Gleneagles Hotel

Gleneagles, "The Palace in the Glen", is only a one hour motorway drive from Edinburgh and Glasgow, and is one of the leading golf and Spa Luxury Hotel in Scotland.  As a 5 Red Star Hotel and resort Gleneagles not only offers three of the top Golf Courses in Scotland and a Leading Spa, it is one of the luxury hotels in Scotland where a myriad of Sporting pursuits and Leisure activities can be enjoyed without leaving its glorious estate.

The Gleneagles Hotel was designed in the style of a French chateau and Capability Brown, the celebrated 18th century landscape gardener, inspired the landscaping Luxurious and impeccable though it is, you will find that the Gleneagles Hotel has a refreshingly relaxed manner, unstarchy and unstiff that is mirrored by the friendly courtesy of all the staff. From your first wholehearted Scottish welcome you will be looked after warmly by the staff and the services offered.

When Gleneagles opened in 1924 it was described as 'a Riviera in the Highlands' and 'the eighth wonder of the world'. Today, the Hotel remains dedicated to excellence, just as it was in its earliest days when "the avowed intention of the management is to create happiness".

The former Caledonian Railway Company built the hotel with its own railway station. Gleneagles is now owned by Diageo plc.

By the 1930s, golf and hotel were the height of fashion. Then as now, Gleneagles was the glorious playground for people dedicated to leisure and pleasure in the most luxurious surroundings.

In the 1950s, Gleneagles was a fixed part of high society's calendar - after the London "season" it was yachting at Cowes, polo at Deauville and golf and grouse shooting at Gleneagles.

Until 1982, the Hotel only opened during the summer months. Between 1982-86 more than 11 million was spent on a total renovation and restoration and the elegance and traditions of Gleneagles can now be enjoyed all year round. Total capital investment since 1982 is more than 46 million.

In 1986, Gleneagles was awarded the Automobile Association's supreme accolade of Five Red Stars, which it has retained every year. Since 1982, it has won more than 30 awards from the travel, catering and associated industries.

In 1993, the 5.9 million PGA Centenary Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, opened to complement the renowned King's and Queen's courses to form one of the world's finest golfing venues.

The Golf Academy, opened in 1994, enshrines the philosophy that improving a player's performance improves their enjoyment of the game.

Directions by Road:

FROM THE SOUTH The M9 becomes the A9 (dual carriageway) and you should continue on it for about 11 miles. Turn off at the junction with the A823 signed for 'Crieff and Gleneagles'. Turn left onto the A823 following the sign for The Gleneagles Hotel and golf courses' and the entrance to the Hotel is on the left, about a mile further on. Should you miss this exit from the A9, take the next one signed 'Auchterarder' and then turn left onto the A824 following the signs to 'Gleneagles and Crieff'. Turn left at the crossroads onto the A823. The Hotel entrance is on the right, about half a mile further on.

FROM THE NORTH Leave the A9 at the exit for the A823 after the one signed 'Gleneagles Station'. Turn right onto the A823 following the sign for The Gleneagles Hotel and golf courses' and the entrance to the Hotel is on the left, about a mile further on.

FROM FURTHER SOUTH AND LONDON The quickest route is usually via the MI - M6 Motorways. After Carlisle, follow signs for Glasgow, taking the A74 - M74. Leave the M74 at junction 4 and take the M73 signed to Stirling. This will lead you onto the A80, then the M80. Take the M80 North and join the M9 signed to Perth. When the M9 becomes the A9, follow the local directions as detailed above. Do not be tempted to take the direction signed to Gleneagles as this goes to a private estate and is in the opposite direction to the Hotel.

By Rail: Great North Eastern Railway services stop at Gleneagles Station, which is on the main London to Inverness line. All trains are met by Hotel transport, but please let us know which train you will be on

By Air: Edinburgh and Glasgow airports are both less than 50 miles, or an hour's drive away. The Hotel can arrange chauffeur driven or self-drive cars.

Arrangements can also be made to land helicopters at the Hotel.

There are 216 luxurious Bedrooms, including 13 exclusively decorated Suites. Several luxurious new Bedrooms are now available. Designed in classic contemporary style, these are part of a £5 million major refurbishment programme at the Five Red Star resort.

The Bedrooms, in muted colours with sensual fabrics and with spacious Bathrooms, will ensure that guests enjoy the finest comforts and the ultimate in relaxation.

ROOM AMENITIES:

• 2-line Direct Dial Telephone with Data port & Voicemail
• Terry Cloth Bathrobes & Slippers
• Remote colour Television (cable & satellite)
• Hairdryer
• Mini Bar
• Trouser Press
• En-suite bath & showers
• King size beds (on request)
• Tea & Coffee
• Safe
• Modem access
• Iron & Board
• Toiletries
• Umbrella
• Some rooms also have CD players, Videos or DVD players

INTERACTIVE TELEVISIONS:

All Rooms at Gleneagles now have Interactive Televisions which offer the following features:

• Scheduled Movies
• Movies on demand
• Internet access
• Email access
• On screen Hotel information
• Courses status
• Wake up call
• Games
• Travel information
• Daily news
• Room Service Menu
• View Bill
• Free access to Gleneagles.com
• On screen messages

Single Rooms: Single Rooms are individually decorated with a variety of views. Many connect with neighbouring rooms, also ideal for families and larger parties.

Classic Rooms: Classic Rooms have their own charm and style, complete with en-suite bathrooms. Many connect with neighbouring rooms, ideal for families and larger parties.

Sovereign Rooms: Offering lovely views over the Gleneagles Estate, The Club, the leisure area and gardens or towards the Perthshire Hills, or spacious Rooms, some with their own comfortable sitting area. Many of the Double Rooms have king sized beds.

Estate Rooms: Estate Rooms are generous in size, the majority having king size beds and all have the finest views of the surrounding estate; some looking towards the Glendevon Valley at the foot of the Perthshire Highlands.

Estate Suites: Estate Suites have a separate Sitting Room and king size beds. They are large Suites with an attractive view either over the Tennis Courts with the Perthshire Hills behind or towards the Golf Courses.

The Whisky Suites: The Whisky Suites have outstanding views of the Glendevon Valley or the main driveway up to the Hotel. They have separate Sitting Rooms with a Dining area ideal for a leisurely breakfast or for private cocktails and dinner parties.

Cragganmore: is decorated in classic French style, with fabrics featuring orchard fruits.

Dalwhinnie: has the 1920s ambience of Gleneagles' early years.

Glenkinchie: has the atmosphere of a country house library with its wall bookcase and stencil-print wallpaper in soft cool green.

Oban: is dramatic and vivid with rich drapes and warm colours.

Talisker: is airy and light by day in peaches and greens and enjoys magnificent sunsets, changing its character to a cosy evening glow.

The Royal Lochnagar Suite: Our most prestigious Suite, named after one of the world's finest single malt whiskies. The antique furniture, king size four-poster bed, silk lined walls and hand woven carpets are complemented by breathtaking views of Glendevon. This Suite has stunning views across the Hotel's lawns and Golf Courses to the rolling skyline of the Ochil Hills.

GLENEAGLES ACTIVITIES:

Equestrian: Gleneagles is every horse rider's dream. The Equestrian Centre is one of the best equipped in the world and provides facilities for every discipline of horsemanship, and at every level of experience. From the beginner to the expert, riding at Gleneagles offers a new level of instruction, of experience and of enjoyment.

Shooting: There is no-one, novice or crack-shot, who would not enjoy, or benefit from time spent at The Gleneagles Shooting School. If you want to learn to shoot, there is every help and assistance.

Falconry: Falconry is one of the oldest and most aristocratic sports. As a beginner at the British School of Falconry at Gleneagles, under expert tuition, you will be introduced to the centuries-old traditions and pleasures of flying hawks, delighting in the varied character of each bird and being guided in the art of handling and flying hawks.

Fishing: Salmon or Trout? The big silver fighting fish of the Tay, Scotland's great salmon river, or Gleneagles' trout loch. Our ghillies provide a fisherman's knowledge of the water and some wry local humour as well as advice on the best tackle, flies and strategies for an unforgettable day.

Off Road Driving: Off Road Driving - Leave the manicured lawns of one of The Leading Hotels of the World and test your skills in handling a four-wheel-drive vehicle over two of Britain's most challenging off-road courses.

The Club & Spa: Not everyone wants to spend their time on the end of a golf club, fishing rod, gun barrel, riding rein or falconer's glove. For some, a holiday is a chance to have a break from the everyday routine, to relax, to be pampered. You can swim in one of our two pools, exercise in the Gym or Squash Court, enjoy a Sauna, sun-bed or Massage in The Spa, or just let the world go by.

Children: Gleneagles provides an array of activities for children as well as a website just for them. For fun in the water, splash about in the pool or dip in the outdoor hot pool! Every Saturday and Sunday between 14:00 and 15:00 meet up with new friends for an hour of fun and games for the Splash Hour. Outside explore the grounds by mountain bike - helmets are provided. Or borrow a junior tennis racquet and get into the swing of things on one of the four courts found next to the pétanque and football pitches. You can even test your flying skills on a windy day by borrowing a kite. The Playroom: Kids up to 10 years are welcome to pop into the Playroom during their stay to paint, draw and play. The Playroom is open between 09:30 and 17:00 daily. Stay for up to five hours, with the first two hours being free of charge. Thereafter there is a flat fee of £10 per for each child. Parents are required to remain within the grounds of Gleneagles when leaving their child.

Babysitters are also available at an hourly rate. Just inform resort sales of your requirements when making your booking. Alternatively if you are resident our housekeeper, with advance notice, will be delighted to arrange this for you.

GOLF AT GLENEAGLES:

Gleneagles' golf courses are open to visiting players seeking a deluxe golfing experience. The three championship courses, golf academy and extensive clubhouse facilities will be available for use by companies and private individuals alike. Hotel guests will continue to have priority. However regular visitor users of the golf facilities will benefit from additional exclusive services and facilities.

Golfers have access to the 11-acre academy with covered practice facilities and the clubhouse which includes luxury locker rooms with showers, sauna and steam rooms. Twilight Golf will be offered from 16:00 during the months of May to September on the PGA Centenary Course, Queen's and King's courses.

Courses: Golf at Gleneagles is a blend of natural experience and golfing adventure on three championship courses set in the splendour of the Perthshire hills. The courses were the inspiration of two of the world's most famous golfers, James Braid, five times winner of the Open championship who designed the King's and Queen's, and Jack Nicklaus, Golfer of the 20th Century, who designed the PGA Centenary Course.

The PGA Centenary Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, is a modern classic. Even for a champion and acclaimed golf architect like Nicklaus, the PGA Centenary Course was a challenge. It had to be a great course and, set as it is in the heart of Scotland, the country that gave the world Golf, Nicklaus describes the course as "The finest parcel of land in the world I have ever been given to work with". It had to be unique in its challenge, a course in the modern design ethos that at its fullest stretch tests the greatest players, while, in the immortal phrase of Bobby Jones, "offering problems a man may attempt according to his ability... never hopeless for the lesser player nor failing to concern and interest the expert."

From the back tees, the PGA Centenary Course measures 7,088 yards, the longest inland course in Scotland. However, the tees are graded at each hole in five stages, including a challenging 6,558 yards from the white markers down to 5,072 from the red. Fittingly, the PGA Centenary Course begins by playing southeast towards the famed glen of the eagles sweeping up the Ochil Hills to the summit of the pass below Ben Shee that joins it to Glendevon.

A feature of the PGA Centenary Course is the feast of views of the spectacular countryside in which Gleneagles is set. Putting on the two-tier second green, you are distracted by the lush panorama of the rich Perthshire straths. As you move westwards over the next few holes, the rugged Grampians come into view on the right then distantly purple ahead, Ben Vorlich and the mountains above the Trossachs.

The King's Course, opened in 1919, is a masterpiece of design that has tested the aristocracy of golf, both professional and amateur. James Braid's plan for the King's Course was to test even the best players' shot-making skills over the eighteen holes. When they play the King's the worlds greatest golfers admire the cunning and craft with which he achieved that goal.

You find out all about it with your first approach shot. If you have driven straight and long from the tee, you will have what looks like a simple pitch to the elevated green. But you must be sure to select the correct club, because the shot is always a little longer than you think, with the wind over the putting surface often stronger than you can feel it from the fairway. And if you do not make the severely sloping green, a bunker yawns twenty feet below. Selecting the right club for each approach shot is the secret on the King's. It is certainly one of the most beautiful and exhilarating places to play golf in the world, with the springy moor land turf underfoot, the sweeping views from the tees all around, the rock-faced mountains to the north, the green hills to the south, and the peaks of the Trossachs and Ben Vorlich on the western horizon.

All the holes have evocative and pithy Scots names. For example, the fifth, Het Girdle (Hot Pan), is a challenging par 3 with trouble every-where except on the green, while l7th's name, Warslin’ Lea (Wrestling Ground), reflects the difficulty so many golfers have had with this long, sweeping par 4.

The Queen's Course, in its long history, has played host to some of the world's golfing greats. The beautiful settings and the challenge of the golf have attracted such top golfers as Johnny Miller, Greg Norman, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Watson, and Lee Trevino, as well as great names from the entertainment and sports worlds including Sean Connery, Burt Lancaster, Bing Crosby, Jackie Stewart, and astronaut, Alan Shepard (the only man to hit a golf shot on the moon).

Threading through high ridges on the north and west sides of the estate, the Queen's offers lovely woodland settings, lochans and ditches as water hazards, as well as many moor land characteristics. At 3,192 yards long, the challenge of the first nine can be deceptive, with even some of the best players finding it a test to make par into a fresh southwesterly breeze. Do not be lulled into a sense of false security as you stand on the first tee. The Trystin’ Tree or Lover's Meeting place, after which the hole is named, is a challenging opener. The ground falls away at your feet, the fairway swings round to the left and slopes towards the trees, and there are a couple of cunningly-placed bunkers testing your approach into the miniscule green.

Other Courses & Practice Areas

The fun, Par 3 Wee Course is a light alternative for both beginners and experts. It recalls the original nine-hole course at Gleneagles, constructed in 1928 by the head green keeper, George Alexander, and staff from the hotel.

The Golf Academy, which opened in 1994, enshrines the philosophy that improving a player's performance improves their enjoyment of the game. The Academy, which includes a covered 320-yard double-ended driving range with capacity for 40 golfers, provides an important focus for developing a player's short game in addition to improving play from the tee.

There is an eleven-acre championship standard practice ground designed for play behind or into the prevailing wind and for practice of all aspects of the golf game. Gleneagles provides several putting greens on the estate including a championship putting green at the practice ground. The resort has a nine-hole pitch and putt course in front of the Hotel.

The Golf Academy: Those who love the game want to get better at it: every player, no matter what their handicap, has one or two areas they'd like to improve. It could be correcting that kink in your swing, curing an attack of the yips on the putting green or developing the perfect draw. At the Golf Academy at Gleneagles, you will find the sort of help and advice that will have you thinking, 'If only I'd had access to it years ago, I'd have a lower handicap by now.'

Digital Video Lessons

Using the latest golf technology tuition software, the Interactive Frontier V1 system, The Golf Academy can offer these incredible features:

• All lessons recorded using a digital camera
• All lessons are kept on hard disk for future analysis
• Model your swing to that of a touring golf pro
• Overlay your swing with a pros swing for comparison
• Every lesson includes a video to take away

Golf clinics are available for the individual or the corporate guest. Our golf professionals offer expert advice on every aspect of your game, guiding you through techniques that you can build into it, now and in the rounds to come.

You can choose one-to-one tuition or learn our professionals' secrets in a group format in your own private area of the Academy. Either way, with our digital video lessons, swing photographs and The Golf Academy Manual, we make sure the advice you receive benefits your game long after your day with us has ended.

The Golf Shop: If you are looking for a club to give you that extra couple of yards or a ball that'll fly long and true, then The Gleneagles Golf Shop is the place for you.

And, with our exclusive clothing range, including names like Bobby Jones, Lyle & Scott, Cutter & Buck, Hugo Boss and Sunderland of Scotland, we will make sure you look good on the tee as well. You can even wear your heart on your sleeve with your company's logo on Gleneagles branded sweaters and shirts.

The Taste of Scotland is always to be enjoyed at Gleneagles, from morning kippers or a fresh egg from a nearby farmhouse; scones and cream or Dundee cake for Afternoon Tea in The Bar to Angus beef, Tay salmon, venison or Highland grouse for Dinner.

This is only one of the themes that runs through the superb food at Gleneagles. You can enjoy fine cuisine (and great vintage wines) at one of our four restaurants or eat simple salads or lighter meals at one of our bars. Each has its own style but the hallmark of every one is freshness and flavour.

Gleneagles has an international reputation for the excellence and variety of the dishes prepared in the Hotel's kitchens, which benefit from the finest, freshest produce available from Scotland's larder, and from specialist suppliers around the world.

Gleneagles is also highly regarded for the depth and range of its wine cellar and for the quality of service in each of the resort's four restaurants. Our seven Sommeliers will assist you with advice on the selection of fine wines to complement your menu.

The Strathearn Restaurant:

This is Gleneagles' two-rosette award winning Restaurant with magnificent views across the estate. The service is stylish and the food is from a classical era. You can enjoy the very best of Scotland's larder with a touch of the unexpected. It's dressy if you like but that's not essential. The very best of the world's wines awaits your arrival and to finish we have a collection of some of the rarest malt whiskies in Scotland. Open for breakfast, dinner and Sunday lunch.

Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles:

Scottish Chef of the year, Andrew Fairlie, creates signature dishes in his intimate, Michelin-starred restaurant, where every detail has been carefully planned to create a truly special experience - from the leather of the menus and innovative original art on the walls through to the specially selected French cheeses and Scottish-grown herbs. As Andrew received much of his chef's training in the South West of France with Michel Guérard, the cuisine is unashamedly French but with a Scottish twist. Many of the ingredients for Andrew's gourmet menu come from the famous Rungis market outside Paris as well as from local Scottish suppliers.

The Dormy Clubhouse: The style is informal and relaxed with the King's and Queen's Golf Courses providing the view. Good honest grills are the specialty.

The Club Restaurant: The place to be to enjoy a fun, action packed dining experience. Since its opening in Spring 1998, The Club Restaurant has established itself as the alternative for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner offering ever changing oak fired designer pizzas, steak grills, trendy salads and authentic Italian pastas touched with a scent of the Mediterranean. Whatever you want, from just a coffee, snack or a fun meal you will be welcomed by our friendly team.

The Bars: The Resort has a selection of bars where guests can relax and enjoy an extensive range of beverages.

Each bar contains a selection of Scotch whiskies, including Royal Lochnagar and the Classic Malts. A whisky trolley, featuring 50 rare malts including single cask dated whiskies, is popular with guests. The whiskies are served in hand blown Austrian glasses that were exclusively designed for malt whiskies ~ their fluted shape accentuates the aroma and taste of the malt. Guests can also choose from a selection of exclusive Gleneagles' cocktails and an extensive wine list consisting of more than 250 wines.

The Bar ~ Takes its inspiration from the Jazz Age and reflects Gleneagles timeless glamour while matching the mood of today. For many of our guests the social life of the Hotel revolves around this dramatic and theatrical room. Arrange to meet your family and friends in this relaxed bar to enjoy morning coffee and delicious shortbread, light lunch, traditional afternoon tea, aperitif or that relaxing after dinner liqueur.

An unrivalled selection of over 120 single malt whiskies, vintage champagne by the glass, excellent wines and the very best draught Guinness is served all day and on into the early hours or the morning.