Cromlix in 2024

Cromlix is a five star country house hotel near Kinbuck, Stirlingshire, Scotland. It was constructed as a Victorian mansion, then first operated as a hotel from the early 1980 to 2012 when it closed suddenly. It was bought by tennis player Andy Murray and the hotel re-opened in April 2014, being managed by ICMI management group until December 2022. The hotel was brought back into self-management from January 2023 and was totally refurbished, with upgrades to all bedrooms, bathrooms and common areas of the hotel.

History

There are records of Cromlix from the 1500s when the Bishop of Dunblane sold the lands of Cromlix to his brother, Robert Chisholm.

A house was built on the site in 1874 as a family residence in the time of Captain Arthur Drummond Hay, but was destroyed by fire in 1878. It was replaced in 1880 by Cromlix House- the house which forms the nucleus of the present building.[1] It was built for Arthur Hay-Drummond, son of the Earl of Kinnoul. King Edward VII visited in September 1908.[2] The house remained a family home for the Hay-Drummonds until the death of Evelyn Hay-Drummond in 1971,[3] who had married Terence Eden (8th Lord Auckland).[4]

Cromlix House was converted in May 1981 from what was the Eden family home, and retained much of the original furniture designed for the house as well as the family portraits. It also contains Cromlix Chapel, a consecrated Episcopalian Church in the diocese of Dunblane dating from 1874[5] which was opened by Charles Wordsworth, Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane. It contains some notable features, including the reredos, carved by Alexander MacDonald, a sculptor who lived in Rome, son of Lawrence MacDonald.[1]

The house sits in part of a 2,000 acres (810 ha) estate and occupies approximately 34 acres (14 ha) of parkland, forestry and four fishing lochs,[6] as well as two celebrated mineral springs.

Between the 1980s and its closure on 16 February 2012 it was run as a four-star country house hotel, with 14 bedrooms including eight suites.[7][8]

In 2006 Cromlix House – including the game larder, ancillary building, gatepiers and garden boundary walls – was designated as a Category C listed building.[9] An obelisk sundial in the garden is Category A listed.[10]

In October 2010 it served as the wedding venue for tennis player Jamie Murray and Colombian MBA student Alejandra Murray (née Gutierrez); his brother and fellow player Andy was the best man.[8][11][12]

The hotel closed in 2011 and in early 2013. In February 2013, it was confirmed that Andy Murray had bought the property for £1.8 million.[13] It opened as a 15-room five-star hotel in April 2014.[14]

In April 2015 Cromlix was the venue for the wedding reception of Andy Murray and his wife Kim,[15] and the following year Murray's father and partner Sam Watson were married at the hotel.[16]

In January 2023, the Murray's moved to self-management of the hotel and closed the hotel for a total refurbishment. All of the hotel's 15 bedrooms and bathrooms were renovated as well as the restaurant (renamed The Glasshouse), the bar and all common areas of the hotel, with Kim Murray leading the project in partnership with interior designer, Suzanne Garuda.[17]

Facilities

  • The hotel has 10 bedrooms, 5 suites and a one-bedroom Gate Lodge
  • The Glasshouse restaurant is run by award-winning Executive Chef Darin Campbell
  • The hotel has its own private chapel
  • Recreational facilities include a tennis court, pickleball court and full sized billiards table
  • The hotel sits in 34 acres of private grounds and woodland, with its own Loch

Location

Cromlix is in the central belt of Scotland, in Stirlingshire, approximately 49 minutes (37 miles) from central Glasgow, or an hour (48 miles) from central Edinburgh.

Awards

Cromlix has won the following awards:

  • Best Hotel Experience, Scottish Thistle Awards 2023[18]
  • AA 5 Red Stars, AA Inspectors' Choice in Britain & Ireland 2023
  • AA 3 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence, AA Inspectors' Choice in Britain & Ireland 2023
  • Winner of the "Best for Walkies", Pets Pyjamas Travel Awards 2023 [19]
  • Conde Nast Traveller Readers' Choice - Top 30 Hotels in the United Kingdom 2021 [20]

References

  1. 1 2 Eden, Ronald. The Story of Cromlix. Private.
  2. ↑ "Sotheby's catalogue:A set of twelve mahogany chairs early 20th century". Sotheby's. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.
  3. ↑ "Cromlix, Dunblane FK15 Commercial Property for Sale - Primelocation". www.primelocation.com.
  4. ↑ "History of Cromlix". Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  5. ↑ "Cromlix Hotel Wedding Brochure" (PDF). Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  6. ↑ "Scottish Cottages". Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  7. ↑ "Cromlix Hotel". Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  8. 1 2 Jody Harrison (20 February 2012). "Famous country house hotel closes". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  9. ↑ "Cromlix House Including Game Larder, Ancillary Building, Gatepiers And Garden Boundary Walls. LB50619". portal.historicenvironment.scot. Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  10. ↑ "Cromlix House, Sundial And Flanking Pair Of Gatepiers (Formerly Fireplace Jambs). LB3997". portal.historicenvironment.scot. Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  11. ↑ "Wimbledon champ Jamie Murray ties the knot with fiancée Alejandra Gutierrez". The Daily Record. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  12. ↑ "Jamie Murray marries girlfriend". BBC News. 28 October 2010. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  13. ↑ "Andy Murray buys £1.8 million Cromlix House Hotel". Sky News. 25 February 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  14. ↑ "Hotel bought by Wimbledon champion Andy Murray opens". BBC News. 1 April 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  15. ↑ "Andy Murray marries girlfriend Kim Sears in Dunblane". BBC News. 6 November 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  16. ↑ "Andy Murray concerned about father's wedding, not knighthood or Spoty title". The Guardian. 21 November 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  17. ↑ https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cromlix-house-hotel-dunblane-scotland-andy-murray-kim-sears-ss8qcwhb5
  18. ↑ https://www.visitscotland.org/news/2023/scottish-thistle-awards-final
  19. ↑ https://www.petspyjamas.com/blog/meet-the-winners-of-the-petspyjamas-travel-awards-2023/
  20. ↑ https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/readers-choice-winners-2021
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