Friars Carse Country House Hotel

Surroundings and history

We have enjoyed the beautiful setting of Friars Carse and the surrounding grounds, which are undoubtedly the hotel’s greatest asset. The riverside location and historic character create a lovely atmosphere and made us look forward to our stay. Unfortunately, the dining experience was disappointing. The evening menu felt heavily focused on wagyu beef and Japanese-inspired dishes, including sushi, which seemed incongruous with the character of a Scottish country house hotel. While some guests may enjoy this style of cuisine, the limited choice meant there was very little that appealed to those who do not eat much fish or are looking for more traditional country house fare. As a result, I opted for the cheese plate. This consisted of a very small piece of Brie, a bite-sized wedge of blue cheese, a bite-sized wedge of cheddar, four crackers, approximately five grapes, a small amount of celery and only enough chutney for one cracker. The portions felt surprisingly sparse and lacked the generosity one would expect from a country house hotel dining experience. The continental breakfast was equally limited. The only fresh fruit available was oranges, alongside cereal, plain yoghurt, toast, croissants, jam and marmalade. While adequate, the selection felt basic and offered little variety. The most disappointing aspect was the disconnect between the quality of the setting and the quality of the food offering. Friars Carse is a beautiful property in a wonderful location, but the dining experience did not reflect the warmth, character and hospitality that many guests would expect from a Scottish country house hotel.

Nothing

The manager, Ben was very strange. He checked me in okay however, I had no towels in my room when I arrived, I went downstairs to ask for towels and he was very rude and changed his voice and attitude. He told me to go up to my room in a very stern tone and that he would bring them up to me. I felt like I was at school, when I went out to my car all the lights were off and it was pitch dark. I had to get a charger from my car about 11pm, well Ben wasn’t happy about this and told me in a very abrupt manner that he was just leaving. I asked why he had a problem with me going out to my car, he responded by telling me to put the latch down when I came back in, again in a very rude and abrupt manner. There was no staff after he left and the place was very eery and smelt musty. I did not feel comfortable or safe in this hotel, I was on my own and in the middle of nowhere. I only managed to get about 2 hours sleep and when I went down for the breakfast that was supposed to be included, I was offered porridge. If I wanted a fried breakfast then I had to pay £35!!!! I would not recommend this hotel to anyone, it was dirty, musty, dark and very strange. It felt like a murder mystery and the staff were all very strange and not helpful in anyway. The manager wouldn’t even get me some milk for my tea, he told me to wait until morning. The door was also like a dungeon door, all the doors were very difficult to unlock and were very noisy.

room clean and tidy, evening meal good, continental breakfast a little poor, toast and cereal!

continental breakfast offering poor and

Beautiful location. Friendly staff. Dog was very welcome. Cottage we stayed in was great for the dog - enclosed garden, hard floors in kitchen and hallway, furnished nicely but not top of the range that you'd worry about the dog being around. Great walks around the estate.

Nothing

Service was and has always been excellent

We believed we had bed & breakfast, apparently after we had eaten it was then and only then made clear our Ged & Breakfast was Continental and we needed to pay extra for the breakfast we had.

Beautiful location, relaxing atmosphere with excellent food 👌 this was a return visit and it is nice knowing what we will get.

Booked room and breakfast but had to pay an additional fee for the cooked breakfast. Long delay from ordering dinner to being served, once served, the quality was excellent, again 👌

Bar, lounge and grounds were lovely, and staff were very helpful and friendly.

Food was overpriced and poor quality. The hotel rooms were dated, in need of refurbishment and not very clean. The cups, tea spoons, and glasses were dirty on arrival.

The bed was really comfortable and the setting was picturesque. We wished we’d had a longer stay to explore the grounds. The reception staff were very friendly and accommodating. We were really pleased to find a fan in the room and an opening window.

The full Scottish breakfast wasn’t included in bed and breakfast. Also despite paying for breakfast included, we still paid for the continental breakfast. The waitress staff weren’t the most jolly or attentive and the breakfast didn’t have a broad selection. Despite having to book a breakfast time, there were no croissants left and the yoghurt had no honey or fruit to accompany it. The shower was also more of a trickle than a shower but sufficed for the short stay. Our glasses in the bathroom were also dirty to use. We acknowledge the building is longstanding, the interior would be pleased to see an update particularly the bedroom floors.