Made famous in the 19th century, when its colourful owner Donald Fisher (who gave the hotel its name) ran the hotel and enticed the celebrities of Victorian Britain to come and stay – including William Gladstone and Robert Louis Stevenson – Fisher’s Hotel was always the place to be seen in Pitlochry.
The hotel was built originally as a coaching inn by the highly regarded Butter family, who were key promoters of the fledgling Scottish tourism industry.
In its heyday, it was packed with guests who enjoyed the grand ballroom, cool and relaxing gardens at the back of the hotel, and a variety of entertainment shows.
Even then, Fisher’s enjoyed the most central of locations, being close to the train station as rail transport exploded in Britain.
In 2010, Fisher’s was purchased by two directors of the Dublin-based Castle Hotel Group, owners of another of Pitlochry’s iconic hotels, the Atholl Palace. Fionn MacCumhaill was tempted out of semi-retirement to buy it along with business colleague Jim Staunton, who had been a director of the Atholl Palace.
Other Castle Hotels include St George Hotel and Waltons Hotel, Dublin, the Ballina Castle in Co Mayo, and a hotel in north Wales, The Beaches.
The two men were convinced that they could restore Fisher’s to its former glory. They embarked on an extensive refurbishment programme to upgrade the hotel and make it once again the place to be seen in Pitlochry. It is estimated that a six-figure sum has been spent so far.
The refurbishment is nearly finished, bar seven bedrooms out of a total of 130.
Fisher’s has been brought up to scratch with a new reception area, a refurbished main lounge where delicious meals and snacks, including afternoon teas, are now served, and the Fisher’s Ballroom is grand once more, with beautiful chandeliers, mirrors and antique furniture. The former Snug is now the hotel bar with a cosy and intimate atmosphere, ideal for enjoying more of the hotel’s delicious new menu.
The hotel is now buzzing with weddings and special events, with a new team of staff in place.
Packages for private guests and groups are being created and the hotel is partnering some of the premier attractions in the area, such as Blair Atholl Distillery and 4×4 Land Rover Safari operators Highland Safaris to offer guests a very special experience.
For further information on Fisher’s, call 01796 472000 or visit www.fishers hotelpitlochry.com