Prestonfield House

About Prestonfield House

Prestonfield sits in twenty acres of parkland at the foot of Arthur's Seat, about ten minutes by car from the Royal Mile, and it feels considerably further out than it is. The house was built in 1687 to a design by Sir William Bruce and has been a hotel since the 1960s, though the current incarnation dates from James Thomson's takeover in 2003. He has decorated it in a deliberately theatrical style: damask, gilt, tapestries, low lighting and peacocks on the lawn. It is not subtle and does not try to be.

There are 23 rooms and suites, all individually done and most of them large. Original panelling and plasterwork survive in the older rooms; beds are four-posters or oversized, bathrooms are marble, and there are Bose systems, decanters of sherry and open fires in the grander suites. Windows look over the gardens, the Highland cattle in the paddock, or up towards the hill. There is no lift in parts of the house, which is worth checking when you book.

Rhubarb, the restaurant, occupies two circular rooms on the ground floor and is one of Edinburgh's better-known dining rooms — Scottish produce cooked classically, with a long wine list and an afternoon tea that draws a local crowd. The public rooms downstairs, particularly the Leather Room and the Whisky Room, are made for sitting in with a drink. Parking is free and plentiful, which is unusual for Edinburgh.

It suits couples after a romantic night or two, and anyone who would rather stay somewhere with grounds than on a city street. Walkers can go straight out into Holyrood Park from the gate. It is a member of Relais & Châteaux, and prices reflect that, but the sense of occasion is real.