My stay at The Craigellachie Hotel was part of my press trip with The Malt Whisky Trail.
The Craigellachie Hotel is definitely a treat of a stay if you are visiting Speyside. The hotel offers an old fashioned vibe, with a high end touch and is perfect if you are looking for a charming place with comfortable beds and a good whisky bar. The staff was really friendly and happy to assist with any queries.
If you are lucky the hotel dog Buddy resides in reception and he is sure to brighten up your day if you meet him. He even managed to steal my ball of yarn when knitting in the lounge before my departure, since he thought I was being boring for not playing with him.
The Location
The Craigellachie is, unsurprisingly, located in Craigelleachie. This is pretty much the heart of Speyside, and although the local distillery doesn’t usually open for visitors, there’s several options in the surrounding area. Around the corner you have both Aberlour och The Macallan, both are just a short drive away (or a longer walk) but if you are driving you can easily also get to Dufftown (Glenfiddich & Balvenie), Keith (Strathisla) or Rothes (Glen Grant) to mention a few. Speyside is of course the home of plenty of distilleries and I still have a lot of them on my to-visit list.
The Craigellachie Bridge which towers over The Spey river.
The Room
I had a comfortable “Comfy Lux” room with views towards the garden on the second floor. The bed was really comfortable and I really liked the design of the room which felt Scottish, but calm and luxurious. The first thing I do when I get to a hotel room is usually to turn off radiators and open a window because I like cooler temperatures when sleeping, and if traffic noises are an issue for you, just be aware that you can hear the main road that passes by. Theres facilities for tea/coffee and also a bath in each room.
The Food
For breakfast they offered a smaller table with fruits, croissants, juices and cereal alongside a menu where you could order a breakfast item like avocado on toast or a full Scottish breakfast.
The dinner menu offers some lovely pub food with whisky cocktails. The Copper Dog Pub (where you also have your breakfast) is cosy with a rustic pub feeling. I enjoyed the haggis bonbons and a mushroom risotto which were both really lovely.
The Quaich Bar
I can’t talk about The Craigellachie without mentioning what might be the highlight for many: The Quaich Whisky Bar. And perhaps it tells its own story that I had such a good time here, that I completely forgot to take any photos. They have some wonderful exclusives, the staff were very knowledgeable about whisky and if you don’t know what to choose: try a Copper Dog – the hotels own blend – which also goes wonderfully in a cocktail with apple juice, a so called Apple Dog.
Bonus tip: You also have another whisky bar: The Highlander inn across the street if you fancy to explore further.
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