
Cromlix
With a sauna, a restaurant, a games room and room for the dog. From £310 a night. Arrive from 3pm, leave by 11am.
Cromlix is a Victorian mansion on its own estate at Kinbuck, just outside Dunblane, and it has been a country house hotel since 1981.
Visited and photographed by Hidden Scotland
It was built in 1874, burned down four years later and was rebuilt in its original style in 1880. The tennis champion Andy Murray and his wife Kim bought it in 2013. Kim leads the interiors, with a strong preference for Scottish makers, and the rooms are full of pattern, colour and pictures, from teal velvet sofas to copper roll-top baths. Dinner is in the Garden Room, or at Cradle, an intimate fine-dining room for sixteen guests open Thursday to Sunday, and afternoon tea is served in the Glasshouse. Outside there’s a tennis and pickleball court, a putting green with clubs to borrow, a bird hide and woodland walks down to the lochan, where a sauna and cold plunge stand among the trees. Dogs are welcome in dog-friendly rooms, and children of all ages too.
There’s the Garden Room for dinner, Cradle for fine dining for sixteen guests, afternoon tea in the Glasshouse, a bar and a drawing room, free wifi and free parking.
- Breakfast
- 7.30 to 10.30am in the Garden Room.
- Dinner
- Garden Room 6 to 8.30pm; Cradle Thursday to Sunday.
- Afternoon tea
- Noon to 4pm in the Glasshouse.
- Bar
- Open from noon every day until late.
- Dogs
- £40 a night each; Drawing Room and Bar, not restaurants.
- Children
- All ages; under-5s free with an adult.
- Babysitting
- Little Royals, booked ahead through the hotel.
- Stairs
- No lift in the house; ground-floor Garden Suite.
- Parking
- Free; no car charging (nearest in Dunblane).
- Sauna
- By the lochan; £50 a private hour.
- Treatments
- Woodland Retreat, for hotel guests only.
- Included
- Tennis, pickleball, putting, bikes, bird hide.
- Evenings
- Smart casual suggested.
- Service
- 12.5% on dining bills, discretionary.
- By train
- Dunblane station, ten minutes by taxi.
Cromlix stands in its own grounds at Kinbuck, by Dunblane in Stirlingshire, FK15 9JT.
Dunblane is three miles away, Stirling 11 miles, Glasgow 36 and Edinburgh 48, so it’s an easy run from either city, and the hotel can arrange transfers from the airports or train stations.
Getting hereAt Kinbuck, 3 miles from Dunblane: leave the M9 or A9 at the B8033 for Dunblane and Kinbuck, turn right for Kinbuck, go through the village and over the bridge, and the gates are 100 yards on the left. Dunblane station is ten minutes by taxi.
Stirling CastleOne of the landmarks Kim Murray loves to see on the drive in; Stirling is 11 miles away.10 miles 18 min by road
Loch LubnaigTake to the water by paddleboard, kayak or canoe.22 miles 37 min by road
GleneaglesClose enough for golfers who want to tick off the big names.11 miles 18 min by road
The KelpiesThe other landmark Kim Murray watches for on the way to Cromlix.24 miles 38 min by road
Rosebank DistilleryOne of the two distilleries the hotel sends whisky lovers to.21 miles 34 min by road
The Old Course, St AndrewsFurther, but close enough for the big names in golf.63 miles 87 min by road
Dunblane6 miles, most of a day, with lunch halfway4 miles away
Dumyat4½ miles, about four hours9 miles away
Dumyat4½ miles, about two and a half hours9 miles away
The Back Walk: A Climb to the Castle and a Dram1½ miles, about two and a half hours11 miles away
The Abbey Craig1¼ miles, about an hour9 miles away
The Borestone3½ miles, about an hour and a quarter, longer with the monuments15 miles away
The Darn Walk and Kippenrait Glen from Dunblane3 miles away A few hours
Dunblane Cathedral and Doune Castle3 miles away A few hours
The red kites at Argaty3 miles away A few hours
Stirling to Doune and Callander by bus: the castle, Deanston and Bracklinn Falls5 miles away A day out
Deanston Distillery and the red kites at Argaty5 miles away A day out
Deanston Distillery by bus and lunch at the Coffee Bothy5 miles away A few hours
A walk up Dumyat from the Sheriffmuir road6 miles away A few hours
A walk up Dumyat and lunch at Blairmains6 miles away A few hours
The animals at Blair Drummond Safari Park6 miles away A few hours
A walk up the Abbey Craig by the Wallace Way7 miles away A few hours
A wet day in Stirling and the Trossachs7 miles away A day out
Stirling Castle and coffee in the old town7 miles away A few hours
A Highland Day Trip from Edinburgh7 miles away A day out
The Wallace Monument, Cambuskenneth Abbey and Bridge of Allan8 miles away A day out
The Back Walk and a drink at the Portcullis8 miles away A few hours
Drummond Castle Gardens and lunch at Delivino in Crieff8 miles away A few hours
Cultybraggan Camp and the Roman fort at Ardoch9 miles away A few hours
Callander Crags and Bracklinn Falls9 miles away A few hours
Soft play, a swim and the toy museum in Callander9 miles away A day out
The Borestone Heritage Trail walk from Bannockburn10 miles away A few hours
Breakfast at Mhor Bread and a stroll by the Teith in Callander10 miles away A few hours
Callander's Three Bridges walk and Samson's Stone10 miles away A few hours
Comrie's Earthquake Walk10 miles away A few hours
Innerpeffray Library and lunch at the Coorie Inn11 miles away A few hours
Scotland, in print.
We want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.








