Birnam Hotel

The facade of the hotel looks amazing, another thing is the inside… where do I start. The location it’s fairly close to everything within a walk distance, considering that both Dunkeld and Birnam are villages that won’t take you more than 10 minutes to see everything. The interesting part is on the nature around it. The room was decent size, but that was about it. The worst mattress in Scotland you can find it hear, not allowing us to sleep for more than 2 hours straight. That combined to the WC’s water sound that would wake up the sleepiest creature in this world, it made the whole stay very unpleasant. The restaurant has the poorest service I’ve ever experienced, and I swear I’m not one to complaint about anything as long as there is food. But this was outrageous, the person who attended us, did it like we owed her our lives, being rude, would haven been the nicest that she could’ve done. And for the money they charge you, you would expect that the food at least would have been well cooked and not raw.. but hey, there is tastes for everyone. The only good thing about this it was the receptionist Praya, who was always with a smile and a good answer for you.

PROPERTY HAS SECURITY ISSUES. AVOID. A random guest accidentally walked into my wife and daughters' room with their room key from another room at 10:00pm at night. The keys at this property will allow you to open up other rooms' doors. Management was non responsive and dismissive to our experience. Stay at your own risk.

This was once the kind of majestic "centrepiece" (going back decades now) where coaches stopped off regularly and where numerous travellers and day trippers had afternoon tea/high tea en route further north. It had a great ambience and was definitely buzzing. Week end visits, longer stays, meals, wonderful cocktails. It was the in place. Fast forward and some changes of ownership. Nowadays alas, there is only a hint of that old elegance in the palatial public areas. Curtains detached from their rings and not attended to in bedrooms. Tiny bedside lights like the kind from the pound shop. I know that times are tough but with some small attention to soft furnishings in rooms and it could be greatly improved. No bar. Residents enjoy a pre -dinner drink or "one for the road" The adjacent Birnam Inn which is affiliated with the big hotel is more like a drab and run down community hall. Our local village hall is classy compared with it. Only 6 diners in it when we were there and totally devoid of any atmosphere. It used to be heaving with Erigmore guests (nearby leisure park) flocking down for the atmosphere. Both co-joined establishments need a spark of vitality and with a little planning and some much needed change implemented, this could be a place with some panache again. Bring back the residents bar for one. Get the Birnam Inn looking cozy and inviting. The few staff I saw, however in the big hotel were affable and courteous.