Detailed Review
Although only five minutes from the historic attractions of the Royal Mile and all the capital's most glamorous shopping streets, Prestonfield boasts a truly idyllic setting.
Peacocks strut across perfectly manicured lawns, highland cattle graze in the surrounding 20 acres of rolling parkland, and the splendid Prestonfield golf course adjoins the east wing of the house.
Press Quotes
"A romantic, almost other-worldly 17th-century building with period features still intact." Guardian 07
Independent Reviews
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Prestonfield
By Juliet KinsmanWith Highland cows and peacocks roaming the green and grassy grounds, of Prestonfield, it’s hard to imagine you’re minutes from the middle of Edinburgh. In a 17th-century manor house given a new lease of life by the creators of the Witchery, the flamboyant decor, attention to detail, and cosseting service have already scooped an award for best hotel in Scotland. It has been designed with an outright disregard for minimalism. Swathes of woven fabric wallpaper, plush curtains, an incredible collection of antique furniture, intricately carved ceilings, ruby, gold and jet-black colours create an environment of pure modern decadence. Unsurprisingly, the bedrooms here are very sexy. Big, cushion-laden, puffy beds with crimson coverings, ornate lampshades, and antique furniture reveal the kind of mod cons you expect from the most cutting-edge luxury hotels. No visit would be complete without a dinner at Rhubarb, the hotel’s own restaurant (so named because Prestonfield was the first estate in Scotland to propagate the vegetable when it was introduced from China). Regional Scottish ingredients feature prominently on the menu (Borders lamb, Lindisfarne oysters, Scottish salmon and Isle of Skye scallops) and the wine list is particularly impressive. After dinner, adjourn to black crocodile-skin banquettes and gilded chairs in the Yellow Room, or the antlered seats of the Whisky room. Or cosy up for a fireside game of Scrabble in a reception room lined in centuries-old embossed leather. You may only be a cab ride from the Royal Mile, but the temptation is to remain cocooned in Prestonfield.
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“Theatrical and luscious, the 16th-century manor is set on its own parkland near the city centre with an award-winning restaurant.”
TI writer Juliet Kinsman: For those who feel comfort should mean revelling in excess, this 16th-century manor house from the creators of the Witchery eschews minimalism in favour of centuries-old furniture and swathes of heavy fabrics.
Prestonfield
By Caroline Major
At night, drive up the Prestonfield approach into the purple glow and the scene is set. This pile is all moody atmosphere. The exterior’s theatrical up-lighting is but a prelude to five centuries of ‘belly joy’ as the auld Scots like to call a good time. Candles, lamps, l.e.d’s and firelight set off the gold, red and black colour scheme in the main parts of the house, while by day big windows bathe it in Scottish daylight.
For many this might be OTT. But owner James Thomson has set out to preserve a personality built over nine centuries - and he has pulled it off spectacularly. Over its life the house has played home and host to priests and lairds, politicians, generals, entrepreneurs and artists, its history inextricably linked with the city of Edinburgh. Initially the lands belonged to the Scottish crown. After the War of Independence in 1376, they were confiscated and sold to the first in a line of wealthy families to own the property.
Investment with its reconstruction after a fire, an anti-catholic student protest in 1677. Sir William Bruce, the Kings’ architect was hired and a Dutch style house and garden established. Among the original tapestries and furnishings of the house are Italian plasterwork and gilded leather tapestries from Cordova in Spain along with Chinoiserie lacquer cabinets. The family commissioned many paintings and played host to the political and cultural leaders of the 17, 18 and 19th centuries.
The family’s pursuit of commerce and hospitality continued; renovations enlarged the house. These have endured, preserving the building from a Victorian or Edwardian fate. Fifty years ago, the house opened as a hotel, and has since played host to Churchill, Thatcher, Oliver Reed, Sean Connery, Elton John and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It has recently re-opened with the addition of 17 rooms, introducing some playful post-modern theatre while maintaining something of its original historic character. It worked for me. It’s certainly spectacular: the pillows are fluffy, the detailing well thought out, the lighting moody - and the house keeping is second to none.
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