Plas Dinas Country House

About Plas Dinas Country House

Plas Dinas is a Grade II listed house dating from the mid-seventeenth century, a couple of miles south of Caernarfon and within easy reach of both the Menai Strait and the western approaches to Yr Wyddfa. It was for generations the Welsh home of the Armstrong-Jones family, and the portraits, photographs and furniture in the public rooms reflect that history rather than a decorator's idea of it.

Accommodation runs to eleven bedrooms, all individually styled and rated to five-star standard. Sizes vary a good deal — some are generous rooms in the older part of the house with four-posters and estate views, others are smaller and simpler. Several have baths as well as showers. The house is small enough that it never feels busy, and the drawing room with its open fire tends to be where guests end up before dinner.

There is a restaurant on site serving dinner to residents and non-residents, with menus that lean on local meat, Menai shellfish and Welsh cheeses. Breakfast is cooked to order. The house also takes weddings and small private events, so it is worth checking when booking if you want a quiet weekend. A separate self-catering cottage is available on the grounds for longer stays or families.

The location works well if you want to combine mountains with the coast and the castle towns. Caernarfon and its castle are five minutes away, the Llyn Peninsula beaches around twenty-five minutes, and the Llanberis Pass and the Snowdon paths roughly the same. It suits couples and older travellers looking for a comfortable, characterful base rather than a resort hotel, and works particularly well out of season.