Stobo Castle

Easily accessible from Edinburgh, Stobo Castle (built in 1805) is located in the heart of the beautiful Scottish Borders, just outside of Peebles and about 1-hours drive from Edinburgh. It is said to be Scotland’s spa destination and TLE was lucky enough to see whether this is the case.

A truly picturesque location and from the moment you embark up the winding driveway your cares drift away as you enter a place that is fit for a fairy tale.

Arrival and Check-In

As you pull up outside the castle entrance you almost immediately feel like you have been transported back to the 18th century – I was half expecting a white knight in shining armour to go charging past, however turned out he was waiting inside for us!!

Before entering the castle we took a moment or two to take in the natural beauty around us. The grounds in which the castle is located are just spectacular and we were lucky enough to enjoy the spectacle of the autumnal rust colours contrasting against the green countryside that seems to just go on for miles.

Greeted by a friendly team of ladies at the reception area our check in was quick, easy and very personable and the employee of the month showed us to our room. Our room was accessed via an impressive split staircase overlooked by a magnificent copular. Very grand but in a classy understated way.

Deluxe Room

The Maitland Room was to be our home whilst at Stobo and the first thing that struck me was the view. Wow! We didn’t view any of the other rooms, however I think it would be hard-pressed to get a better view than this – miles and miles of stunning countryside and not another window in sight.

The room was again traditional period décor with a touch of British Indian colonial style I thought whilst the bathroom reminded me of a Roman bath area with a lovely selection of Molton Brown products. No bling or hi-tech extras but none are needed as you come to Stobo to relax. I really really liked it.

All the necessaries (hairdryer, iron board, plenty of hangers, wardrobe space, teas, coffees and biscuits, free and unlimited Wi-Fi) were provided with a great full-length mirror too.

The TLE Touch

A bottle of special cuvee champagne sat beautifully in an ice bucket just calling for us to pop that cork. Very nice touch.

After leaving our bags (porter service was available but with just an overnight bag we didn’t need it) gave us a full tour of the Castle and its facilities.

Main Building

The main building in which the rooms and dining areas are located is traditional with period décor; huge portraits adorn the walls, large ornate vases and sculptures stand on sideboards and paisley carpets line the floors – just as a castle should be. Although traditional it was all very well maintained and immaculately clean. Often traditional period can equal shabby but this is most definitely not the case at Stobo.

The large drawing room where guests can relax with a paper, enjoy a spot of afternoon tea or help themselves to fruit (from a selection that was more like a well structured decoration) was extremely well maintained with some traditional features such as the servant calling bells and cornicing were still in tact. You could almost hear the ladies of days gone by sitting with their false rumps and loose curls indulging in an afternoon of speculation here.

Through a long corridor with pictures of local history lining the walls you arrive at the Spa area. The Spa lounge was originally the stable area and if you look closely you can see some of the original features. A wonderfully light and spacious place with a stylish coffee bar where refreshments (non alcoholic and alcoholic can be purchased) is the ideal place to relax and catch up with friends pre or post treatment. The glass ceiling and strategic use of lighting made it look quite magical when the dark set in.

From the lounge area the spa facilities are accessed. And you cannot fail to be impressed when you walk through the double doors. Stunning.

All the spa facilities (outdoor hot tubs, crystal steam rooms, saunas, tropical rain showers and jet pool) were spacious well laid out and immaculately clean. The pool looked out to well groomed gardens and beyond; you’d be forgiven if you thought you were swimming in the great outdoors (just with warmth!!)

Spa Treatments

I opted for a hot stones massage and my guest an aromatherapy massage. Both of our therapists were excellent in terms of customer service and their ability to send us into a state of ultimate relaxation. Top notch on both counts.

The Ladies Restroom

Said to be the UK’s most luxurious loo the recent investment (well over £100k) has certainly created a lavish place to ‘spend a penny!’ It even featured toilets with a wash and blow dry function and was definitely the ultimate in opulent luxury. This in itself is worth a visit.

Dinner

After a thoroughly wonderful day of being pampered we headed back to our room to get changed for dinner. Dinner is served in three dining areas, all of which serve the same menu that changes daily. Simply wait in the grand foyer and a waiter will take you to a table. The food was ok with a decent choice of starters, mains and desserts and a a very reasonably priced wine list. Given that you are in the middle of nowhere it could be easy for prices to be sky high but the castle shows integrity on this front. However and disappointingly given how wonderful everything else had been so far the dining area lacked atmosphere, there wasn’t any music playing so there was that constant hum of other conversation and the young service team lacked in customer service skills. It was nice but nothing to rave about. The same sentiments apply to the breakfast experience.

So Stobo

It is evident that a visit to Stobo Castle is all about relaxation and in my opinion the food and beverages side is secondary.

The fact that you can just wander around the entire place in your dress robe and slippers (in fact at breakfast the following morning we were the only ones wearing proper clothes!) is another acknowledgement that the So Stobo experience is all about relaxing and releasing yourself from the stresses of the outside world.

Conclusion

The Spa is absolutely fabulous and this combined with the stunning location makes a visit very worthwhile.