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Fonab Castle is a wonderful and historic building on the banks of Loch Faskally, by Pitlochry. It has been transformed by the Clark family into a fabulous and glamorous new 5 Star hotel. The hotel offers 42 bedrooms, including 4 suites and a luxurious Penthouse suite (a number with loch views). The hotel brasserie and lounge provide outstanding vistas of the loch itself and Sandemans, our fine dining restaurant, is a tranquil setting for experiencing exquisite cuisine and fine wines. The Woodland Spa at Fonab offers a host of pampering and relaxation experiences, with Thermal Suite, Jacuzzi, swimming pool, treatment rooms, nail bar and pedicures. We look forward to welcoming you to a unique experience.”
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to TheAA: The Automobile Association.
HOTEL STYLE
Modern
Luxury
Languages Spoken
English, French, Romanian
Location
Foss Road, Pitlochry PH16 5ND Scotland
Fonab Castle Hotel
4.6 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
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Nestled in a picturesque setting, Fonab Castle Hotel offers an elegant and romantic atmosphere that many guests find luxurious and comfortable. Its cleanliness and exceptional service receive high marks, with staff members known for their warmth and attention to detail.
While some travelers mention the hotel's amenities, particularly the spa, could benefit from better maintenance, the overall experience—with its spacious and well-appointed rooms—is often considered worth the cost. However, a few guests suggest that improvements could be made in both the price point and the modernity of the rooms.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Romantic
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Opulent
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We have visited this hotel a few times per year for the last several years and it is great as it has ever been and back fully to normal after COVID break and a number of changes. We much prefer to stay in the lodges rather than the main castle and the privacy and isolation of the lodges is ideal and the loch side view magnificent all year around. The lodge bedroom is large as is the shower/bathroom and good standard of bedding and furniture etc and we always sleep very well and nosiness has never been a problem and the lodges are very well soundproofed with no noise from any of the other lodges in the blocks of 4. The spa was relaxing and good quality treatments and the new upstairs sitting room with hot tub was much enjoyed and better for us than the sitting area and hot tub by the indoor pool. We had a brilliant evening in Sandemans with the tasting menu and wine flight and were exceedingly well looked after by Thomas and Alex and the food and wine was very well matched and tasty and if staying 2 or more nights we’d thoroughly recommend 1 meal in Sandemans. The rebranded brasserie was just as good as before with good variety of choices for all preferences and with breakfast options for lighter meal or a full breakfast and a mix of cooked and other options. We finished both evenings with a wonderful couple of hours in the upstairs bar where we were looked after brilliantly by India who was very attentive and bubbly and engaging and has a great talent for cocktail making and made both evenings special for us. We plan to be back for another couple visits in 2023 and as things are a bit pricey we stick to long weekends or weekdays short breaks. No real demerits or criticisms although personally a small refrigerator would be great in the lodge to keep complimentary milk and water cool and potentially wine and soft drinks from room service cool for drinking at the table and chairs on the lodge balcony/patio in sunnier weather. A great stopping point for a stay of a night or 2 on a Scotland tour or a great peaceful beautiful location to go back to again and again all year around year after year.
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Date of stay: May 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Give Sandemans a visit , give spa a visit for treatments/relaxation and look out for India in bar...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Andrew Cook, General Manager at Fonab Castle Hotel
Responded 31 May 2023
Dear 381davidh381, thank you very much for taking the time to share in such detail, your recent experiences at Fonab Castle. Our team were delighted to your thoroughly enjoyed your stay and felt that we were back to pre COVID times. Our team are very happy to receive your wonderful feedback especially those mentioned in person from your experience in our 3 rosette restaurant; Sandman's. We are very happy that you will be coming back for more visits in 2023 and for your recommendation of us as a great stopping point on anyone Scottish tour. See you soon. Kind regards Andrew
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From the minute that the concierge, Mark, met us on the streps of the Fonab Castle Hotel to our exit from the hotel to an arranged car taking us to Edinburgh airport, our experience was exceptional. Our room was medium size with an excellent view of the lake; our in-room amenities were superb (yes, we do like showers we can maneuver in with places to hang towels...), the lounge decks with excellent seating to enjoy a lake and mountain view when drinking a beverage following a strenuous hike up on several superbly maintained trails - to the superb dining we experienced (the trout was exceptionally well-prepared) - highlighted our stays in Scotland while hiking with National Geographic. It poured rain, it had occasional sun poking through, and it was windy on our hikes in the Highlands; however, Fonab Castle Hotel was a highlight in a trip that displayed a glimpse of a wonderful country with lovely people and amenities. We'll return to Fonab again for a more focused time to explore Pitlochry and the surrounding countryside.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: August 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Wonderful 1-night stay at the fabulous Fonab Castle, Pitlochry, early May. We'd booked the 7-course taster menu for dinner, in advance, and the reception team could not have been more helpful, nor the chef more obliging and flexible, catering to our preferences. On arrival, we were met outside by the terrific Mark, in full Scottish regalia! He gave us a tour of the Castle, including spa and pool facilities. Inside is a mix of old and new. Spotlessly clean, plenty of thought, care, planning and passion, combines to give a cosy, sumptuous and relaxed feel. We loved it. Dinner was amazing. Waiter and newbie looking after us, with iteresting info about the dishes we ate. Again, Huge Thanks to Fonab's (Italian), chef: you are a star! We swam in the indoor pool and relaxed in the adjacent jaccuzi. Perfect. View over the hydro power station and loch, faultless friendly service throughout, incredible breakfast, lovely room + facilities. Good parking and a rather lovely short drive from the road to the Castle. Plenty of easy walking from the Castle...or, of course, anywhere nearby really! Pitlochrie's a nice place to visit, as is the hydro power station and fish ladder. We lived Fonab Castle...huge thanks to all the lovely team there! Definately recommended!
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Date of stay: May 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I was given a voucher for my 30th birthday to enjoy a night b&b at fonab. I had such high expectations but unfortunately i was disappointed from the offset. Checked in at reception was not given our welcome drink. We were taken up to our room by the lovely concierge Mike who was very helpful during our stay. We had a Castle Room in the main building, it was in much need of a freshen up and the bathroom wasn’t much better stains on the shelving under the sink and the floor tiles were tatty. We then visited the spa all facilities were great but the changing rooms were again not what I expect from a 5* hotel. No hot water for the showers (we were not told this on arrival) foul smell in shower cubicle. I went to use the toilets none of them had any toilet roll and i wont go into detail but one of them needed a deep clean. This again is not 5* standard and tells me these changing rooms are not being checked throughout the day. I received a call from the Manager whilst me and my partner were out for a meal we were offered a free dinner at the hotel restaurant as a gesture for the experience we had so far. Unfortunately we had already ordered food, she then said when we cane back we could get another room. The new room was one of the lodges overlooking the river it was lovely and bug much more to the standard i would expect at Fonab and a complimentary bottle of prosecco and cheese board wholich was a lovely touch. We then opted to have our breakfast in the room the next morning as we wanted to enjoy what time we had left as we were only there for 1 night. On check out we had to pay the £10 room service charge for breakfast to the room which i feel given the experience we had had it should have been voided but by that point I couldn’t be bothered to ask. I would like to end this review on a positive. All staff we encountered on our stay were lovely and helpful and the main areas of Fonab are decorated to a high standard as are the Lodges perhaps we were just unlucky.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: February 2025
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We went to Fonab to use the spa facilities as a one-off. While there was nothing wrong with the facilities themselves, I have to note the maintenance and cleaning wasn't good enough and at the price we paid it wasn't really worth it. The staff were not checking and cleaning the spa and changing room areas. There were used water cups left on tables, an apple core on the floor at the pool, an abandoned towel in the aroma room. When we were leaving the towel basket in the changing room was overflowing and I had to take my robe and towel through to the reception. The sauna and steam rooms, pool, and jacuzzi are all as you would expect, but at the price we paid we expected a luxury experience and the lack of cleaning really detracted from that.
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Date of stay: December 2024
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Joanna Whysall, General Manager at Fonab Castle Hotel
Responded 7 Jan 2025
Thank you for taking the time to review your recent spa visit. We have taken your comments to heart and are currently looking at rectifying those issues. With regret and best wishes
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5 stars for location, room and context. 1 star for the ridiculous organization and certainly not worthy of a 5 star: 10 days before our arrival they took the total for our stay off the card as per the agreement, ok. 5 days before our arrival they took the same total off my card for a second time. I write an email and they apologize and refund me the next day with the result that due to the absurd conversion of the credit card I lose 40 euros due to their mistake. At check in at the reception everything is ok, but does the person who accompanies us to our lodge tell us that if we want, we can go to the bar to have an aperitif offered by the structure (couldn't the girl at check in tell us this)? In the evening we eat (VERY WELL) at their restaurant and at the end of dinner to speed things up I think I'll put the dinner (spending 90 pounds) on my room bill. The day after I check out I have a £290 charge on my credit card. I ask for explanations and they can't tell me anything, I ask for a receipt and they don't send it to me, they take their time saying that they have to ask the manager etc... after several requests they send me the receipt and I see that in addition to my dinner they charged me for other courses that were never consumed . I then explain that that is the problem but they reply that they have to check... The story goes on for a week until I complain quite heavily via email and they refund me 182 pounds. They kept the missing £18 for a tip!
So, the place is wonderful, the people are kind, the food is excellent in the restaurant... but watch out for your credit card!
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We had a wonderful 2 night stay at Fonab in a Woodland Superior room. Our room was spacious, bed comfortable and lovely bathroom and the lodges are only a few steps from the main entrance of the hotel. Breakfast was delicious, with a good choice of of food and drinks. We ate dinner in the bistro, which was also superb. The hotel is only a short walk into the town of Pitlochry, and on the route of many other woodland walks, which we enjoyed. The walk is on uneven ground so would not suit everyone, but we believe there is a concierge service for less able guests. We were disappointed in the spa facilities. The pool area was quite small with only 6 loungers for all guests. We found the pool on the cold side, and the hot tub was very small so we had to wait a few turns to get access to this. There is an outdoor hut tub and one on the upper floor, but both were switched off. The resistance pool outside was also cold, and then closed on our 2nd day. The thermal suite has an aromatherapy room, steam room and sauna as well as a cold rain shower. There were no directions for the aromatherapy room, which felt cool on entering but the seats were blistering warm, so much so that I burned my back. I did point this out on exit and was told that many people sit on towels or wear their robes - a sign to this effect would have been useful! We also found the steam room much cooler than other spas we have visited. The one thing we found exceptional throughout the hotel was the staff. The service from everyone was second to none, including when we booked on the telephone. The meet and greet involved a small show round and history of the castle which was a lovely touch. Everyone greeted and chatted to us when we were walking around, including the cleaning and maintenance staff as they went about their business. We would recommend and would be more than happy to stay again.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: March 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My partner and I stayed at the hotel for a night on the 21st October and had a lovely first stay :-) I was pleasantly surprised to given a tour of the different areas of the hotel on our way to our room by the concierge - he showed us around giving us an overview of the history of the place which was a lovely touch. I liked how the hotel has quite a quirky independent decor and vibe to it. Our room was spacious and decorated to a high standard. The bed was beautifully made up with large plump and comfortable pillows and cushions. There were some nice little touches like Tunnock's teacakes and caramel wafers next to the Nespresso machine and the view out of the window (we were on the 2nd floor I think) was the perfect idyllic Scottish forest scene and at that time of year plenty of fog for dramatic atmosphere! We booked ourselves in for the 7 course taster menu in Sandeman's restaurant which was possibly the best part of the whole stay. Amazing, attentive, top-class service waited on hand and foot with full explanations of each course. We opted for a single bottle of red wine to share which was out of this world! The dimly lit restaurant felt so intimate and exclusive. Loved every second of it, worth every penny and would highly recommend this to any foodies out there! We visited the spa and leisure facilities which had a good number of thermal rooms to experience. This area could perhaps be improved upon or upgraded as the ceiling in the steam room was starting to peel on the ceiling but aside from that everything else was fine. There were not staff in the spa perhaps because nobody had booked in for treatments. One of the most impressive features of this hotel is the fact it sits just next to and overlooks Faskally Loch and dam. The bar and lounge offers a fabulous viewing point out over it with floor to ceiling windows surrounding the side that faces it. I loved the retro slightly 70s vibe to the bar lounge too. Breakfast was good and the only criticism I'd have was that the coffee was a bit disappointing but this did not detract at all from the overall experience! I would love to return to the hotel.
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Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:If you want any treatments, probably best book in advance otherwise staff may not be there.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Andrew Cook, General Manager at Fonab Castle Hotel
Responded 8 Nov 2023
Dear natsomitso Thank you so much for taking the time to share your extensive review and experiences with us. I truly appreciate you taking the time to do so. We are all delighted you enjoyed your stay with us and your feedback is much appreciated by all. Thank you also for your constructive points noted which will be addressed. We would all love to see you back again soon. Kind regards Andrew
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Sandemans was excellent. We emailed to book a table for our whole party of 10 guests, we were then asked to pay £250 for a separate room to eat our meal in as the fine did ing area couldn’t accommodate us, thankfully this charge was then dropped as soon as we complained. However, my point is we should never have been asked to pay for a dining area when the hotel couldn’t accommodate us. Spa areas need a lot of maintenance. Don’t book the property if you want to use and enjoy the spa, many facilities were out of use and dirty. Wallpaper being held on with drawing pins, door handles hanging off, buckets collecting water. On day 1 of arrival we were told the hot tubs would be working for day 2, eagerly we arrived at the spa again on day 2 to find the hot tubs still out of use. Rooms - we had 5 rooms in total. One room had a broken phone and a fire alarm beeping at 1am, the guest had to get changed and walk to the main hotel to find someone to fix this as the phone was also broken. Another bedroom had cobwebs and light bulbs out, a huge spill mark visable on the skirting board. Skirting board was also loose and chipped badly. I didn’t want to leave poor feedback, however I hope the hotel can resolve the issues for others.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: November 2022
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I had booked this hotel for our 7th wedding anniversary and what an incredible experience we had. We were first greeted by Davie the concierge and he couldn't have done more to make us feel more welcomed. He congratulated us on our anniversary, gave us a guided tour of the hotel, and then took our bags up to our room. The room itself was within the Castle and it was just perfect! the bed was super comfortable and the bathroom was very modern with a very large shower.
We had afternoon tea in the Brasserie and could not fault it. We were led to our table and promptly offered water; the menu was given and we did not feel rushed. Our server Oliver was very professional and polite. The lady that seated us came back with a tray of chocolates with "Happy Anniversary" written on it with chocolate which was a very lovely and sincere touch.
We had dinner in the Brasserie as well and that was perfect. the portions were the perfect amount and full of flavour. the wine recommended by our server complimented our meal perfectly, it really was such a beautiful setting.
After dinner, we went upstairs to the bar and the barman was very professional and very informative. the bar itself was decorated just beautifully, perfect place to have a couple of after-dinner drinks!
On the day of check out, we headed over to the spa and that place was amazing! The facilities were sublime! the outdoor hot tub in the rain was such a good experience!
100% guarantee that we will be back hopefully very soon!
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Date of stay: June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Niall Thompson, General Manager at Fonab Castle Hotel
Responded 20 Jul 2022
Thank you for taking the time to pass on your kind comments. We are delighted that you enjoyed your special Anniversary stay with us, and found the team to be both welcoming and accommodating, and I'm pleased to hear your enjoyed your evening meal and afternoon tea. The staff, and especially Davie, are delighted at your comments as they all do genuinely care and try to give the best service that they can and knowing it is appreciated is very heart warming. I hope we will have the great pleasure of welcoming you back to Fonab Castle Hotel in the future. Kindest regards
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Altrincham, United Kingdom24 contributions16 helpful votes
The hotel has a spa with swimming pool and hot tubs, so I’d use that. The Loch will be freezing even in summer, and as other have said, it could be dangerous as it’s used for hydro electricity.
Aberdeen, United Kingdom37 contributions30 helpful votes
Our experience of Fonab was excellent, the staff are very accommodating so I've no doubt they could provide vegetarian options if given a little advanced notice.
Dunblane, United Kingdom50 contributions52 helpful votes
They don’t seem to want to take any correspondence unless it’s to book. They certainly don’t reply I have tried all means even snail mail to no avail. Most disappointing for a 5 star hotel.
Good afternoon
Thank you for your question. If you explain the situation to reception, it will be perfectly fine to book only one room. There is definitely no need for two rooms.
Regards
Alan Fry
Operations Manager
There are more places to choose from in the Pitlochry area.
PRICE RANGE
$536 - $745 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
United KingdomScotlandPerth and KinrossPitlochry
NUMBER OF ROOMS
42
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Fonab Castle Hotel
Which popular attractions are close to Fonab Castle Hotel?
Nearby attractions include Robertsons of Pitlochry (0.7 km), Pitlochry Festival Theatre (0.4 km), and Pitlochry Dam Power Station And Fish Ladder (0.1 km).
