Cringletie House, Peebles

This beautiful country house from 1861, set in 28 acres of wonderful gardens, has 4 Red Stars (AA) and 4 Gold Stars (Visit Scotland) for affordable luxury 19 miles (30.5 km) from Edinburgh.

Despite its peaceful rural location, Cringletie House is only about 30 minutes drive from Edinburgh and Edinburgh Airport. The convenient, yet secluded location makes the small country-house hotel ideal for a relaxing or romantic break. With its 4 Red Stars, Cringletie House is the only AA-rated top hotel in the Scottish Borders.

The restaurant with hand-painted ceiling provides excellent fine dining. The à la carte menu changes seasonally to reflect the finest, freshest produce available locally. Many dishes feature ingredients from the hotels 400-year-old walled kitchen garden.

The idyllic location and beautifully appointed accommodation makes the hotel a superb base for the Tweed Valley.

Cringletie House is located between Peebles and Eddleston, approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of Edinburgh. Although close to both the city of Edinburgh and Edinburgh Airport, the hotel enjoys a very peaceful, rural setting in 28 acres of wonderful gardens and grounds. The River Tweed is only 7 minutes away and is famous for salmon, trout and grayling fishing. The spectacular scenery and stunning natural beauty of the region surrounding the hotel make it a fabulous place to go for a walk, and the whole of the Scottish Borders are a magnificent area of the country to enjoy exploring.. There are over 40 well-signposted walks around the Tweed Valley.

There is so much to see and do in the area that one could easily spend a whole week in the region. There are 5 great golf courses within 10-30 minutes’ drive and the Glentress Mountain Bike Centre is now one of the top mountain biking centres in the whole of the UK. You could also decide to hire a horse and go for a trekking experience in the Borders. Again, there are quite a few signposted tracks very close by. There are also plenty of historic houses and abbeys nearby. With the hotel as your luxurious base, you could choose to investigate the legend of Sir Walter Scott or Rosslyn Chapel (made famous by the Da Vinci Code).

During the renovations in 2004, Cringletie House was made fully wheelchair accessible. There is also one dedicated room suitable for disabled guests, wheelchair users and those with reduced mobility. The hotel offers disabled parking, an entrance ramp, a chairlift to the ground floor and a passenger lift to the first and second floor. After conversations with representatives of the Scottish Deaf Association, technical equipment was installed to make guests with impaired hearing feel safe in their bed at night.

The public rooms are all very warm and welcoming, with log fires in all of them. All public rooms have a service bell, which is connected to the original butler panel. In bygone days, the bells served to call upon the services of the butler. Today, the bells are still there for the comfort and convenience of all guests.

The lounge bar on the ground floor provides a nice, homely atmosphere. Here you can enjoy your pre-dinner drinks or your after-dinner coffee. As it is adjacent to the conservatory, the bar also offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy some fresh air when the weather is fine.

The library on the first floor is a haven of comfort and tranquillity for total relaxation. For those who do not want to travel with their laptops, a public computer is available in the library. Guests can also entertain themselves also with a selection of games.

The main lounge enjoys an easterly aspect and is a wonderful spot to catch up with the newspapers.

With state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment, it does not take long to transform a lounge into a meeting room. Depending on the number of delegates, the hotel can also make available the boardroom, the Maguire Room and, for larger numbers, the conservatory.

As one would expect in a property with the history of Cringletie House, all of the rooms have their own individual character and their own unique charm. The hotel offers a range of luxurious accommodation, including large rooms, smaller rooms and romantic turret rooms, all furnished to the highest standards.

Every room is beautifully appointed and well equipped with all the comforts and facilities that you would expect in a 4-star luxury hotel. However, Cringletie House prides itself on exceeding expectations, and it is in the details that the hotel’s quality really shines through.

Beds are normally made with feather duvets and pillows - the tog rating of the duvets depending on the season. However, should you prefer blankets or non-allergenic duvets or pillows, the hotel will make your bed accordingly. The standard pillows are of the firm variety. Should you wish to have a slightly softer pillow, alternatives are again available.

The earthy colours of the soft furnishings reflect the immediate environment of the house. Each of the rooms has a superb view over the grounds, the gardens and the softly rolling hills beyond. Whether it is spring, summer, autumn or winter, the wonderful views over the beautiful ever-changing landscape will delight everyone.

All of the en suite bathrooms are comfortably warm and each has a temperature-controlled heated towel rail. Every bathroom comes with plenty of soft, fluffy towels and luxurious bathrobes and slippers. The bathrooms also include a selection of high-quality Molton Brown toiletries and luxury bathroom products available for you to enjoy. Depending on the room of your choice, you will have a bath and shower, a shower over the bath or a shower.

All rooms have a wall-mounted flat-screen TV and an internet connection point offering high-speed LAN wired internet access, in addition to Wi-Fi wireless internet access.