Travel Melanie McDonough checks in to Edinburgh’s most historic hotels to see if they live up to the hype The charm of Edinburgh , if you live in London, is that it has all the familiar trappings of a capital – the shops! The National Gallery! – only it is blessedly compact, with a spectacular topography. Plus there’s the lure of its literary history, cobbled streets and beautiful architecture. If you are planning to escape the capital for a Scottish weekend, you can get there in four and a half hours by train, taking in some of the finest views in Britain from Durham northwards along the sea.
Here are three of the best hotels in the city, housed in historic buildings and a brief – less than 15 minutes - walk from the city’s principal Waverley Station. For 200 years, until 2006, Gleneagles was a functioning bank. In which case we’re envious of the lucky clerks who worked in such a splendid building.
The fine architectural details have been retained since it became a hotel, from the the ornate cornicing and stone columns to lovely floor tiles and stained glass. The rooms are characterful as well as luxurious. Who doesn’t like a roll-top bath with aromatic bath salts? And you’ll start your stay in good humour because there’s a little glass chest of tiny pastries when you arrive.
The restaurant, The Spence, is in the old banking hall with its fine ceiling plasterwork, and it is very good indeed, celebrating local and Scottish ingredients with terrific flair. .
