PR invite // All thoughts and opinions are, of course, my own.
I’ve heard so many good things about Ballintaggart and their hotel The Grandtully from friends so I was very excited to experience it for myself. I visited the hotel and the farm as part of a press trip with Finn Thomson Whisky and you can read more about the whole experience and the whiskies here.
The Grandtully Hotel is located in the little village of Grandtully in Perthshire, about 1.5h drive from Edinburgh. It’s a boutique hotel created by the team behind Ballintaggart Farm and features 8 bedrooms and focus on a Scottish food & drink experience. The hotel has a contemporary design that feels fresh and sophisticated yet welcoming.
The beds are wonderfully comfortable and even though the room was quite warm when I first got in, there was a fan available in the room which I kept on all night, as well as an open window, so it was breezy and cool once it was time to go to bed. There was also coffee and Pukka tea in the room, along with a thermos of milk, cookies and water and in the bathroom there was full size soap, conditioner and shampoo from Nobel Isle – I just love their Whisky & Water scent. The hotel also has a well stocked shop with craft products such as wines, olive oil, local honey and Noble Isle products. In the shop they also have their wonderful Sunshine Granola – which is amongst the best granola I’ve ever tasted so now I really regret not picking up a bag as a souvenir. For breakfast we got a little menu with four items: sourdough toast, sunshine granola, venison & brie and also poached egg on toast with wild mushrooms and hollandaise. Each person got a little dish of each and even though I thought it mighty be too much initially, it turned out to be a perfect amount of food. The bread is Ballintaggart sourdough and super lovely with butter and homemade jam as well as with the mushrooms and egg. The venison was from Great Glen and the granola was served with Katy Rodgers natural yoghurt and Scottish berries. I’m a picky breakfast reviewer but I absolutely loved this one.
We also had dinner at the hotel and the chef had incorporated details from the Finn Thomson family and also paired the dishes with various whiskies and it was a delightful 7 course menu. The menu consisted of things like wild asparagus and pea soup, venison tartare with Perthshire raspberries, wild halibut with Isle of Mull crab and pomme dauphine and a dark chocolate soufflé. Both the wine and the various drams served alongside the food went wonderfully well together. You can definitely tell that Ballintaggart and The Grandtully Hotel have an understanding and love for Scottish food and drink.
I would more than happily stay here again.
If you are looking to do distillery visits then you have both Aberfeldy, Blair Athol and Edradour distilleries in the area. And just opposite the hotel runs the river Tay where Free Spirits have their home if you are looking for outdoor activities such as rafting or kayaking.
Lunch at Ballintaggart Farm
For our lunch during the press trip we also got to see Ballintaggart Farm which is located in a beautiful hillside location, not far from The Grandtully Hotel, and has a lovely view over the valley.
Our lunch consisted of quiche, sausage rolls, cheese stuffed filo pastry and fresh bread amongst other things. Very tasty and fresh so a perfect option for lunch. The white wine option was a cloudy wine which was super refreshing. For dessert there were teas or coffee with tablet and also strawberries and baked brownies.
Iain Burnell Highland Chocolatier
Right next door to The Grandtully Hotel you’ll find Iain Burnell Highland Chocolatier which is a cute little shop which offers various chocolates and pralines that are almost like little works of art. I couldn’t resist getting myself a little box of 9 for £18 as a souvenir. They also have a café but I did not have the time to try it out this time around. As a Ballintaggart guest you also get a little discount on hot drinks in the café.
✦ Want to read more about distillery visits?
Check out my Instagram @swedishwhiskygirl or @scandinavianabroad to see even more photos and follow along on future adventures.
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