Cheryl Livingstone finds everything she was looking for at her home away from home in Biggar
I like going on holiday as much as the next person, but there is one aspect of those trips away that I get sick of pretty quick – and that is the food.
Sure at first you get excited over the amuse bouche and make crazy noises of anticipation at the prospect of a five-course meal cooked by a Michelin chef. But eventually, and it happens every time I go away, I end up just really wanting a home-cooked meal – something familiar and reliable.
I started to get that all-too-familiar feeling on a recent holiday my husband and I took for my 28th birthday. Having already spent a few days in the central belt – and eaten all the fancy fish and frothy soup we could handle – I was daydreaming about a hearty meal by the time we got to The Elphinstone Hotel, the last stop on our staycation tour.
The hotel is located in Biggar, Lanarkshire. It can be found in the heart of the village in a great location on the high street. One of the many great things about the hotel is that it is dog-friendly, so our two-year-old Labrador cross, Luna, was also enjoying a few days away.
On arrival, a very friendly staff member checked us in and gave us the key to our room. Then the dreaded question came: “What time would you like to have dinner?”
“7pm,” I replied, but I wasn’t looking forward to it.
My mind was taken off the food fest for a while as we reached our room. I say room, but that undersells it – this was like a mini apartment, complete with large double bed, single bed, living area with a couch and coffee table and a wet room/bathroom. It had a lovely traditional decor and felt warm and cosy the moment we walked through the door. It was also a great size for having a dog as she was able to spread out her toys and still leave space for our luggage and even then it still felt uber spacious.
Downstairs, the quaint, rural charm continued with tartan carpets and a higgledy-piggledy cottage-type layout. For diners, there are a number of places to eat your meal. As we wanted Luna with us, we ate in the bar area.
Then the menu was before us and it was time to decide what to have for dinner. The worrying was for nothing, however, as the Elphinstone offered exactly what I needed – hearty home-cooked meals, and top of my list was steak pie with all the trimmings. I couldn’t have asked for a better choice of meal. My husband, equally bored of meals we couldn’t pronounce or really understand what we were eating, went for a steak – again with all the extras.
For a weekday night, the bar area had a great atmosphere, with a mix of what seemed like local residents and visiting tourists and guests. It was a really nice place to relax in, and while the staff were very attentive and friendly, they also gave us enough space to enjoy our time downstairs.
Our food arrived in great time and I couldn’t see the plates for the amount of food that was on offer. It was a great portion size and everything was cooked to perfection. Broccoli, carrots and potatoes have never tasted so good, and the steak pie, well that was absolutely delicious – juicy steak chunks, lots of gravy and perfectly cooked pastry.
My husband was in agreement, the steak was cooked exactly to his request. The fact that our plates were wiped clean says it all really.
To finish our meal, we decided to go all out and order ourselves some delicious sundaes. Again the portion size was amazing and in the end, to coin a phrase from my mum, our eyes were too big for our bellies and we were defeated. For those with a sweet tooth, this is definitely the dessert for you.
The breakfast at the Elphinstone on both mornings that we were there was equally good. The service was excellent, the food was spot on and again there was a lovely atmosphere and a good balance of attentiveness and space.
During our stay, we had a good exploration of Biggar by walking everywhere. One of the best walks was a circular one that begins and ends at the Corn Exchange on the High Street. It explores the gentle rolling farmland to the north of the town and you can enjoy terrific views of the Southern Upland hills rising steeply on the far side of Biggar.
As well as enjoying some lovely sights, it’s a great way to give your legs a good stretch. Luna was in heaven. Not only did she get some good walks, places like the boating pond and playpark also meant she got a good run around too.
Places worth a visit also include St Mary’s Church, Moat Park Hertiage Centre and the Gasworks Museum.
Another plus point for Biggar is its location. After we had explored it from top to bottom, we decided to venture further and were surprised to find just how close we were to both Edinburgh and Glasgow. So we went on a road trip. First we went to the Blair Drummond Safari Park (to use a present my husband had bought me for Christmas, an hour in a cage with some meerkats), then headed over to Strathclyde Country Park where Luna tired herself out by running around and swimming.
After a few days of relaxing, it was the end of our time at the Elphinstone. We were sad to leave our home away from home, but we knew that we would definitely be back.
The Elphinstone, 145 High St, Biggar ML12 6DL.
Tel: 01899 220044
www.elphinstonehotel.co.uk
Prices: double en suite, small, breakfast included, £79; family en suite, double occupancy, breakfast included, £92; family en suite, quad, breakfast included, £104.