Cheryl Livingstone enjoys a weekend away at a hotel in St Fillans, where even man’s best friend gets a warm welcome
Dog-owners will understand when I say how rare a joy it is to find a hotel that allows you to have a weekend away without leaving your pooch at home. So when I was given the opportunity to spend the weekend at The Four Seasons Hotel in St Fillans, Perthshire, I jumped at the chance. It is in a stunning location and the hotel is dog-friendly. Not only can they stay, the hotel also offers the service of dog birthday parties.
Around this time, I was also introduced to a new TV show called Four in a Bed. For those who are unfamiliar with this Channel 4 gem, let me explain how it works.
Basically, four B&B/hotel/self-catering venues go to spend a night at each other’s businesses and rate them on the important elements that make a stay away so great.
And so, with that in mind, I have decided to use these elements to complete my review:
HOW WERE YOUR HOSTS?
I could not fault any of them. From the minute we arrived to the morning we left, everyone was super helpful and friendly. The woman who greeted us gave us a lovely welcoming and even recommended some good walks to take Luna on. Speaking of the dog, it was great that the staff not only acknowledged us when we came in the hotel, but Luna also. She got plenty of attention over the weekend, which I am sure she loved. Our waitresses at dinner and breakfast were very attentive, but gave us enough space to enjoy our food – and the amazing views – in peace. On one walk, we bumped into the owner, Andrew, and he recognised us and remembered we were staying at his hotel, despite us having met him only briefly at reception. It was really nice that he stopped to chat to us and that he takes the time to acknowledge all his guests, whenever and wherever.
HOW WERE THE FACILITIES?
We were staying in one of the six chalets in the woods at the back of the hotel. The location is stunning. Surrounded by woodland, you feel like you are a million miles away from anyone else. From the window in the bedroom, we had a gorgeous view of Loch Earn. Right on our doorstep was a great walk around the old railway line, which meant we could pop out for a decent walk with the dog without having to use the car. Inside, the chalets have a lovely cottagey feel. The bed is absolutely huge and there is also a second, smaller, bedroom (which came in handy when my husband’s and my dog’s snoring became too much for me) and a nice clean and good-sized bathroom.
The hotel itself is pretty impressive, too. From the outside, the white exterior gives it a lovely rural feel; inside, there is a stunning contemporary interior.
As a doggy-friendly hotel, there are specific areas that you can have dinner and have your canine friend along with you, which was really nice. They do have areas where pets are not allowed, which is also important for those who are there without their pooches.
HOW WAS THE FOOD?
OK, so this isn’t actually a question on the TV show, but it is well worth a mention for this trip.
On our first night, we experienced a four-course meal in the Meall Reamhar Rosette Restaurant. To start, we had some delightful amuse-bouches, including steak tartare, which I was a little afraid of at first but it was really flavoursome.
For a starter, I went for my favourite – seared hand-dived Hebridean king scallops. They were served with bellota chorizo, fennel, haricot bean and pancetta broth. The scallops themselves were cooked to perfection and the side was a lovely change to the typical black pudding and pea puree. My husband enjoyed his foie gras pate, pickled Jerusalem artichoke, port jelly and brioche, his only complaint being there was a little too much of it.
For mains, I went for a fillet of Aberdeen-Angus Limousin beef bordelaise with fondant potato, red wine, oxtail jus and pea puree, while husband David tried the squab pigeon. Both meats just melted in our mouths. My beef was so juicy and full of flavour, it was definitely the highlight of the meal.
Although we were stuffed already, we couldn’t pass on a dessert after seeing what was on offer. Minutes later, a classic tiramisu arrived for me and an apple, sultana, ginger and oatmeal crumble arrived for my husband. It was the perfect ending to a five-star meal.
The following night, we tried the menu in the Tarken Bistro and the food was of an equally high standard in terms of taste and presentation. Plus, we were able to take Luna with us, so that made it extra nice.
HOW DID YOU SLEEP?
Having spent the day going on lots of long walks exploring the surrounding area, all three of us were ready for our beds. Both nights we had great sleeps, especially the second night, when I sneaked into the second bedroom and had the best sleep I’ve had in ages. It was lovely and peaceful outside and waking up to such a glorious view made it perfect.
HOW WAS BREAKFAST?
Like dinner, there were plenty of options for our morning meal. We started off on the cold buffet, which had all you could ask for, but couldn’t resist also tucking into a cooked breakfast. The hotel gets a big thumbs-up for me as they serve Lorne sausage. And even although it wasn’t on the menu, I also got some baked beans after requesting them. The breakfast was delicious and our empty plates said it all.
WOULD YOU STAY HERE AGAIN?
This would be a big, fat yes!
WHERE:
The Four Seasons Hotel, St Fillans, Perthshire PH6 2NF
TEL: 01764 685 333
EMAIL: info@thefourseasonshotel.co.uk
WEBSITE: www.thefourseasonshotel.co.uk
CHALET RATES: Bed and breakfast – £57 per person sharing per night
Dinner, bed and breakfast – £91 per person sharing per night