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 36 out of 49 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 9 out of 49 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 49 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 49 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 49 reviews" "

9.6/10

Cleanliness

9.4/10

Staff & service

9.4/10

Amenities

9.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

James

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Incredible service from check-in and beyond. Beautiful, quality, everything one could expect or hope, and more! The hairy coos out front are the icing on the cake. I highly recommend. This was our favorite stay in Scotland!
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Semra

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2023

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very clean. Food generally very good but not quite 5 star (root veg on 1 night very very al dente and duck very salty but otherwise good). Staff very attentive yet not overbearing, which is a difficult balance to achieve. Very expensive. Especially expensive in my view is £40 per night to allow a dog to stay. Nothing provided for dog - just "allowed to stay" for that price. Other similar hotels in which we have stayed have actually made us feel welcome with the dog, rather than just being tolerated; eg they have provided titbits, or a dark towel for the dog. Even a water bowl would be appreciated.On average the other hotels have charged around £20 per night for the dog, so half the fee at the Old Manse. So overall a very pleasant stay marred only by my comments re the price which would be ok for a truly 5 star experience. This was 4-4.5 stars in my view. So nearly there but not quite. Final thing would be to please finish the car park and access to the new block. There is poor lighting up the steep bank to the car park and the covering is loose old tarmac clinker. OK for us, and that didn't detract from a nice stay, but it could be a slip hazard for anyone not totally secure with their footing.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Alisha

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
I didn't want to leave!
The grounds were absolutely gorgeous - and it was a nice bonus that there was a horse, a mini pony, and a few Highland cows right on the property. We had dinner at the Orangery restaurant and it was incredible, the best food I had in Scotland.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jude

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Highly recommend
We had a wonderful detour due to torrential rains. This was a refreshing, relaxing stay. Andy was so hospitable, attentive and knowledgeable! We truly enjoyed our stay and highly recommend. *bed were so comfy as were the pillows!! Adding a pic of the sweet coo too!
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely
Lovely stay, excellent dinner. Falls of Bruar nearby well worth a look. A couple of little things that I'd mark down 1/2pt for though: £7.50 (before service charge) for a bottle of water is a lot - its not Ibiza! And an 18% service charge is a bit presumptuous - its not New York either! I'm happy to splash out on great hotels and restaurants but I don't like being nickel-and-dimed at every turn. Some feedback to Hotels.com - it could've been made clearer that breakfast was not included in our booking. It would have actually been less expensive if we booked direct.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Caroline

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I really appreciated staying at n a room that opened directly into a colourful, beautifully maintained garden.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Having seen the owner respond in a passive aggressive way to any negative reviews I am a little reluctant to share my thoughts! However I rely on reviews when choosing a place to stay. The Old Manse of Blair is in a beautiful setting - the old house is stunning and the new annexes are in great condition. The staff are friendly (if a little too formal for our taste). Why the average score? For me, this property just didn’t hit the mark at the level of luxury country boutique they are striving for. It’s a perfectly comfortable place - and at a lower per night rate my review would be different - but at current rates it just doesn’t hit the mark. It’s the minor details, and as always this will be highly subjective; the details for include: 1. There are no day curtains in the annexe rooms. This means that in the morning, you can choose to lie in bed in the dark (with the curtains closed) or have them open and anyone walking past can see in…. 2. Showers would benefit from a shelf of some sort to put toiletries on (rather than the floor). 3. Fake flower decorations in dining room. Should more handmade / bespoke like the feather mirror. 4. The food is not up to the prices. Nicely presented for sure - but lacks flavour / seasoning. Breakfast in particular was poor quality. I know all of this is minor (aside from food). There are other little niggles - but we don’t have room to include! This place has huge potential. I hope owners take feedback in spirit intended).
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Craig

Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023

4/10 Poor

Sowndarya

Travelled with partner
Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
There were several things about this property that made us unhappy. The marketing pictures and information on Expedia showed a king bed, a couch, and windows in the room. However, we received a twin/double bed, no windows at all, and no couch. When we asked the property, we were told “it was an upgrade since it is a historic property and we would be closer to the parking”. Even if this were the case, weren’t we supposed to be asked about this?? To add to this, there’s a train track literally on the roof and trains going by frequently when the whole room vibrates literally; the room was super hot; and the service was average at best. The only good part about this property is the area around which is pretty. But that doesn’t justify the price. Please avoid this place, and do yourself a favor.

10/10 Excellent

Jonathan, Tampa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful mansion and grounds just outside Blair Castle. Fantastic service and dining.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Maryanne H

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
So lovely. Highly recommend this boutique hotel. Lovely grounds, food and staff!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023
Response from GM on 29 Jun 2023
Delighted you enjoyed your stay at The Old Manse of Blair. Thank you for taking the time to leave this great review.

10/10 Excellent

Lorraine

Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023
Response from GM on 29 Jun 2023
Wow! Thank you. We love a 10/10. We appreciate you taking the time to leave us this great review.

10/10 Excellent

Lara, Kensington London

Travelled with family, Travelled with pets
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Good location. Very friendly and helpful staff especially Marta. Food was excellent. Would definitely recommend.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Gary, Glasgow

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Fantastic location and lovely hotel
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Mary

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Really charming, outstanding property.
Response from Anne on 12 Jan 2023
Thank you very much for this lovely review. We are delighted you enjoyed your stay. Swing in anytime you're passing again. Warm regards

10/10 Excellent

Mandeep

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Interacting with highland cows was a great experience for me personally.
Response from Anne on 12 Jan 2023
Thank you very much for this lovely review. We are delighted you enjoyed your stay. Seumas and Seoras love meeting people and I'm glad you enjoyed meeting them too.

10/10 Excellent

john

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent service food extremely good
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2022
Response from Team Old Manse of Blair on 12 Jan 2023
Thank you very much for this lovely review. We are delighted you enjoyed your stay.

10/10 Excellent

Marcus

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2022

10/10 Excellent

Elspeth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fabulous
Everyone was absolutely delightful and very helpful. Food was beautiful and loved relaxing in front of the fire, just unfortunate pup wasn’t allowed in this area. However totally understand not everyone is dog friendly. A lovely break
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Fiona

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Willis, SOLDOTNA

Travelled with family, Travelled with partner, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful hotel set in a lovely area. Highly recommended. We stayed in a lovely room just off the main house (very short walk) and enjoyed the best shower in Scotland! All in all a great place to stay if making your way to the Highlands
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Tristan

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful property - Lewis (the manager) was always available to assist and was very accommodating. All the staff were very friendly. Fire place in the room was a very nice amenity. Highland coos right outside the door in the pasture and very friendly. Food was quite good. A pricier experience but recommend for a special occasion.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2022
Response from The Old Manse of Blair on 9 Oct 2022
Dear Tristan, Thank you very much for taking the time to leave this lovely review. We greatly appreciate your feedback. Warm regards, The Old Manse of Blair

10/10 Excellent

chris

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2022

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Salem

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The owner was really friendly! She even upgraded us to the Estate Suite for our honeymoon which was great! Loved the atmosphere, cozy. The room was spacious and had a large bathroom with a walk-in shower. Friendly and welcoming vibes. Definitely looking forward to visiting again!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Lars

Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022
Response from General Manager on 20 Jun 2022
Thank you very much for this great review. We enjoyed meeting you both and hope the rest of your holiday was relaxing and enjoyable too. Warm regards Anne, Pete & Team

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great stay
Overall a lovely stay and beautiful setting. The rooms were very clean and amenities great. Good selection of continental and cooked breakfast. The evening meal was really delicious. Some lack of training of staff noted though, could be more courteous.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022
Response from General Manager on 20 Jun 2022
Thank you very much for taking the time to review your stay. I am glad you enjoyed your stay and experience in the restaurant.

10/10 Excellent

Berkem

Stayed 1 night in May 2022
Response from General Manager on 23 May 2022
Thank you for taking the time to leave us your feedback. Warm regards, Alan and Team

10/10 Excellent

May

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely boutique hotel, intimate dining room with nice food. Very attentive, friendly management and staff
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Room was extremely clean and comfortable. Friendly staff
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Neil

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
House of Bruar Trip
Perfect get away for my wife and me where we fancied a trip into the highlands, and a look around House of Bruar and Pitlochry. Found this hotel with its own amazing restaurant in such a great setting. House of Bruar is only about a mile away if that.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Amanda

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A great place to stay.
Excellent place to stay. The welcome and organisation was very good and the Hotel is delightful.
An amazing building with beautiful rooms and setting.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2021

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Worst Experience !! Not ideal for a family!!
Not ideal for a family!! We got confirmation from Hotel that the Ensuite room is suitable for a couple with infants. However, at the time of arriving in the evening, hotel staff declined to give keys for the room booked for and asked for an additional cost (almost the same amount that we paid already). They were forced to take that room which was not listed at any other website except their own. Hotel taking advantage of customer situations, timing and remote location. We ended up with an infant almost three hours in the car at the parking area without accessing basic utilities of drinking water, toilet, etc. Hotel can show the room which they want to sell but refused to show the room which we have booked for due to safety concerns. Be careful before visiting this place. It's not ideal for family at all and not trustworthy even.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2021
Response from Reservations on 16 Jul 2021
Dear Mr Shah, you booked and reserved a room for two people before arriving with extended family. You were told the room was only suitable for two people. The health and safety of our guests is paramount, this is why we have policies and procedures in place. We tried to assist you and indeed spent time to find alternative solutions for you. We welcome many families to our hotel who have a wonderful experience here in the National Park. I would advise you to reserve a room suitable for the number of people travelling in your party and take the guidance of the reservation team when they tell you the capacity of the room. Your children were playing in the grounds with the chickens and watching the Highland Cows when you were rearranging your travel, to suggest otherwise is simply untrue.

8/10 Good

Andrew

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good stay, with slight disappointment
The property was of a high standard. We had been booked in for dinner but unfortunately we were informed the chef was unwell just prior to check in. This meant we had to find our own last minute dinner solution locally. This was disappointing and it would have been appreciated if more had been done to alleviate this inconvenience. This aside the stay was enjoyable.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2021

8/10 Good

Elspeth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2020
Response from Tracey Smith, General Manager on 30 Oct 2020
Many thanks for taking the time to provide a review. We look forward to welcoming you back again soon. Warmest regards Tracey

10/10 Excellent

colin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fantastic
Fantastic and beautiful location.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2020

2/10 Terrible

Laurence

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Disappointing
We booked this assuming it was a luxury hotel based on the rating and cost. The food offering was very good and the waiting staff were friendly and professional. However, our room was disappointingly small and because it was over the open fire in the lounge much too hot. The only means of cooling it down was opening the windows. Despite a long journey we couldn't get to sleep and were reduced to removing the 13.5 Tog duvet from its cover to try and get to sleep. We were very tired in the morning and when we raised the problem with the owner she accused us of having a COVID fever and told us to leave immediately. We didn't have any infection and were kindly taken in by an excellent hotel in Pitlochry which was half the price and much nicer and had much more effective COVID security We are still awaiting repayment of the 4 nights we didn't spend at the Old Manse. We would never go there again and would recommend any other travellers considering it to think very carefully before booking. There are much better and cheaper hotels in the vicinity.
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2020
Response from Tracey Smith, General Manager on 10 Oct 2020
Thank you for your review, your assumption that The Old Manse of Blair is a luxury hotel is indeed correct. I am pleased your enjoyed The Orangery Restaurant and our team were warm and friendly and professional during your stay. I was disappointed to read your comments with regards to your room which is described accurately as a large room on the first floor, with views over the paddocks, king size bed, large bathroom with separate bath and shower and double vanity with floor space of 313Sq ft this room by industry standard is certainly not small! With regards to the room being too hot there is a thermostat on the bedroom wall to allow you to control the temperature. The fire in the lounge may indeed have added a degree or two of heat, however with the current 10pm government guideline the fire is dying out by 10pm and fully out at 10.30pm therefore would not have caused additional heat 'throughout the night'. With all of this in mind and a global pandemic which seems to be worsening our Owner was quite justifiably concerned and acted within our Covid policy and risk assessments to ask you both to leave the premises for the protection of our staff and other guests. To clarify you have paid hotels.com and they then pay The Old Manse of Blair - we have not received the payment for your stay as yet and I have advised hotels.com that we will only charge for the one night that you stayed. I am glad you managed to find a cheaper hotel more suited to your needs albeit surprised you were admitted anywhere displaying Covid-19 symptoms. We are incredibly strict on our procedures and take our duty of care incredibly seriously. Best Regards Tracey Smith

8/10 Good

Ashley

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
great stay
It was a lovely room the smart tv was great the free standing bath was amazing
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2020
Response from Tracey Smith on 24 Sept 2020
Delighted you enjoyed your stay with us and hope to welcome you back again soon. Warmest regards Tracey

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2020
Response from Tracey Smith, General Manager on 10 Oct 2020
Dear Anonymous Many thanks for your review, we hope to welcome you back to The Old Manse of Blair in the future. Warmest regards Tracey

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Food is excellent as is the hospitality, you are made to feel very welcome
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2020

10/10 Excellent

Andrew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect place to getaway to!
Amazing location - if you want a place away from the bustle this is perfect! You can lose yourself in the country or explore the many villages and towns in stone throw of the hotel. Food on site was great too, the breakfast was perfect and highly recommended too :). Will definitely be back, we stayed in the Paddock room which was super comfortable and had an amazing free standing bath, perfect to unwind in!
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020
Response from Tracey on 22 Feb 2020
Dear Andrew Many thanks for your fantastic comments! It was my pleasure to welcome you and look forward to seeing you again soon. Warmest regards Tracey

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Alex

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wonderful host, luxurious hotel.
Anne was the most wonderful host. She gave us some fabulous tips for things to do, and really, truly looked after us both. The hotel is a wonderful slice of luxury and the food was sensational! We left with some interior design inspiration, an even greater love of Scotland and a wonderful contact in Anne. We will definitely be back, hopefully when the sun comes out!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2019
Response from Owner on 25 Aug 2019
Thank you both for this wonderful feedback. We look forward to your return and are delighted you enjoyed your time with us at The Old Manse of Blair. We love taking care of people and making your time with us relaxing and enjoyable. We are fortunate to have a wonderful head chef who must take all the credit for the sensational food! Warmest regards, Anne

10/10 Excellent

Fredrik

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Sandra

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Accueil très chaleureux dans une magnifique demeure décorée avec goût. Dîner absolument délicieux et soigné. Petit-déjeuner magnifique. Nous retournerons sans hésiter et recommandons cet établissement. Chambre et lits très confortables.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019